I'm always fascinated by the stories of those who brave the harshest conditions & bleakest environments for scientific research. In this account, author Bruce Luyendyk recounts his experience of leading a small team to Marie Byrd Land (Mighty Bad Land) in Antarctica. Hundreds of miles & hours of time away from help or rescue should the worst happen, the team worked to find answers to questions about the formation of the continents. This exploration, which took place in the 1990s without many of the inventions now relied upon such as GPS & the internet, paved the way to the revelation of the existence of a submerged eighth continent which the author terms "Zealandia".

This is a personal account of the research expedition by the author & doesn't hold back in talking about his relative inexperience in such a venture & his initial issues with physical fitness. As in any workplace there were disagreements & personality clashes, but on the whole, the results of their findings speak to the success of the team in the end. It was an interesting read with a few heart stopping moments, such as when one of the team falls down a hidden crevasse & has to be rescued by their teammates. Verdict: interesting read about geological research in one of the remotest areas in the world.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Post Hill Press/Permuted Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC.