ENDING IN ICE
Ending in Ice (Oxford, 2006) tells the story of Alfred Wegener, a German meteorologist with two great passions: studying the climate of Greenland, and convincing the scientific world that the the continents moved. He was the first to set up a winter weather station in the interior of Greenland. He was also the first to bring together many converging lines of evidence in an effort to prove that continents had once been joined in one big landmass.
The first part of the book relates Wegener's development of his continental drift theory and the struggle to break through scientists' resistance to the idea. He compiled increasing amounts of evidence, but was ultimately rejected for not identifying an earth force strong enough to move continents.
The second part covers the 1930 expedition to Greenland and the trials of putting a manned weather and ice monitoring station in the center of Greenland where winter storms began in September and temperatures dropped to 50 below zero.
The final section summarizes the discoveries in the 1960's leading to the present day understanding of earth crustal movements now called plate tectonics. We find out that Wegener had a good idea, but, like some other scientific pioneers with good ideas, he got many of the details wrong.
McCoy tells the story of Alfred Wegener, the German meteorologist who developed the continental drift theory based on the existence of a single landmass he called Pangaea. Wegener fought his entire life for acceptance among the scientific community. ...and it was only decades later that his theories became widely accepted. McCoy clearly has a great deal of admiration for his subject and has created a wonderful book that combines both the weighty science that Wegener developed and a gripping story of Arctic tragedy. Initially, McCoy cogently explains how and why Wegener came to believe the continents were once joined. His subsequent chapters on Greenland are particularly outstanding as he reveals the many difficulties in maintaining scientific bases in the Arctic. Ultimately, Ending in Ice proves to be not only a superb tribute to a forgotten scientific trailblazer but also a worthy addition to the catalog of polar exploration titles. Colleen Mondor, Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
"Wegener's life was one of both triumph and tragedy, and McCoy's book captures those moods well. The Wegener associated with plate tectonics is well known, however, Wegener the Arctic Explorer especially resonates in this work. A compelling narrative of the hardships of Arctic exploration in the early 20th Century, with fascinating historical photographs of Wegener's life (and death) in Greenland. I learned a lot from this book." David R. Butler, Texas State University at San Marcos
"McCoy gives us an engrossing account of Alfred Wegener's struggle with the scientific community's rejection of his ideas about drifting continents, which included personal as well as professional attacks. No less gripping is McCoy's detailed treatment of the tragic Greenland expedition that ends Wegener's life decades before his continental movement idea is vindicated." Dwight Brown, University of Minnesota
..."In the middle of the twentieth century he was still viewed as a crackpot scientist by geologists," writes Roger M.
McCoy in his lucid, concise and ultimately gripping Ending in Ice. "Wegener," Mr. McCoy writes, "should beregarded in the same category as thinkers like Copernicus who had the imagination to see a new direction for science and a new way to think about answers to many questions." Indeed, he should. Michael Ybarra/ Wall Street Journal
McCoy provides a gripping account of the harsh conditions and complex logistics of the 1929–1930 expedition led by Wegener. ...As such, it provides an excellent summary of how all the pieces of the [plate tectonics] puzzle came together in the 1960s. ….Many archival photographs add to the enjoyment and usefulness of the book, which reads like a novel. Pierrette Tremblay, in Elements: An International Magazine of Mineralogy, Geochemistry, Petrology
Well informed, well written, and hard to put down. C Hanson/Amazon
Alfred Wegener was a remarkable man, ahead of his time in many ideas and concepts. This book is a wonderful, yet tragic, tale of his life and work. As an explorer he was like a child, wide eyed and excited; but as a scientist he was cool and collected. The combination of the two created a man of substance, one that I would liked to have met.
Roger M. McCoy has written a wonderful biography describing Wegener's development of his theory of continental drift, and its triumphant acceptance 30 years after his death. McCoy tells the entire story of Wegener's life in clear language. One cannot help but be impressed with Wegener's dedication to science and to his wonderful accomplishments. Alfred Wegener has found the biographer he deserves. R.C. Ross/Amazon
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