Book description
Henry 'Birdie' Bowers (1883-1912) realised his life's ambition when
he was selected for Scott's Terra Nova Expedition to the Antarctic,
yet he was only asked to join the team that would actually reach the
South Pole at the last moment. He died on the return journey, caught
in a blizzard with Scott and Edward Wilson. Born to a sea-faring
father and adventurous mother on the Firth of Clyde, Bowers' boyhood
obsession with travel and adventure took him round the world several
times and his life appears, with hindsight, to have been a ceaseless
preparation for his ultimate, Antarctic challenge. Only 5'4", he
was nevertheless a bundle of energy: knowledgeable, indefatigable and
the ultimate 'team player' - in Scott's words, he was 'a marvel'. This
new biography, drawing on Bowers' letters and journals and previously
neglected material, will shed new light on his achievements and tell
the full story of the hardy naval officer who could always life his
companions' spirits.
Anne Strathie is a freelance writer and researcher. She has worked at
the Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum (which houses the Edward Wilson
Collection) and the Bath and Cheltenham literature festivals. She is the
author of Hugh Willoughby: the Man who Loved Picassos.
