British polar exploration 10 years before and after World War II: a Comparison

• Published in: Polar Record
• Main Author: Stephenson, Alfred
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1981
• Subjects: General Earth and Planetary Sciences; Ecology; Geography, Planning and Development; Polar Record
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400018799; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247400018799

In the Foreword to the first issue of Polar Record the editor wrote: ‘In the first place an attempt will be made merely to record the chief polar events of the preceding six months; but it is hoped that the scope of the journal will gradually be extended. The main body of The Polar Record , therefore, is a resume of polar news extracted from the best available sources’. This was a formidable task even in 1931, and a cursory glance at the latest volume indicates the tremendous growth and advances that have taken place since then. It is an impressive record and to mark the journal's 50th anniversary I shall use this information to make a general comparison of British polar activities, and the driving force behind them, in the pre- and post-war periods.