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Tell us a bit about your background and what inspired you to get into polar history?

"I was raised and educated in Scotland, then worked in London in banking and finance roles. After moving to Cheltenham (where I still live), I saw the statue of and learned about Cheltenham’s multi-talented doctor, scientist, artist and Antarctic explorer Edward Wilson.

"Shortly after arriving, I became an arts and heritage fundraiser, latterly at the town’s Art Gallery and Museum (since renamed ‘The Wilson’), which holds a nationally important collection of Wilson’s paintings and polar artefacts.

"By 2010, as the centenary of Scott’s Terra Nova expedition approached, I was working part-time and taking creative writing courses. My aim was to write a book with an art historical theme, but a series of coincidences resulted in writing a new biography of Henry ‘Birdie’ Bowers, the youngest member of Scott’s South Pole party.

"As part of my early research, I travelled to Antarctica’s Ross Sea area and visited Scott’s Terra Nova expedition hut, Shackleton’s Nimrod expedition hut and the Southern Cross expedition. Although ice prevented us from reaching the Discovery expedition hut, I returned to Cheltenham fascinated by polar exploration history.

"After Birdie Bowers: Captain Scott’s Marvel was published in 2012, I made three further visits to polar regions and wrote three more books: Icefloes to Battlefields (following polar explorers into World War I), a biography of photographer and filmmaker Herbert Ponting and, most recently, A History of Polar Exploration in 50 Objects.

"So, as you see, the polar regions and their history have continued to inspire me!"

While undertaking research for your newest book, did you come across anything surprising or unexpected?

"Yes, indeed – both in relation to the format of the book and objects featured in it.

"After writing three biographies, I found that an objects-based approach enabled me to cover a longer timeframe and provide a wider, more comprehensive history of polar exploration. Some objects belonged or were used by famous mariners or expedition leaders, but others shed light on the roles of sometimes overlooked contributors to polar history including women, whalers and sealers, doctors and scientists, or artists, photographers and filmmakers.

"The 50 objects I initially chose did not all make it into the book for various reasons. Sometimes this was due to circumstances beyond my control (such as the non-availability of images), but others claimed my attention only during visits to the polar regions in 2023.

"Two such were Shackleton’s Nimrod expedition sledging-compass (spotted in South Georgia’s museum) and an inscribed rock left for John Franklin to find (first seen on an Arctic beach).

"Another surprise was noticing that Roald Amundsen’s home (already on my objects long-list) had on the wall a portrait of Lawrence Oates of Scott’s Terra Nova South Pole party – with no clues to indicate how it came to be there!"

What overarching message(s) would you like audiences to come away with?

"I hope audiences might, however little or much they already know about polar exploration history, come away having heard of an object, person or place they were not already familiar with. I would also be pleased if they leave with a greater appreciation of the continuity, collective nature and interconnectivity of polar exploration history.

"As in sport, politics and other fields, we sometimes concentrate on leaders and setting records – but polar exploration history is about more than ‘polar stars’ like Scott, Amundsen and Shackleton or who reached a polar landmark first.

"I’ve learned since embarking on my first polar book that even the most famous and competent explorers stand on the shoulders of others, be they predecessors who charted a route or loyal travelling companions on whom they depend.

"Finally, I hope that by intermingling objects from both polar regions throughout the book that I’ve demonstrated that while the two polar regions are far apart, they have much in common and that our understanding of them is vital to our future – as James Cook, Roald Amundsen, James Ross and others all knew."