This book was first published in French in 2008 and it is good to see a new edition in English to bring it to a wider audience. Three major scientists, three pioneers in the search for an understanding of linkages between climate and the greenhouse effect, have here joined together to describe for the public the exciting array of major scientific discoveries made in our polar regions. Claude Lorius, scientist and humanist, was awarded the prestigious Blue Planet prize for an outstanding contribution to public awareness of the impacts brought about by human interactions with the global environment. He shared with Jean Jouzel the gold medal of the CNRS for their pioneering work on the reconstruction of climate change from the analysis of polar ice cores. Finally, Dominique Raynaud and Jean Jouzel have been heavily involved in the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for many years.

Their collective work is a pleasure to read. Well organised, and written in a way that is both precise and personal, it captures clearly what we know about how all the ice on the planet contributes to the functioning of the global climate system, and demonstrates its evolution. In the first section their historical exploration of the glaciated zones combines human adventure with scientific investigations in a very readable way. This perspective reflects the living history of glaciology and palaeoclimatology, and shows just how great the efforts are that have been made both in the field and laboratory. The authors succeed in showing how progress in understanding the major challenges has been spectacular, but big questions still remain. Their account provides a detailed description of the development of international cooperation that proved essential to access the areas of greatest difficulty, especially in the Antarctic.

Lovers of polar ice will enjoy reading the second section on these exceptional frozen archives. The laboratory work is akin to detective work in following every clue left by the earlier climates in the structure and in the physical and chemical composition of the ice. Here we have accounts of major drilling campaigns inspired by the original dream of understanding climate cycles. Each drill hole has brought its share of surprises, showing the succession of glaciations and the key role of the coupling between climate, carbon cycle and greenhouse gases, but also rapid climate instabilities, and the presence of a huge sub-glacial lake beneath Vostok. The authors suggest that these ice cores can be thought of as time capsules, hiding crucial information for our understanding of the human footprint on the composition of the atmosphere and the functioning and vulnerability of terrestrial climates across the globe.

The third section considers the future of our climate, asking just how humans have been able to alter the climate and what the models suggest for the future. They paint a panorama of possible changes, the particular vulnerability of the polar regions and glaciers, and the path that lies ahead, between adaptation and mitigation to control the climate trend, describing their involvement in the work of the IPCC, the Kyoto Protocol and the Grenelle de l'Environnement.

Finally, from the perspective of the valuable scientific work carried out within the framework of the International Polar Years, Lorius, Jouzel and Raynaud strongly support the importance of future polar research in this field. They highlight how the current period, the Anthropocene, is marked by the sudden recognition of the impacts of human activities on the planet, how pollution of the seas, the land and the air is emblematic of how serious is the threat and urge that the preservation of the polar regions is crucial to the future of our planet. This book illustrates only too clearly how our society is facing major challenges now and needs to find solutions quickly.