The Transantarctic Mountains: Rocks, Ice, Meteorites and Water has an ambitiously broad subject matter that has been aimed at an equally wide audience, ranging from active researchers to those who visit Antarctica ‘to be inspired by its natural beauty’. For those unfamiliar with Antarctica the authors have provided a fairly broad introduction to the historical exploration of Antarctica, the continent, international treaties, environmental conditions and even cold related injuries. This historical perspective continues at the start of each chapter or new geographical area with a synopsis of post-heroic era scientific exploration, where we learn historical details such as the skimobile used on the 1976/77 international expedition to the Shackleton Range was named ‘Buran’. Such information certainly fulfils the authors stated aim of making the book more readable, something that has also been achieved by the provision of numerous appendices that explain scientific analytical techniques and methodology in an accessible manner.

The principal subject of the book, the geology of the Transantarctic Mountains, is well structured being logically split into rocks pre and post the Kukri unconformity and also into geographical regions that form self contained chapters, with meteorites and a useful section on glaciation dealt with separately. The text is well illustrated throughout with detailed location and geological maps, plus reproduced analytical data. Scientifically, the authors stated aims are three-fold: to summarise the relevant facts about the major rock units, present the proposed hypotheses, and aid the identification of areas and geological problems that require additional work. The authors largely deliver on these aims and provide an excellent synopsis of the stratigraphy and lithologies of the Transantarctic Mountains. However, the structural geology of the Transantarctic Mountains, particularly of the basement rocks, is only covered by fairly generalised statements. The authors provide abundant appendices of geochemical and geochronological data for each chapter, however the utility of these are highly variable. Perhaps it is inevitable with a book of such broad scope and scale that some published work has been omitted, but some of the more recent literature is not cited.

Faure & Mensing have produced a hugely ambitious book covering a range of scientific disciplines, and although written in an accessible manner, the subject matter will largely self-select its readership with Antarctic geoscientists (researchers and students) being the main beneficiaries. Regardless of some omissions, The Transantarctic Mountains: Rocks, Ice, Meteorites and Water represents a valuable reference text for the stratigraphy and geological history of this remote region, and I would consider it an important resource for anyone wishing to plan a field campaign to this mountain range, as so much local and regional detail is included. This book will be valuable addition to any Antarctic research centre's library, but given the increased prominence of Antarctic science it should also find a place in the Earth Science section of most university libraries.