Antarctica is home to the world''s largest concentration of wildlife in the coldest, windiest and driest place on earth. Cruise the Southern Ocean for a wandering albatross, land on continental beaches to sit with thousands of penguins, keep a sharp eye open for humpback whales against a backdrop of snow-covered mountains soaring upwards from the sea, marvel at orcas harrying Weddell seals off ice floes, or gawp at a leopard seal as it grabs and flays a penguin. Visiting Antarctica means being in your very own natural-history documentary. Conditions may be extreme, but wildlife thrives in superb scenery. Bradt''s Antarctica: a guide to the wildlife brings to life the history of exploration (and exploitation) in this vast polar desert, where two-thirds of the world''s fresh water is locked up as ice on a continent twice the size of Australia. This readable introduction to mammals, birds, fish, invertebrates and plants is ideal for those ''going south'' to the world''s highest continent,
