Author(s): The Royal Geographical Society

Photography

A magnificent celebration of 175 years of the Royal Geographic Society, from the early expeditions of Livingstone and Stanley in Africa, Younghusband in Tibet and Freya Stark in the Middle East, to the post-war achievements of Hunt and Hillary on Everest.

To the Ends of the Earth is a magnificent celebration of 175 years of the Royal Geographical Society, from its early exploration of Africa to the later expeditions to the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, Asia and South America.

In telling the story of the Royal Geographical Society, To the Ends of the Earth takes the reader on a journey from its early nineteenth-century origins through the golden age of exploration, to its important modern role in supporting research and education and encouraging the science of geography. Drawing on the Society's rich and varied collection of maps, original documents, artefacts and almost 300 outstanding photographs, it presents an extraordinary record of human endeavour and passionate scientific discovery.

Here are fresh and original accounts of the trials and triumphs of David Livingstone, Henry Morton Stanley, Isabella Bird Bishop, Captain Scott, Francis Younghusband, Harry St John Philby, Gertrude Bell and Edmund Hillary, among many others who have worked closely with the RGS. Authors Robin Butlin and Jonathan Bastable capture the excitement and exhilaration of the pioneers as well as that of their present-day inheritors as they go about the Society's business throughout the world.

Above all, in page after page of breathtaking photographs, from the Great Wall of China to the heights of Machu Picchu, from the Iguazu Falls to the giant tenth-century Buddhas of Sri Lanka, To the Ends of the Earth is a celebration of the world's most awe-inspiring places and the people who inhabit them. First published 2005.