John Thomson, a New Zealand journalist, spent 50 years with newspapers at home, in Australia, Britain and East Africa, as well as his national news agency. Thomson’s first book was Frank Worsley’s biography, Shackleton’s Captain, followed by Elephant Island and Beyond, a biography of Thomas Orde Lees, another ignored hero with New Zealand attachments. He has also written a book on Ed Hillary in Antarctica, Climbing The Pole, and lectured on Antarctica history for three cruises from South America to Antarctica.