An insider's view of the "race to the South Pole" in 1957-58, Geoffrey Lee Martin's Hellbent for the Pole is a lively account of life on the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, enhanced by more than 140 of the striking colour photographs he took at the time.

Geoffrey Lee Martin joined the New Zealand Herald in 1945, later becoming chief of staff and then a feature writer. He also worked for The Daily Telegraph in London, first as a stringer in New Zealand then, after 1985, as the Telegraph's "man in Australia". Now semi-retired. He lives in Sydney.

Late in 1957 two field parties set off from different sides of the Antarctic continent, both headed towards the South Pole. The intention was for the party led by Britain's Dr Vivian Fuchs to successfully complete a trans-Antarctic crossing. The second party, led by Sir Edmund Hillary, was to lay fuel and supply depots along the route, to be used by Fuchs's party on the second part of their expedition, from the South Pole to the New Zealanders' Scott Base, in McMurdo Sound.

The New Zealanders were to wait 500 miles short of the South Pole until they were joined by Fuchs and his men, then the two parties would travel back to Scott Base. However, Fuchs was running behind time and Hillary and his men reached the end of their planned journey several weeks before Fuchs could possibly meet up with them.

So rather than wait in temperatures often below -30C, 8000 feet up on the Polar Plateau and consuming the supplies they had painstakingly carried with them, they decided to forge on to the South Pole - and a controversy was born.

Geoffrey Lee Martin, a member of Sir Edmund's team, was also covering the story for the New Zealand Herald and The Daily Telegraph. `Hellbent for the Pole' is his account of the great adventure. He was with Sir Edmund at the South Pole on January 20, 1958, when Fuchs "came over the horizon" and linked up with the New Zealanders.

Of interest to journalists is his account of the difficulties getting the story out, sending the news of the meeting of Fuchs and Hillary in short takes by unreliable radio teleprinter while managing to radio a very scratchy black and white picture to London. Sometimes stories were sent by Morse code.

But it was all great fun! Lee Martin says: "I emphasise that the Hillary/Fuchs expedition was quite definitely the end of the so-called 'heroic era' of Antarctic exploration and - hopefully with tongue in cheek - I lightly debunk many of the old myths and attitude"

"Hellbent for the Pole" is published in Australia by Allen & Unwin.

About 8000 feet up on the Polar Plateau, with the temperature around -30C. Huskies didn't seem to mind the cold, but the author stayed in the tent as much as possible when not travelling.		Hellbent for the Pole cover with inset portraits of Sir Edmund Hillary (left)and Dr (later Sir) Vivian Fuchs (right).