lovely edition, good story ( )

I LOVE this book, it was given to me as a child of about 10 by my mother, who in turn was given it by her parents when she was the same age. I am lucky enough to own a 1948 edition which was withdrawn because Peake did not like the paper it was printed on. It was to stay out of print for almost 30 years.

The book deals with letters 'typed' by an uncle to his nephew back in the UK. The uncle in question is lost in the polar regions on the hunt for animals real and mythical.

During the course of his letters he tells his life to his nephew and the story of how he has ended up in the polar regions.

Funny and charming with pencil drawings done by Peake, I would recommend this book to anyone old and young. ( )

Letters from a lost uncle who one day decided to jump ship and begin a quest for the white lion. Beautifully illustrated and written by Peake. ( )

Right, pay attention, this is something a bit special: a brand spanking full-colour reissue of a genuine lost classic. This author is best known for his Gormenghast trilogy but to my mind /this/ story (first published in 1948 but often out of print since the 70's) - takes the cake! Taking the form of a series of beautifully-illustrated letters supposedly written in transit (complete with shivery typing and walrus gravy stains!), it tracks the progress of a curmudgeonly explorer and his bizarre giant-tortoise-like assistant Jackson as they cross frozen polar wastes in search of the mythical White Lion, meeting all sorts of strange and wonderful hazards on the way. This is a book for anyone to enjoy, young or old: take a look. ( )