Includes index.

"New edition"--Cover.

First published in 1995.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The ends of the Earth -- The Arctic and tundra -- Antarctica -- In Antarctic waters -- Residents and visitors -- Adaptable animals -- Survival of the fittest -- Birds of the Arctic -- Birds of the Antarctic -- Sky lords -- Ocean wanderer -- Penguin parade -- Emperors of the Antarctic -- King of the Arctic -- Mighty moose -- Tundra life -- Reindeer and caribou -- Company of wolves -- The walrus -- Suited to the sea -- Giants of the sea -- A herding life -- Hunters of the north -- European explorers -- Race for the pole -- Life in the Arctic -- Polar research -- Life at polar stations -- Human impacts on the poles -- Mapping Antarctica -- Mapping the Arctic -- Polar climate -- Species status -- Glossary.

Illustrations and text explore the frozen landscapes of the polar regions, and provide information about the flora and fauna that survive in the hostile conditions.