The fourteen chapters of Looking South provide a comprehensive overview of Antarctic issues such as Australian influence in the Antarctic Treaty System; sovereignty; climate change; tourism and whaling. Each topic has been thoroughly researched from various points of view, giving the reader a much broader perspective than one based on media reports. …
Understanding how Australian policy-makers are often placed in a very delicate position when attempting to adhere to national policies as well as international laws is well described in each issue covered, and there are many insights into the difficulties faced when trying to satisfy a diverse group of parties involved in Antarctic operations. …
I recommend Looking South to anyone interested in acquiring a better understanding of Australia’s key role in Antarctica’s future. – Ice Breaker Magazine, Mar-May 2008
…there is much useful material in this book, and it should be on the bookshelves of all involved in Antarctic policy analysis. those in the Antarctic business, but not policy, should also be aware of the attitudes evolving in the law/diplomacy area and try to be involved in discussions around that evolution. – Patrick G Quilty, Polar Record, 44 (4), 2008
The editors and contributors of Looking South are to be commended for tackling this subject in a clear and coherent manner, and in a consistent style that is both accessible and comprehensive. In addition to the Australian focus, this book provides an excellent introduction to many of the broader legal and political aspects of Antarctic studies. – Bryan Lintott, New Zealand Geographer 64 (2), 2008
Looking South is a worthy successor to Australia’s Antarctic Policy Options. The earlier book was an excellent work whose value is still manifest today, albeit that time has resolved or complicated many, but not all, of the issues raised in it. Looking South will be an equally valuable work in the years to come. – Stuart Kaye, The Australian Journal of Public Administration, Vol 67 No 2, pp 231-243
Its fourteen chapters provide a valuable update on the Antarctic continent and the Antarctic Treaty. This book is about policy, national interst and international treaties… – Interaction, Geography Teachers’ Association of Victoria, December 2008
This is an interesting book with some probing assessments of why and how Australia has developed particular policies and what it appears to expect as a return on its substantial Antarctic investment. The continued development of the idea of Antarctic as part of the Australian cultural heritage mirrors in many ways the approach used by Chile and Argentina to their Antarctic territories, and it seems clear Australia will continue to see management of the continent and it surrounding sea as an important foreigh policy objective. – Antarctic Science 21 (1), 95-96 (2009)