author
Edwin Swift Balch
1856–1927
An American writer, explorer, and mountaineer, he brought a wide-ranging curiosity to subjects from Antarctica to alpine travel. His books and articles reflect a lifelong interest in geography, history, and the far edges of the map.
1 Audiobook
Glacières; or, Freezing Caverns
by Edwin Swift Balch
About the author
Born in Philadelphia in 1856, Edwin Swift Balch was educated in Europe and later studied at Harvard. He came from a literary and scholarly family, and that international background seems to have shaped the broad outlook that runs through his work.
Balch wrote on exploration, polar history, mountaineering, and natural wonders, and he was especially known for his interest in Antarctica. He also published work on ice caves and travel, combining close observation with a taste for adventurous subjects.
He died in Philadelphia in 1927. Today he is remembered as a curious and energetic man of letters whose writing connected readers with remote landscapes and the history of exploration.