Uttermost Part of the Earth Hardcover – December 24, 2007

We have been to Ushuaia. This book is written by the son of the earliest European settler. It is so well written and sympathetic to Indingenous people who were there first. The author was born born there and grew up there.

Although written in the 40's Uttermost Part of the Earth is an Incredible and absorbing read. I couldn't put this book down. I am so glad this was re printed. The book was always fascinating and gave me access to a such a different world. I can't say enough good things about this book and the way Lucas Bridges tells his story as if he you are sitting there in front of him. It is full adventure, history, history of the indigenous tribes in the Tierra del Fuego area, stories of survival but survival met with a practical approach and descriptive narrations of the raw and harsh beauty of this land. Thank you Tony Horowitz for bringing this wonderful book to my attention through "Blue Latitude". Highly Recommend this read.

I love this type of memoir that is not just about someone’s life, and the authors’ life was remarkable in many, many ways, but it also tells us about a specific time and place, and in this case people, that no longer exist. His description of the inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego and the landscape before the arrival of Europeans and missionaries is extraordinary. Having been to Tierra del Fuego this was especially interesting to me. One of my all-time favorite books.

First off, a note on this edition, the Century Travelers edition. This was a nice, small-ish, fairly lightweight edition that was handy to read in bed, which is where I do all my reading. But it has a serious defect in the omission of nearly all the many photographs in the original. There appears to be a good new hardbound edition available that includes the photos. I would urge anyone who plans on investing time in this excellent book to buy that one instead of this Century Travelers one. And on a related note, there is a copy of the original edition available online at babel.hathitrust.org where you can sample the prose and check out the photos.The story itself is amazing, maybe a little too amazing, too pat, too glossy, as if the author is angling for a Disney movie adaptation.The part that gripped me the most was the time spent with the Ona aborigines. That was delightful. The parts about all the work Bridges' family sunk into their settlements and ranches were presented as being too easy, the author glossed over all the tedium and exhaustion.There's surprisingly little reference to Christian religion, since the original reason for the author's father's coming to the area was as a missionary. In the end you get the idea that the thing the Bridges family worshiped the most was family aggrandizement. And it just boggles my mind that the author was so self-absorbed and self-regarding as to include a detailed family tree in one of the appendixes, as if the general reader has any interest in the such minutia.In the end I left with a bitter feeling because he abandoned his Ona friends for 12 years as if he was now and man and it was time to put away childish things, as if the Ona were just so many playthings.And I couldn't help but think that the mentality needed for Bridges' lifelong pursuit of ranching was applied to the presentation of the facts of his early life in this book. In other words, these facts, and the reader's understanding of them, are just many herd animals for Bridges to manage.But this is really an excellent book and it deserves a wide readership.

Lucas Bridges' book is an acknowledged masterpiece of historical anthropology and impressive personal enterprise. A classic for anyone with an interest in adventure and travel in wild places.Natalie Goodall is the wife of Thomas Goodall, grandson of Lucas Bridges' brother William. Natalie continues to live at original 'Estancia Harberton' in Tierra del Fuego and is actively engaged in many local projects to do with nature conservancy.This hardback edition has over 100 black and white photos and a number of maps. It has a helpful Epilogue written in 2007.This edition is superior to the paperback published by Century Travellers in 1987 and is a 'must' for anyone interested in this fascinating and enigmatic region of South America.

This is a must read if you ever decide to visit this part of Patagonia. I have. Published by an "off" brand house, this book not only is a true adventure account by a member of the 1st family that successfully settled in the Tierra del Fuego area in the 1800's, it accurately describes the geography, various indian tribes, hunting & survival techniques and as well as the development of this incredibly beautiful part of the earth. Put this book at the top along with "Rounding the Horn" by Dallas Murphy and "Endurance" by Shackleton if you ever plan on sailing, trekking or visiting the End of the World.

I ordered this to read before I went to Patagonia. What a good decision. The historical background and personal perspective in this book provided a a comprehensive base for what I learned. The book is written first person and reads well. Even if you are not going to Patagonia there is much to learn from this book.

I got this book in preparation for a trip to Tierra del Fuego and the Chilean islands. I assumed it would be a rather tedious book to read but its actually very interesting - the story pulls you along. There are lots of photos and maps to help understand the area. After returning form my trip to the region, I would say it really is a great preparation for a visit and a very a very enjoyable read on its own.

Having read a part of a battered copy of the biography some 35 years ago, I was very pleased to track down the complete work recently and loaded it onto KIndle. A successful ambition

What a life. Totally enjoyable book

Dieses Buch ist ein 'Muss' für Patagonien-Reisende, die sich ernsthaft mit der Geschichte dieses Landesteils befassen - wenn auch ein bisschen schwierig und langatmig zu lesen. Das Buch erreichte mich in hervorragendem Zustand.

I'd seen a hard copy of this book back in the 60s or 70s and had leafed through it with interest, thinking I'd have to read it eventually, remembering only the title. Looked for it over the years, especially once the internet appeared, and still couldn't find it. Then I was reading a 1960s edition of Charles Darwin's 'Voyage of the Beagle' where E.L. Bridges' book was mentioned in a footnote by the editor, and got the name of the author, so I looked it up again and, lo and behold, there it was in soft cover! Truly worth a read if you're interested in the history of indigenous peoples of the Americas. It's a pity the photos aren't very good though they still give a good idea of what the people and countryside were like.

Unique and mandatory reading before and after a visit to Tierra del Fuego. The book can be read on more levels, for example the ethnographic: the collision of the European and the native cultures, and of the natural history. First of all the book tells us of the fragility of the Uttermost Part of the Earth. As a reader you feel grateful that such a book has ever been written.