By CHRIS DANIELS
Peter Hillary says a book written by former Antarctic expedition team-mate Eric Philips is a "weirdly obsessive" attempt to attack him.
Philips, who walked to the South Pole with Hillary and Jon Muir, has just written the book, giving details of the gruelling 84-day journey.
Publication has been delayed as Hillary says the book breaks a promise not to publish anything within three years of the expedition ending.
But Muir, his other Australian team-mate, says he has no idea why Hillary is saying the book breaks a legal contract signed by the three adventurers.
Muir said it was clear to him, and should be to Hillary, that the book did not break the contract at all.
The Ice Trek, sponsored by the now-bankrupt satellite phone company Iridium, ended when the trio reached the South Pole on January 26 last year.
Already delayed by illness and bad weather, they were airlifted back to McMurdo Sound instead of walking as planned.
Disagreements within the camp were made public on their return, when Philips criticised Hillary and Muir, saying they lacked the necessary skills to fly the kites that were to have towed them for much of the journey.
Hillary has read an advance copy of Philips' book, and described it as a "jaundiced and self-centred" personal account, devoted to "revealing Hillary."
"It is an assault on me," he said.
Hillary wanted an official account of the trip to be published, not a "weirdly obsessive" book such as that written by Philips.
"We didn't get on - it was a lonely expedition."
One reason the contract had been drawn up in a certain way was so that personal accounts could be written with the benefit of hindsight.
"This book is certainly a slap in the face, there's no doubt about that."
Speaking from Australia, Muir said the contract made it quite clear that a book would be written.
"It was pretty black and white. I really don't understand what the fuss is all about."
Once a book was written, no other team member would be allowed to write another for three years.
Muir said any book would as much as possible be an official account of the expedition. He provided journal extracts to Philips to help him to write his book, but was not due to share in any author's profits.
Hillary declined to help with the book.
Asked if Philips' book was an unflattering account of Hillary, Muir said it showed the strengths and weaknesses of all the team.
"When I read the terms in the contract, it's very clear and simple to me. The whole issue strikes me as being an absolute load of nonsense. I just don't get it."
It was the first time he had ever been on expedition that had such a contract and had caused so much legal wrangling.
"I thought we had just gone for a walk in Antarctica, you know?"
Ice-trek book heats up squabbles among team
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