Frustrated by his experiences on an expedition led by Captain Robert Scott, explorer Ernest Shackleton, in 1907, launched his own attempt to reach the South Pole. At the mercy of a hostile continent it was to become the most extreme test of endurance imaginable. This is his thrilling account of that expedition.
Ernest Shackleton led two Antarctic expeditions, and died shortly after the beginning of the third. His expedition ship Endurance was trapped, then crushed in the ice, before his party could be landed, leaving his men in a hopeless situation. For months Shackleton held his party together before taking to boats and bringing everyone to safety.
On October 29, 1908, a party of four men, led by Ernest Shackleton, set out to be the first to reach the South Pole. Three months later, their mission was in ruins and they faced certain death if they carried on. Just ninety-seven miles from the South Pole, Shackleton turned back. One hundred years later, in October 2008, a team that included descendants of that original party, led by Henry Worsley, set out from Shackleton’s hut to celebrate the centenary of his expedition by retracing the exact 870-mile route and going on to finish the last ninety-seven miles. This captivating book explores the history of the original expedition and reasons behind its failure, while capturing the meticulous planning, fundraising, and training for the new expedition. It includes riveting accounts of the team’s first days on the ice, Christmas on the polar plateau, the brutal reality of crossing the Beardmore Glacier, and the final miles to the South Pole. In Shackleton's Footsteps is a unique story of adventure, pioneering spirit, settling old family business, and man’s triumph over nature.
South! tells one of the most thrilling tales of exploration and survival against the odds which has ever been written. It details the experiences of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition which set off in 1914 to make an attempt to cross the Antarctic continent. Under the direction of Sir Ernest Shackleton, the expedition comprised two components: one party sailing on the Endurance into the Weddell Sea, which was to attempt the actual crossing; and another party on board the Aurora, under the direction of Aeneas Mackintosh, sailing into the Ross Sea on the other side of the continent and tasked with establishing depots of stores as far south as possible for the use of the party attempting the crossing. Shackleton gives a highly readable account of the fate of both parties of the Expedition. Both fell victim to the severe environmental conditions of the region, and it was never possible to attempt the crossing. The Endurance was trapped in pack-ice in the Weddell Sea and the ship was eventually crushed by the pressure of the ice, leaving Shackleton’s men stranded on ice floes, far from solid land. Shackleton’s account of their extraordinary struggles to survive is as gripping as any novel. This book is part of the Standard Ebooks project, which produces free public domain ebooks.
"We had seen God in His splendours, heard the text that Nature renders. We had reached the naked soul of man." In 1914, Ernest Shackleton set out on an 1,800-mile trek across Antarctica. During the three-year expedition, his team overcame shipwreck, treacherous glaciers, and a bitterly hostile climate. They faced the elements on this icy continent with extraordinary determination, resourcefulness, and courage. This account by one of Britain's greatest explorers is at once thrilling, harrowing, and inspiring.
This is a historical account that details Shackleton's expedition, written on the passage by ocean liner from New Zealand to Britain. The expedition was led by Ernest H. Shackleton, who set sail from Port Lyttelton, New Zealand, on January 1, 1908. Shackleton and a party of 14 men were dropped off at Cape Royds on Ross Island on February 3. The men were split into three groups. One would attempt to reach the South Pole, another would travel north to the South Magnetic Pole, and a third would explore the mountains west of McMurdo Sound. On October 29, Shackleton, three companions, and four ponies set out for the South Pole. Despite the great difficulty, they reached a latitude of 88°23' S. on January 9, 1909, further south than any prior expedition. They were compelled to turn back due to fierce blizzards and a shortage of supplies. They returned to the Nimrod and arrived in New Zealand safely. In addition to getting within 97.5 nautical miles (180.6 kilometers) of the pole, the expedition accomplished two other noteworthy feats. Douglas Mawson, Edgeworth David, and Alistair Mackay led the first ascent of Mount Erebus, Antarctica's most active volcano, on March 5-11, 1908, and the same three men reached the South Magnetic Pole on January 16, 1909.
Although it's a piece of history learned by every British student, the Terra Nova Expedition of 1910-1913 remains an epic story unknown to many. In this ultimate showing of life and boundless bravery, Robert F. Scott and his five-man team battled the elements--traveling through subzero temperatures with motor sledges and ponies--in the hope of being the first to reach this uninhabited territory. Arriving at the South Pole on January 18, 1913, the adventurers were greeted by their worst nightmare: a Norwegian flag. Disheartened and badly frostbitten, they trudged back toward their boat, only to die just eleven miles from the next depot. This well-documented journey is starkly relived in this waterproof, over-sized edition featuring a historic collection of stunning black-and-white photography on waterproof paper, and excerpts from Scott's harrowing diary uniquely crafted in calligraphy. Limited edition of 150 numbered copies