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Buy South: The Last Antarctic Expedition of Shackleton and the Endurance by Sir Ernest Shackleton by Tim Cahill available and for sale on Brightsurf
| View Larger Image | South: The Last Antarctic Expedition of Shackleton and the Endurance
by Sir Ernest Shackleton
by Tim Cahill
| | List Price: | $16.95 |  | | 7 New starting at: | $1.05 | | 40 Used starting at: | $0.95 | | 1 Collectible starting at: | $39.25 | | | | | Sales Rank: | 111148 | | Studio: | The Lyons Press | | | Binding: | Paperback | | Number Of Pages: | 488 | | Publication Date: | October 01, 1998 | | Publisher: | The Lyons Press |
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Book Description
This first-person account of the Endurance crew's famed odyssey across the frozen Antarctic is one of the most amazing adventure stories ever. In the summer of 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men set out to make the first sea-to-sea crossing of the most inhospitable continent on earth. One year later, halfway to their objective and their ship destroyed by ice, the expedition began an unbelievable journey back to the fringe of civilization. South is their story of battles against incredible obstacles for nearly two years, surviving on ice floes, sailing hundreds of miles on tumultuous seas, battling the unimaginable cold of the Antarctic winter, enduring debilitating hunger, injury, and misfortune, and finally overcoming improbable odds to reach help. As Shackleton himself wrote at the time of the book's original publication in 1920, this is "a book of high adventure, strenuous days and lonely nights, unique experiences, and, above all, records of unflinching determination, supreme loyalty, and generous self-sacrifice on the part of my men." It is a story that resonates to this day as the classic tale of survival, resolve, and leadership. Alfred Lansing's Endurance made the journey famous; Shackleton's book brings it dramatically to life. |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 5.0 based on 9 reviews)
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British Stoicism 
SOUTH: THE LAST ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION
Here is a list of equipment that Sir Ernest Shackleton did NOT have for his memorable Endurance expedition: GPS location finders; radio ; RADAR, SONAR; computerized navigation; professional medical care; thermal clothes; MRE'S (Meals Ready To Eat), double steel hull; air and logistical support, public relations agents; marketing proposals; lawyers.
Shacketon's crew navigated with a sextant; traversed the icecap with dog sleds instead of ski-doos, and ate canned herring, tinned meat, pemmican, biscuits and occasional seals.
What he did have was an old ship, a strong crew, an incredible work ethic, classic British stoicism and unerring sense of the right thing to do.
His book reads like a Robert Louis Stevenson or H.G. Welles story, but it is the unvarnished truth. His matter -of -fact account is brilliantly illustrated by Frank Hurley's dramatic black & white photos of The Endurance encapsulated in ice, its masts and spars dripping frozen water like the maritime apparition in Melville's "Benito Cereno."
I seriously doubt whether a modern expedition equipped with all the bells and whistles and sponsored with corporate money could duplicate what Shackleton's Endurance accomplished under the most adverse circumstances imaginable.
Because the Endurance expedition occurred in 1914-15 at the start of World World War I
Shackleton's accomplishment was largely overshadowed, and the Antarctic was all but forgotten until the `fifties and `sixties when its scientific and strategic value was rediscovered.
Now, as the Antarctic ice cap melts from global warming, one wonders at Shackleton's accomplishment.
October 07, 2007 | |
No one could tell this experience better than Sir Ernest Shackleton himself!
After more than a year of seeing pretty much nothing but ice and snow, and living in, at times, sub-zero temperatures, Sir Ernest Shackleton writes about his camp's current conditions; "Drifts four feet deep covered everything, and we had to be continually digging up our scanty stock of meat to prevent its being lost altogether... On this day, and for the next two or three also, it was impossible to do anything but get right inside one's frozen sleeping bag to try and get warm. Too cold to read or sew, we had to keep our hands well inside, and pass the time in conversation with each other." He's so matter-of-fact... no fluff here. He just tells it like it is. I love that about this book. The conditions worsen by leaps and bounds as the story continues, but I'll leave that for you to explore on your own. Anyway, the first few chapters are very informative regarding how the expedition was planned, where they were headed, how they got there, etc... for me, it started a little slow, but I understand why the writer wanted to include this information. So, then you get into the "meaty" survival stuff... and is it ever so fascinating. And for me, it's especially fascinating because it doesn't seem to be sugar-coated, as so many writers are proned to do when telling their story. In fiction, I don't mind so much the way a writer gives you every detail, written ever so eloquently, but when it comes to true stories... especially survival stories, I personally just want to hear the straight talk. A GREAT SURVIVAL STORY AND PERFECTLY WRITTEN for this reader.
May 20, 2007 | |
With a stiff upper lip - an adventure from another era
When the Antarctic explorer ship Endurance became trapped by ice in the opening days of World War I, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his companions found themselves stranded for the winter. Months later, when the ice floe that had been their "home" became unstable as spring breakup began, the party - with their ship long since broken apart - took to their three open boats, and made their way to Elephant Island. There they set up a precarious camp, where most of the group waited while Sir Ernest and a few carefully chosen companions struck out for South Georgia. That South Atlantic island, 800 miles away, was known to have year-round British inhabitants.
Those are the bare facts of one of the great true adventures, a story told here by Sir Ernest himself. His dry writing style may take some slogging, at first, for contemporary (especially American) readers; but his wit is equally dry, and his descriptions vivid. I was especially interested to note the differences between the Shackleton party's attitudes and those of today. Not only is this a magnificent survival tale (NOT ONE of Shackleton's men died!); it's also a snapshot of how those quintessential English explorers of another era thought about the world they were discovering. For better or for worse, how times and attitudes have changed!
March 26, 2007 | |
Trust your money and your life but not your wife with Ernest
What an expedition! There is a lot to be learned about leadership and survival by the adventurers on this journey. If you like men against the elements, who survive by their wits and never ever give up, this is the tale for you. A great winter read.
December 31, 2004 | |
A True Leader
Shackleton was an amazing man full of true grit and true leadership. Among the many things that stand out in his story of survival is the importance of keeping a journal. Even after many supplies and equipment were left on the ice, the men were instructed to continue to carry their journals. And what if they had not? Where would be the true story that outshines most fictional adventure stories in the minds and imaginations of many, including myself? If you want to read more about Antarctica, I suggest T.H. Baughman's "Before the Heroes Came."
February 02, 2001 | |
SIMILAR PRODUCTS |
| | Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
by Alfred Lansing
| | The Endurance - Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition
Directed by George Butler (II)
Starring Liam Neeson, John Blackborow, Steven Crossley, Brian d'Arcy James, Paul Ricketts
Sony Pictures
| | Shackleton - The Greatest Survival Story of All Time (3-Disc Collector's Edition)
Directed by Charles Sturridge
Starring Kenneth Branagh, John Grillo, Paul Humpoletz, Phoebe Nicholls, Eve Best
A&E Home Video
| | Endurance: An Epic of Polar Adventure
by Frank Arthur Worsley, F.A. Worsley, Patrick O'Brian
| | The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition
by Caroline Alexander
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