Customer Reviews

Shackleton

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I first read of Shackleton in National Geographic. That only whetted my appetite to hear his entire exruciating journey. Roland's biography took me two months to read, but it was worth it.

I will never forget Ernest Shackleton. From "Shackleton" I leaned about leadership, the power of hope, optimism, human relationships; the power of dreams, perseverance. You will learn more from "Shackleton" in two months than you will from a lifetime of MBA professors.

Shackleton's antarctic journeys are the most engaging tales of survival, endurance and human pressure that I have ever read. Can you image yourself crossing 1,000 miles of frigid south Atlantic seas in a 20 foot boat, with 3 men, a box of matches, a pulpy map, a Victorian compass, and insufficient water in order to save the lives of 50 men who are in an even worse predicament! He did all that and more.

If you like real life stories of survival and adventure, you will enjoy this book to no end.

Huntford's book is the definitive Shackleton. Contemporaries compare him to Churchill; in his ability to use language with presence of personality to entertain, convince and convert listeners into followers. He couldn't be trusted with women or money but on the ice or at sea many men trusted him with their lives; repeatedly. He had the ability to make his dreams yours and make you want to achieve them. You will find here the leadership that was beyond Scotts comprehension, the perseverance that the RGS needed but could not recognize, and the courage not to sacrifice life for fame. Shackleton was one of the few men in history who in desperate circumstances actually improved under the stress; became more resourceful, more courageous, more obstinate.

If Lansing's book left you wide-eyed and open-mouthed in astonishment this book will compound that, fill in the social and political context, and completely describe Shacks and all who came in contact with his whirlwind of adventure, ambition, and survival.

Put this book up on your shelf next to Manchester's Chruchill, Morris' Fisher, or Rice's

Such a fantastic book, using copious material from the explorers diaries with page turning narrative. By reading this book you become a member of the expeditions, feeling cold, hungry, tired, dirty and seasick.

Comparisons between the British and Norwegian explorers of the day are fascinating. While you can relate to the British explorers as hero's, you are also made aware of their failings. It is clear that in many instances their need for endurance was often self inflicted, while the Norwegians move quickly in comfort. The book makes you realise that the British were true amateurs in polar exploration and it is truly amazing that any came back alive. Yet, despite these failings, men such as Shackleton seem to thrive in adverse conditions. You can only marvel at Shackleton's ability to lead, when many others would sit down and give up. They are true hero's and you root for them every step of the way.

Huntsford brings this adventure to life. I must now travel to Antartica to satisfy my thirst for more.

Biographer Roland Huntford has combined extensive research and superb story telling into an amazing tale of a most contradictory figure of Edwardian England. At the turn of the 20th century, Ernest Shackleton was one of the heroes of the British Empire. But, by the time of his death, in 1922, he was quickly on his way to becoming a forgotten man. What is most surprising is that he became a hero at all, because he accomplished nothing that he set out to do, and his life was a personal and financial failure. And most of it was his fault. His first Antarctic sojourn to the South Pole was with his later rival Captain Robert Scott. Scott and his fellow explorers had to carry/drag Shackleton much of the way home without them coming close to reaching their goal. His second assult on the South Pole he led himself, but was forced to abandon his quest with only 100 miles to go. Before Shackleton could make his next attempt, Scott reached the South Pole, but died before he could return. So, Shackleton's next venture to make a name for himself was to walk across Antarctica. Before he could begin his cross-continent trek, his ship, the Endurance, was caught in the ice and crushed. Shackleton and his band of hapless men fought bitter cold, starvation, trecherous seas, etc., as they struggled to survive. Yet, without having accomplished his goals he became a hero, because he was an adventurer who never gave up, and that met the criteria of that time. However, the reason he was mostly unsuccessful was because he refused to accept the proven methods of ice exploration. He wouldn't consider using skis or dogs, ways that had previously been proven to be successful and most historians now believe would have made the difference between his success and failure. Instead, he struggled with horses and motorized vehichles, methods that had already been proven disatorous. But, struggle on he did, and that made him a hero in his country's eyes. Another factor Shack pointed to with pride: he never lost the life of any of his fellow explorers. But, in fact, he lost several members of a seperate supply party, because of lack of preparation for which he was notorious. Yet, in the diaries his men kept, he was constantly praised for his strength and attitude. However, these must be regared with a jaundiced eye, because - by contract - all diaries had to be turned over to Shackleton at the end of each voyage. Yet, proper due must be given, for it would be easy to understand why Shackleton could have given up at numerous occasions and just laid down and died. But he persevered, and brought his men back with him. In addition to his continuous failures as an explorer, Shackleton was an adulturer, left his wife and children at the financial mercy of others (even his mistress), constantly chased financial windfalls which never had a chance of success, died 40,000 pounds in debt, ostrasized himself from his family, was a heavy drinker, in fact, pretty much a cad. He failed to fulfil his writing and lecture committements. He didn't pay most of the men who risked their life in his employ. As author Huntford sums up his life: "Mental sloth was Shackleton's fatal flaw." It was the World War that showed Brits what true heros really were, and brought about their almost immediate lack of interest in this hapless and hopeless wanderer. So, why should we care about this man and devote the time to read this almost 700 page book? Because Huntford has written such a brilliant biography that places us at death's door, in violent conditions, against tremendous odds and then gives us the joy of overcoming. Huntford delves interestingly and deeply into the rivalries of the explorers of the day and into the fascinating personalities of the men who went with Shackleton. We get it, warts and all. A first class biography with very helpful maps and dozens of great pictures.

The story of the Endurance is brilliantly put by Roland Huntford. Shackelton must be measured by the success of getting his crew through this horrific saga. This book should be read along with "Scott and Amundsen" also by Huntford - the story of the race for the South Pole. Huntford also published a biography of Nansen. "Shackelton" sits on my shelf next to Martin Gilbert's biography of Churchill. Note that this book was first available in New Zealand and Australia in the mid 1980's.

A page-turner of a biography--even at almost 800 pages! Huntford looks for the clues that made Shackleton the non-pareil leader of men in the direst circumstances, the leader who brought all of his shipmates home alive after being trapped for a year on the ice in the Antarctic, then making landfall in three open boats, then taking one of the boats and sailing 800 miles across the stormiest waters in the world to South Georgia Island, then hiking over the uncharted middle of the island to reach civilization. Even as he recounts Shackleton's checkered life, he takes time to mercilessly deride British Anarctic exploration in general for its incompetence and lack of preparation, and to contrast the small-mindedness and fatalism of Robert Falcon Scott with the keen survival instincts and larger than life qualities of Ernest Shackleton. It's a riveting read.

Shackletons life was one tragedy after another. Sir Ernest failed to beat Amundsun to the South Pole and his previous voyages were blocked by ice flows and lack of ability to exceed his `furthest south' point. The goal of his final voyage was to cross Antarctica, a feat that had never been accomplished. Setting out during the outbreak of the Great War his ship, the Endurance, became stranded in the ice. For more then a year his ship floated in the ice pack and was finally destroyed at which time his men marched over land and finally took to boats to paddle towards S. Georgia. His tale was one of survival against all odds and should make for an exciting biography.

Unfortunately this book combines far to many diary entries from the various participants and in the end it reads like a rambling account without order or organization. Although the many entries are chronological the author refuses to tie them together, leaving it to the reader to page through the ramblings of Shackleton himself and his men. It would have been simply better to publish the diaries in their entirety. This book, although a decent account, is simply hard to follow at its climax, when the men are stranded on the ice pack. It does not do Shackleton justice

"Shackleton" is a superb biography by a well know writer on polar exploration. It's long, about 700 pages of text about Sir Ernest Shackleton from birth to death at 47 years, and complex, with dozens of major characters.

Shackleton was a failure at nearly everything he did. His business ventures never panned out; he was an uncaring and indifferent husband; his expeditions never achieved what he hoped; he made enemies who stabbed him in the back. His virtues, the author tells us, were those of the Irish including a compelling personality and a gift of gab. He was, first and foremost, a leader of men under adversity. In society, he was always a bit of a bounder; in Antarctica he inspired trust and awe among the members of his expeditions.

Shackleton and his rival, Sir Robert Scott, exemplified the best English tradition of the inspired amateur. They really didn't have the skills to explore the Antarctic and they seemed impervious to learning much. Their expeditions were one mishap after another and only Shackleton's leadership and drive saved him and his men from death on the ice. Scott was not so lucky -- or competent. The hardships suffered by the Antarctic explorers are almost inconceivable to us today. We are better clothed for a walk in the park on a snowy day than they were for facing the worst weather this planet can devise. Therein is much of the fascination with the story: men against the elements -- and the elements have the advantage.

Huntford tells the stories of Shackleton's three Antarctic expeditions in the early 20th century in impressive and fascinating detail. Through it all runs Shackleton's secret fear that his heart may not be equal to the task and that he might, as happened on his first expedition, collapse and disgrace himself.

Smallchief

Most people remember Shackleton as the man who headed the doomed Endurance expedition and lost not a single man. (In fact not one man died on any Polar expedition he led, save himself from a heart attack at the start of his last one) But he was also the man who beat Scott and Wilson's furthest south record by over 360 miles in 1908-1909 and got to within 100 miles of the Pole. When asked by his wife how he had withstood the temptation to go on and take a gamble on his life with the odds stacked heavily against him and his men on the return journey he replied: 'I thought you would prefer a live donkey to a dead lion'. Now that is sheer bravery. If Scott constantly saw him as an ally and not as a rival and enemy (Scott's cruelty to Shackleton during his Discovery expedition triggered off their mutual loathing for each other)then he would have learned much and probably would have lived longer.

This is a page-turner of the first order. I came to Huntford after reading Alfred North Lansing's Endurance, which whetted my appetite for more Shackleton. Huntford has done that, and much more. Shackleton emerges as a complex figure, alienated in civilization, a unique leader of men in the most brutal conditions imaginable. His cynicism and sarcasm about English Antarctic explorers is telling. His distaste for Scott and admiration for Amundsen only adds spice to a story that is rich from the beginning. Although the book runs nearly 700 pages, it's difficult to put down because the story is so good and Huntford is such a deft story-teller.