Customer Reviews

Shackleton's Forgotten Men: The Untold Tragedy of the Endurance Epic (Adrenaline Classics)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

This would have been a five-star book, had the maps not been so poorly presented. Of the three maps printed in the book, none of them have a scale, which is the cardinal sin of cartography. Ten miles? A hundred miles? Beats me. Also, while the map of all of Antarctica understandably does not have a north arrow (when you're at the South Pole, every direction is north), one of the smaller maps has south as up while the third has north as up, which is needlessly confusing.

These quibbles aside, the story is fascinating and heartbreaking at the same time. Saying "never have so many done so much for so little" sounds cliched, but it's true. What a horrible exercise in futility, although of course at the time the men did not know their efforts were for naught. Overall, I highly recommend this book and just wish the maps could be corrected.

A very good story, but not as riveting as Shackelton's tail. After reading about Shackelton's misadventure's, it's easy to wonder what happened to the other half of his plan. In this book, the author clearly and vividly lays out the rest of the story, of the struggles of the crew, the conflicts of command and egos, of the disasters that imperiled lives, and the eventual results. If you're new to polar exploration history, then read Shackelton as your first book. If you've already read that, then read this book.

I have not read other books about this topic first. Therefore, I did not know the outcome of Shackleton's adventure. But I did learn of the endurance of the men on the otherside waiting for Shackleton. The book gives a very personal account of the men from the ship Aurora as they trek to leave supply stores for Shackleton's crossing of Antartica. It never ceases to amaze what human's can endure for exploration.

After reading Endurance, one wonders what happened to the intrepid souls who were to meet Capt. Shackleton halfway across the Antarctic. Well, Forgotten Men is that tale - although not quite as rivetting as Endurance, Forgotten Men is especially gripping since the reader knows from the beginning (having read Endurance) that their efforts are futile.

A very good read!!