South: A Memoir of the Endurance Voyage [Paperback]

Ernest Shackleton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 18, 1998

His destination Antarctica, his expectations high, veteran explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton set out, on the eve of the First World War, in pursuit of his goal to lead the first expedition across the last unknown continent. Instead, his ship, the Endurance, became locked in sea ice, and for nine months Shackleton fought a losing battle with the elements before the drifting ship was crushed and his crew marooned. Shackleton's gripping account of his incredible voyage follows him and his men across 600 miles of unstable ice floes to a barren rock called Elephant Island. It records how, with a crew of four, he crossed 850 miles of the worst seas in a twenty-two-foot-long open boat and how, after landing on South Georgia Island, they then had to traverse over twenty miles of mountainous terrain to reach the nearest outpost of civilization. Shackleton recounts, too, the efforts of his support party aboard the Aurora, who in temperatures of -50 [degree] and winds of 80 m.p.h. still managed to drop off supplies on the opposite side of the continent, little suspecting the fate of the Endurance and the ordeal of its crew. The harrowing experience recounted in Shackleton's memoir is also strikingly illustrated with eighty-eight diagrams and original photographs taken in the course of this incredible voyage.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Soon after the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole in 1911, his Anglo-Irish rival, Sir Ernest Shackleton, sought to top the feat by making his way from one end of Antarctica to the other on sledge. He set off with a crew of 28, including scientists and a movie cameraman, but the voyage turned disastrous when Shackleton's ship, the Endurance, became hopelessly stuck in pack ice, throwing the men (and the dogs brought to pull the sledges) into a desperate battle for survival. South is Shackleton's own account--one of the critical sources for Alfred Lansing's bestseller Endurance--of what it was like to be "helpless intruders in a strange world," a vivid narrative in which tales of Edwardian pluck are counterpointed with lyrical accounts of whales, penguins, and bizarre mirages. This story of a group of men who beat nearly impossible odds to escape death and make their way home is one of the all-time great survival stories. --Robert McNamara

Review

"Shackleton’s treks and rescues are legend…." --New York Times --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf (August 18, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786705973
• ISBN-13: 978-0786705979
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #723,167 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #25 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( S ) > Shackleton, Ernest

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but don't read this as your intro to Shackleton, January 24, 2001

By 

Andy Orrock (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: South: A Memoir of the Endurance Voyage (Paperback)

It's tough to criticize a book written by the man himself and say that other books are somehow better, despite the fact that these writers did not participate in the journey. But unfortunately, that is the case. If you're a real Shackleton fan, you'll want to read this book only as background after taking on works by Caroline Alexander or Alfred Lansing.

In comparison, 'South' has the following shortcomings:

1. The writing style is impenetrable & stilted. It has not aged well in the 80+ years since it was put down on paper.

2. The misuse of Frank Hurley's photographs is annoying - they're out-of-focus, oddly chosen and misplaced in sequence in the book. See Alexander's book for a revelation of the power and majesty of Hurley's work.

3. You only get Shackleton's point of view here. Lansing and Alexander pull together the journals of many particpants and you get a real flavor of the men that comprise the crew. Here, you get only Sir Ernest, dispensing some kind words about each member, last name only, no background info. The other books tell you quite a bit about flawed characters like McNish and Lees.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Shackleton's thoughts behind the actions are worth reading., April 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: South: A Memoir of the Endurance Voyage (Paperback)

Shackleton's diary and his first hand account of the Endurance journey are the basis of this work. While the other published works on this incredible voyage are also excellent, this book differs in that Shackleton many times speaks of certain subjects (food provisions,ice conditions,weather,etc) in whole, without regard to the story's timeline. This allows the reader to understand the thoughts and reasons behind the actions which were taken. However, I found it does take two readings to fully climb inside Shackleton's head, and this "whole subject" approach can be a little difficult to follow. This non-linear timeline and the fact that the pictures do not correspond to the text are the only reason I gave this book four stars instead of five. As a captain of small ships myself, I take heart in the abilities and courage of those aboard the ill-fated vessel. My problems on my own vessel seem much more manageable, after reading this account, as will anyone's, on land or sea. I did not find the comment of "our faces as black as nig...." to be racist, but a discription of facial color darkened by frostbite and countless days of cooking in enclosed areas. Even if you have other books on this same journey, BUY THIS BOOK.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another bad day at the office?, January 17, 2000

By 

Lisa McKinley "lisa_in_so_cal" (Citrus Capital of the World, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: South: A Memoir of the Endurance Voyage (Paperback)

Who needs fiction when you can read this account of Sir Shackleton's incredible journey! This is better than the best fiction! Please remember, the "author" is a sea captain/explorer/adventurer, not a professional writer; don't expect "character developments" and "storyline"! What you get is a straight-forward adventure, a variety of obstacles, courage, and comraderie under the harshest of conditions which today are virtually unimaginable. All this is even better if you prop a good quality atlas in front of you so you can follow along. I would suggest you read "Endurance" by Alfred Lansing first...it will surely prime your appetite for learning more of the in-depth details of the expedition. You should also remember that this took place in the early 1900's; attitudes and vernacular have changed greatly since then and we should not/cannot go back and change certain words that today are rightfully acknowledged as offensive and inappropriate. The use of the N-word makes me wince as much any decent person but it does not diminish the accomplishment of Sir Shackleton in my eyes. Ignorance and racism can and should be separated.

When I'm having a bad day at work, I snap myself back into reality by reminding myself of the trials overcome by this crew and I realize that whatever piddly problems I'm dealing with at that moment, it surely beats being wet and frozen on a crumbling ice floe, eating my favorite sled dog!

If you love a good adventure, you will love this book! I'm kind of glad Hollywood hasn't bastardized this story yet!