Tom Crean: Unsung Hero of the Scott and Shackleton Antarctic Expeditions [Hardcover]

Michael Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2002

Tom Crean was a key figure and colorful member of three of the most famous polar expeditions and has had a glacier and a peak named after him.

·Will appeal to Shackleton buffs and fans of historical explorations
·Great for armchair adventurers who enjoy a ripping good yarn
·Popularity of this subject will stay fueled by media attention to big-budget television mini-series (A&E) and big- screen movie (Columbia Pictures) currently in the works

After this engaging, well-written biography sold more than 18,000 copies in Ireland in its first year, The Mountaineers Books jumped on the U.S. rights for its customers. Tom Crean was with Ernest Shackleton on the famous Endurance trip-and was one of the survivors of that phenomenal tale of, well, endurance. He was also on Robert Scott's two earlier polar explorations and he was key to the survival of his fellow explorers each time out. What is engaging about Crean--and this book--was that he was not unmoved by the hard decisions and hardships he and the rest of the crew faced, nor did he blindly follow orders, but he did what had to be done, and was loyal to his captains and his crewmates in the process.

The story of all three adventures of incredible courage and survival are told in this one 352-page volume.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

"Tom Crean was the difference between life and death" for two members of Robert F. Scott's 1910-13 Terra Nova expedition. With this statement, British journalist Smith demands that history revisit the heroic age of polar exploration, focusing on one of the lesser-known heroes. Tom Crean went to Antarctica with Scott's Discovery (1901-04) and Terra Nova (1910-13) expeditions, as well as with Ernest Shackleton's Endurance (1914-16) expedition. Some of his courageous accomplishments include ice-floe hopping and climbing the Barrier to affect a rescue, traveling 35 miles in 18 hours with minimal rations to get help for others, and the infamous crossing of the southern ocean to South Georgia Island with Shackleton. Crean was awarded many medals, including the Albert Medal, the highest recognition for gallantry. But Smith argues that because of politics and the class prejudices of the day (Crean was a poor Irishman), he did not receive the recognition he was due. Crean was not a diarist, so Smith relied on interviews, letters, the diaries of Crean's contemporaries, and previously published works for this captivating account of one man's often overlooked contributions. Recommended for polar and exploration collections and larger public libraries. Margaret Atwater-Singer, Univ. of Evansville, IN
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Tom Crean survived three expeditions to the Antarctic. The first was with Robert Scott aboard the Discovery (1901-1904), the second with Scott aboard the Terra Nova (1910-1913), and the third with Ernest Shackleton aboard the Endurance (1914-1916). Crean's exploits are almost unbelievable, for along with Shackleton and Frank Worsley, he made the first crossing of South Georgia to save their comrades stranded on Elephant Island. In researching this engaging work, which is deliciously full of other such daring feats by this unassuming man, Smith interviewed Crean's two daughters and two grandsons. Additional sources include a number of archives in England, Ireland, and New Zealand; newspapers and periodicals, unpublished diaries, journals, and records; ships' logs; letters, and Crean's service documents. The result is an absorbing, meticulously researched biography of a genuine hero. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 302 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books (February 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 089886870X
• ISBN-13: 978-0898868708
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,245,338 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Hero, February 23, 2002

By 

Robert R. Briggs "robroyb" (Santa Barbara, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tom Crean: Unsung Hero of the Scott and Shackleton Antarctic Expeditions (Hardcover)

I've read almost every book I can find on Antarctic exploration and without a doubt, this is one of the finest. Tom Crean is always mentioned in books about early Antarctic epics but we've never really got to know him and what kind of a man he was. Michael Smith has done a fine job in tracing Crean's life from his early days in the Navy, his subsequent trips with Scott and Shackleton right up to his final days as a Pub owner is his home in Ireland. This is the kind of man you'd want whatever your expedition might be. He was brave, strong, honest, trustworthy and humorus, no matter what the circumstances. A great story about a real hero!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, February 23, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Tom Crean: Unsung Hero of the Scott and Shackleton Antarctic Expeditions (Hardcover)

Tom Crean survived several famous Antarctic adventures of the Edwardian Era, and yet is hardly mentioned in most of the popular Antarctic Exploration books. Michael Smith does a fantastic job telling Crean's personal history with humor and understanding, while giving insight into the expeditions, the explorers and Antarctic History as a whole. This is a must-have for polar enthusasts (or shall we say, PolarGeeks?).

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Long Overdue Biography, February 21, 2002

By 

Michael J. Muller "Adirondack Reader" (Queensbury, New York USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tom Crean: Unsung Hero of the Scott and Shackleton Antarctic Expeditions (Hardcover)

Any reader of the many books written on the Heroic Age of Polar explorations will very much enjoy this well presented biographical history of a tough Irishman who accompanied Shackleton on two Antarctic voyages (including the ill fated
Endurance trip) and Scott on the ill fated trek to the South Pole.
Wonderfully presented, this book was fascinating to read and will be most treasured in my collection of polar exploration books. Do not hesitate to select this book if you enjoy nonfiction adventure.