South: A Memoir of the Endurance Voyage (Paperback)

~ Ernest Shackleton (Author) "I HAD decided to leave South Georgia about December 5, and in the intervals of final preparation scanned again the plans for the voyage to..." (more)
Key Phrases: Cape Evans, Hut Point, James Caird (more...)

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

"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; Illustrated. edition (August 17, 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 (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #851,777 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 42 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 (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

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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.

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)

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!

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A modest, factual account of extraordinary leadership., January 3, 1999

By A Customer

This a story of a "failed" cross continental expedition and its aftermath. It gives a continuous account of the unbelievable experiences of Ernest Shacleton and his crew of 27 men from the time their ship, the Endurance, is frozen in pack ice until their final escape some 20 months later. This unbelieveable feat was accomplished without a single loss of life!

The character and leadership abilities of Ernest Shackleton are impressive and facinating as he and his crew are pitted against forces of nature beyond the experience of most mortals.

I found much inspiration for dealing with life's everday experiences and challenges from reading this account. I have also read Frank Worsley's account of the "open boat" escape and a biography of Sir Ernest Shackleton. I will continue to expand this list of readings as I am able to find more accounts on the subject.

The lure of the Antartic and the study of these extrodinary adventures grips me as no other topic has for a long time.