South: The Last Antarctic Expedition of Shackleton and the Endurance (Paperback)

by Sir Ernest Shackleton (Author), Tim Cahill (Foreword)
Key Phrases: transcontinental party, snouted glacier, rampart berg, James Caird, Cape Evans, Hut Point (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"One of the great adventure stories....a rousing read."--New York Times

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description
This first-person account of the Endurance crew's famed odyssey across the frozen Antarctic is one of the most amazing adventure stories ever.

In the summer of 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men set out to make the first sea-to-sea crossing of the most inhospitable continent on earth. One year later, halfway to their objective and their ship destroyed by ice, the expedition began an unbelievable journey back to the fringe of civilization. South is their story of battles against incredible obstacles for nearly two years, surviving on ice floes, sailing hundreds of miles on tumultuous seas, battling the unimaginable cold of the Antarctic winter, enduring debilitating hunger, injury, and misfortune, and finally overcoming improbable odds to reach help.

As Shackleton himself wrote at the time of the book's original publication in 1920, this is "a book of high adventure, strenuous days and lonely nights, unique experiences, and, above all, records of unflinching determination, supreme loyalty, and generous self-sacrifice on the part of my men." It is a story that resonates to this day as the classic tale of survival, resolve, and leadership.

Alfred Lansing's Endurance made the journey famous; Shackleton's book brings it dramatically to life.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 488 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558217835
• ISBN-13: 978-1558217836
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #529,819 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #17 in	Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( S ) > Shackleton, Ernest
  #66 in	Books > Travel > Polar Regions > Antarctica

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Edge of Your Seat, December 10, 1999

By A Customer

Fascinating and exciting book. Shackelton writes in the most British of style -- he describes an ice floe splitting beneath his tent in the same plain delivery as the description of a depth sounding. The book is overflowing with the most amazing of events, placing Shackelton's crew in an adventure every bit as great as Lewis and Clark's expedition (read the Ambrose book "Undaunted Courage" if you like this one).

This is a fine edition, as it includes approx. eighty photographs of the expedition. From the outset of the voyage to the harrowing crossing of St. George Island, this guy would put today's extreme adventure-seekers to shame.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sheer will and nerve., August 12, 2000

By	WRE (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews

Ernest Shackleton's description of his voyage into and subsequent escape from Antartica is amazing. The matter of fact tone with which he describes his adventure seems wildly juxtaposed on the events which he led his men safely through. It's an interesting read which gives some glimpse into the calm and mechanically rational mind of Shackleton, the reason he and his men survived. I highly recommend this book.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A True Leader, February 2, 2001

By A Customer

Shackleton was an amazing man full of true grit and true leadership. Among the many things that stand out in his story of survival is the importance of keeping a journal. Even after many supplies and equipment were left on the ice, the men were instructed to continue to carry their journals. And what if they had not? Where would be the true story that outshines most fictional adventure stories in the minds and imaginations of many, including myself?

If you want to read more about Antarctica, I suggest T.H. Baughman's "Before the Heroes Came."