Mrs. Chippy's Last Expedition: The Remarkable Journal of Shackleton's Polar-Bound Cat

by Caroline Alexander

When Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship Endurance became trapped in the Antarctic ice, all twenty-nine members of the crew were pushed to their limits of survival, including Mrs. Chippy, the ship's estimable cat. Fortunately for posterity, Mrs. Chippy left a diary of the ordeal. Closely based on the true events of Shackleton's heroic journey, and illustrated with authentic photographs taken by Frank Hurley, expedition photographer, Mrs. Chippy's Last Expedition is a firsthand account of one of the greatest adventures in history—from a unique point of view.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Cats, Animals, Biography, Adventure, Travel

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1997

About the author

Caroline Alexander has written for The New Yorker, Granta, Condé Nast Traveler, Smithsonian, Outside, and National Geographic. She is the curator of "Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Expedition," an exhibition that opened at the American Museum of Natural History in March 1999. She lives on a farm in New Hampshire.

Reviews

[Will Byrnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caroline Alexander (hoping for her nail polish would dry faster) - image from Florida State University news

When Ernest Shackleton sailed his ship Endurance to the Antarctic, there was more on board than merely men, stores and a dream. There was Mrs Chippy, actually a male cat. Mrs. Chippy’s Last Expedition is a feline-level view of that unfortunate journey, at least the first, less horrifying part. And it is charming. Our family is fond of cats. We share our home with many at present, among which was Madison (now passed on). I often referred to her as my four-legged wife (as opposed to my two-legged variety, and of course my eight-legged ex) as she spent most of my sleeping time curled up against me. The others have very distinct personalities of their own, but they are all loved and appreciated. So, we look kindly on things cat-ish. Thus the appeal of Mrs Chippy. We get to see many members of the crew through his eyes. The book is set up as Chippy’s memoir, complete with footnotes. The author captures the timbre of an alpha feline. Having once had one who functioned as a union rep for the household cat population, I know what that looks like. There is a combination of arrogance, curiosity, playfulness, love and an abiding appreciation for food to such creatures and it has been captured quite well here. But Chippy is merely the ploy. The real story is in the details of life aboard one of the most famous of all nautical voyages. One learns about the ship’s routine, what tasks needed to be done, a little of the personalities of the crew, and some detail on the on-board experience during the time the ship was stranded in the middle of an Antarctic ice field. The author offers a fair bit of humor as well, best expressed when Chippy is commenting on how awful the sled dogs can be, and in how he goes out of his way to torment them.

This is not compelling reading, by any stretch, but is informative and entertaining. My only gripe is that the story ends too soon. The great drama of this expedition was Shackleton’s heroic effort to sail north in a small boat to get help for the left-behind (no, not in a rapture way) crew. I would have liked Chippy’s view there, either with Shackleton or with those stranded at the bottom of the world.


============================EXTRA STUFF

Alexander is a serious scholar, not just an author of children’s books, having written two NY Times bestsellers, The Bounty, an examination of the myth surrounding that ship, and, more germane to Mrs Chippy, The Endurance, the story of Shackleton’s attempt to cross Antarctica on foot, and many others. She published a new translation of The Iliad in 2015 .She is also an award-winning producer and director of feature-length documentaries. You can find out more about her here.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, did I LOVE this little book!
I knew C.Alexander knew her stuff re Seafaring, the Endurance Expedition and Shackleton, but boy does she know cats too! While this book is classified as fiction it really is more historical fiction for Alexander based the entire "diary" on documented events, only embellishing the way Mrs. Chippy was thinking/perceiving them. Even there, it clearly is based on a very genuine, intimate understanding of cat behavior and attitude and I'd venture to say Alexander got inside the cat's head completely.

While reading this little guy's "diary" I kept turning back to look at the cover picture of him where he sits atop the shoulder of one of his favorite crew members, Blackbarrow, and I loved him more and more as I pictured him antagonizing the dogs, tripping a crew member that disliked him, and bragging about what a good little Sailor he was - always at work standing watch or inspecting that everything was in order and diligently working to keep spirits up on board the stranded ship. (I'm sure he really did contribute to morale.) LOL. What an adorable little character this Tabby kitty was! And what a great sense of humor Ms. Alexander shows in authoring the diary of a cat so full of himself! Thank you Ms. Alexander for this funny, sad, endearing true-life account of a special ship's cat.

As I laughed and loved my way through Mrs. Chippy's days on the Endurance I knew the end of the story and dreaded reading the last entries. Really dreaded it having had my own beloved Tabby that also came to a tragic end, understanding a bit how Mrs. Chippy's companion McNish never healed from Shackleton's order to kill his "mate".
I'll just say, the final pages were even more heartbreaking than I anticipated and I cried my heart out. Alexander wrapped up the story beautifully, but that only seemed to make it hurt all the more. But the fun and laughs from the bulk of the book would make me want to read it again and recommend it to all, especially those familiar with cat antics.

*BTW, McNish (Mrs. Chippy's mate) never forgave Shackleton for ordering the shooting of his cat and their relationship was strained during the remainder of their ordeal. Apparently in an unfair, vengeful action, Shackleton withheld the Polar Medal from McNish even tho it was his carpentry work that crafted the boats that saved all the crew members' lives. Evenso, a relative of McNish's said that for McNish the bronze statue of Mrs. Chippy placed upon his grave was the better award. <3

*Ms. Alexander went on to dedicate her 1998 book "The Endurance": "TO MRS.CHIPPY - Who pioneered the way"

*Mrs. Chippy was also on an Antarctic postage stamp in 2011.
R.I.P.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, some light reading here. I got this book in McMurdo. One riveting tale about the male cat, Mrs Chippy, who was on Shackleton's polar expedition 1914-1915. The book is from the perspective of the cat. Haughty, self-important, vastly superior to all other species on board, and I know how ridiculous this must sound to all of you, but one of the funniest book I have ever read.

The only downside is that ultimately, how to put this delicately...Ernest Shackleton shot Mrs. Chippy.

There, I said it folks, god's own truth (whatever god is). He shot all the animals during that expedition which created a great deal of tension between Shackleton and Mrs. Chippy's human Henry McNeish (the guy who built the small boats that literally saved everyone's ass) So much so that McNeish was not awarded the Polar Medal! (Henry aka Harry aka "chippy" McNeish openly detested Shackleton for his decision to shoot the animals) Is it any surprise that Mr Henry McNeish was a Virgo? Born September 11th! He is buried in Karori Cemetery, Wellington, NZ and there is a (sniff)life sized bronze of Mrs Chippy reclining majestically, haughtily, on his grave.

ok, I'm going to go cry now over the glorious bond between man and cat. The wikipedia page on Henry McNeish (Harry McNish) is very thorough.

[Jenn "JR" · Rating 3 out of 5]

We all know the true end to Mrs Chippy's expedition -- and I have put off reading this book for ages because of it. The book itself is an homage to life from the perspective of a very self-assured feline. The world revolves around him, in his mind, and he doesn't see the ultimate betrayal coming at the end.

There are some laugh out loud passages in this book -- like when two of the ship mates are describing how to turn around in a bunk while Mrs Chippy is nestled between one's ankles. Mrs Chippy finds this droll but "instructive" because, as he notes -- his sleep has been disturbed by the tossing and turning of louts who were not very considerate. Mrs. Chippy is depicted as very curious - inspecting and supervising, going on watches and tormenting the dogs who are persistently depicted as less intelligent.

Whenever someone picks up and carries Mrs Chippy - it's always "I accompanied him on his shoulders ..." or "I accompanied him in the crook of his left arm" ... as if Mrs Chippy is making the decision to have the person pick him up and carry him.

The book is a very amusing exercise in life from the perspective of the cat -- but ultimately, it's an homage to a creature who was betrayed by those humans whose lives intertwined with his. His mate, Chippy, never forgave Shackleton for this act. There's a statue to Mrs. Chippy in Wellington!

[Chana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't believe the end. I wasn't positive what occurred so I googled Mrs. Chippy. OMG, I AM SO ANGRY!!! How could they have???!!!
Totally spoiled the story for me. And then not to give McNeish the polar award??? My opinion of Sir Ernest Shackleton has plummeted. He saved all his men but not all of his crew.
The story was cute until then, Mrs. Chippy quite beloved. This is supposed to be his (Mrs. Chippy was a male cat) journal of the expedition. It was funny and sweet, then BLAM. My anger is roiling inside me.
Next day: OK, I spent the morning crying over Mrs. Chippy. I had been sharing the story with my family as I read, not realizing the ending. This morning I told my 12 year old daughter the ending and that was it for me, I couldn't stop crying.
But I also realized that I didn't write a coherent review so I will try again to give some basic facts:
This book is the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton's 1914 polar expedition on the Endurance, as told through the eyes and thoughts of the ship's cat, Mrs. Chippy. It is so well done that it is hard to remember that what you are reading is not really the journal of Mrs. Chippy but a story put together from what is known from the journals of the crew and by an author who knows cats. Mrs. Chippy belonged to the ship's carpenter Henry (Chips) McNeish. After the Endurance had been stuck in ice for 9 months and then was finally crushed by the ice, the Captain ordered everyone onto the ice and started eliminating anything that was not absolutely vital to the survival of the men. Now I haven't read about what happened after this but I do know that it was McNeish who built the boats that made survival possible. As McNeish did not agree with the actions of the Captain, and made that known and did not forgive the Captain, he was left out of the honor of receiving the Polar Award because of insubordination to the Captain.
One of the saddest stories I have ever read but I am glad that it got written so people will remember Mrs. Chippy. A bronze statue of Mrs. Chippy is on the grave of his mate McNeish.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tale of Endurance as told through the diary of the ship's cat, Mrs. Chippy? I almost can't believe that the world is so wonderful a place that this books exists. The ending is heartbreaking and tragic, but the books still manages to be delightful. It captures the spirit of cats so well.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a little disappointed because I was under the impression that Henry McNish wrote this journal from the point of view of his cat. I guess it's easy for me to assume that since my grandfather was a carpenter and I think that's absolutely something he would have done.

I actually recommend pretending that's what's going on because it makes it that much funnier. (Because then you imagine him projecting these beliefs and attitudes about his shipmates onto his cat.)

This book was perfect. If ever a cat had a journal this is probably how it would read. I highly recommend it.

But spoiler alert, I think it's important to know that Chippy dies at the end because that's a pretty unpleasant surprise for such a cute book. The ships captain decides he has to go for the survival of the crew.

[my.bookshelf.87 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the diary of Mrs Chippy, a male ship's cat who accompanied Sir Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–1917. Mrs Chippy was looked after by carpenter and master shipwright Harry 'Chippy' McNish. (Chippy being a nickname for a carpenter).

The Endurance suffered a similar fate to the Belgica (decades earlier) when it became stuck in the ice. This is the story of what happened next.

Telling the story from a cat's point of view was unique and humorous, I really enjoyed it. A must-read if you love cats and are interested in nautical history. However, I was really upset to hear what happened to Mrs Chippy towards the end. This isn't mentioned in the book but is heartbreaking..

[BeesReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book albeit with a sad end.
I first read this maybe 25 years ago?
Shackleton's Endurance expedition to Antarctica which took place 1914-17 while WW1 was in progress in Europe.
Told from Mrs Chippy's perspective. Mrs Chippy was the male cat who accompanied the carpenter McNeish on the voyage.
Many of the diary entries "by" the kitty are backed up with diary entries from humans on the voyage.
It seems clear that Mrs Chippy was a vital - what we would call emotional support animal these days - in keeping up spirits amongst the crew generally, though he wasn't appreciated by all.

It's not in the book, but apparently McNeish fell out with Shackleton over Shackleton's decision about Mrs Chippy and Shackleton did not recommend him for the Polar Medal - one of four not recommended - despite McNeish's work having been vital to the crew's survival.

[Annalise · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending was so sad... interesting, though would have maybe liked a little more of Mrs.C's personality coming through... very analytical tone to the book and while it's meant to be a diary, I think it would have been cool to have it be more storylike. I did enjoy Mrs.C's relationship with Blackborow tho

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very entertaining adventure to read about. The subtle cat humor throughout was extremely enjoyable.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm quite glad my first exposure to this historical event was from the perspective of Mrs. Chippy or I would have been very stressed out!

[Norbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

don't read it at work or else your coworkers will wonder why you are sobbing in your cubicle

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a work of brilliance, by an author who is a bona fide expert on Shackleton and also on cats. Here's to the brave explorer who always did his duty.

[Wayne Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1914-1915, Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (1874-1922) led his 29-member team in an ill-fated attempt to make the first crossing of the Antarctic continent. After setting out from London’s East India Docks on Aug. 1, 1914, and calling on their way at Plymouth, Madeira, Tenerife, and Buenos Aires on their journey to South Georgia Island, they never even made it to land as their ship, the Endurance, became embedded in the ice of the Weddell Sea on Jan. 18, 1915, and, after nine months of being stranded, was finally crushed and had to be abandoned on Oct. 27. Fortunately, on Aug. 30, 1916, following many more months of hardship, Shackleton secured the rescue of all his men. In his diary, the captain of Shackleton's ship, Commander F. A. Worsley, wrote, “The carpenter has a very fine cat who is known as ‘Mrs. Chippie.’”

Chippy belonged to ship’s carpenter and master shipwright, Henry “Chippy” McNeish, from the Scottish village of Cathcart, outside of Glasgow, and was actually a tiger-striped tomcat, but by the time the mistake in gender was finally discovered, the crew was so used to calling it “Mrs. Chippy” that the name stuck. Basing her book closely on the true events of Shackleton's heroic journey drawn from the diaries of crew members, not just the famous or the high ranking but everyone, and illustrating it with authentic photographs taken by Frank Hurley, expedition photographer, author Caroline Alexander writes as though the cat were keeping a journal and thus gives a feline perspective on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Aside from some common euphemisms (blame me, blast it), the word “Lord” is used a few times as an interjection, one person calls Chippy a “d—d cat” (spelled just like that), and there are some references to smoking a pipe.

Some people have objected to this book on the grounds that it pretends that Mrs. Chippy actually witnessed these events, pointing out that Mrs. Chippy, along with several dogs, was killed when Shackleton began his journey on the ice. However, it does not pretend any falsehoods. Of course, it is obviously a fictionalized account, though of a true series of events; besides, the journal ends on October 29th, and Chippy perished that afternoon. And, remember, it was written to appeal to young people. I must admit that I had a little trouble keeping my interest up at times while reading the story, but it is still a fact that Alexander does an excellent job of capturing the behavior and seeming attitude of a cat. In my view, the best purely historical account of Shackleton’s expedition is Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing, but Alexander has written her own serious account entitled The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A male tiger-striped Tabby named Mrs. Chippy, carpenter's mate to Henry "Chippy" McNeish, carpenter, onboard Endurance on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition in 1914-15 was the explorer's Explorer. This book is Mrs. Chippy's journal of that expedition, starting Jan. 15, 1915, five months after the Endurance left London, and days before it became trapped in ice. If you're already familiar with Shackleton's ill-fated Antarctic expedition and have read the books, you may enjoy reading it from a different point of view.

You can see how Mrs. Chippy was good for the sailors' morale and an important member of the team. One of my most favorite scenes:
"How is it that anything so small can cause so much disturbance? How does it happen that a roomful of grown men can be completely dominated by something that's only - what? Nine inches high?" McNeish replies, "Force of character". "More to the point," said James, "how can anything so tiny withstand the pressures of the cosmos? Snow and ice. The high seas. Only twelve inches high," he said, measuring me with his hands. "But two feet round," said Crean. "Mere inches of life," said James, his voice rising. "Against the momentous weight of Existence. And not just surviving - leaving a mark!" "All God's creatures have what it takes to get by, thank you very much," said my mate, "so long as they're left alone." I suppose I am somewhat shorter in stature than many of my shipmates, but I can't say I've ever given this much thought. After all, I've always found a way to reach anything I wanted to investigate. Also, James's calculations did not take into account my tail and whiskers, which are extensive. Not all of me goes in one direction, as it does with him."

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN MY REVIEW I absolutely HATED this book and I wish I never read it. I hope Shackleton dies (or already did die) a slow and painful death. The carpenter Chippy was a wonderful person, as were most of the people on the expedition. Chippy is actually responsible for saving the crew so it's not fair that the asshole Shackleton got the credit. I blame Shackelton for everything including the ship getting stuck in the ice. There are articles calling this expedition "Shackleton's FOLLY" and I agree with that! I also read somewhere that there is a statue of the cat which I would love to learn more about. Most of the people in the book were cat lovers which was the only good thing I can say about the book
DON'T BUY THIS BOOK. Shackleton is an asshole

I copied this review from Amazon Books:
The carpenter has a very fine cat who is known as "Mrs. Chippie"...
-- from the diary of Commander F. A. Worsley, captain of Shackleton's Endurance
When Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship Endurance became trapped in the Antarctic ice, all twenty-nine members of the crew were pushed to their limits of survival, including Mrs. Chippy, the ship's estimable cat. Fortunately for posterity, Mrs. Chippy left a diary of the ordeal.

Closely based on the true events of Shackleton's heroic journey, and illustrated with authentic photographs taken by Frank Hurley, expedition photographer, Mrs. Chippy's Last Expedition is a firsthand account of one of the greatest adventures in history--from a unique point of view.

[Cass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mrs. Chippy, a tomcat, came aboard the ill fated explorer ship, Endurance, as a mate to the ship's carpenter, Henry "Chippy" McNeish, hence his name "Mrs. Chippy." He didn't seem to mind as he made himself at home exploring all parts of the ship, ridding the galley and storage areas of mice and taking his turns at watch atop the ship's rails. He also kept a journal of the daily life aboard the trapped ship. He became the friend to all shipmates except the storekeeper/motor expert, Thomas Orde-Lees. Only when Lees saw Mrs. Chippy catch a mouse in his store area did he tolerate him.

The Endurance became frozen in the Antarctic ice about 80 miles from their destination and open sea. They ended up spending the antarctic winter in the well stocked ship where they were warm and safe. Only when spring arrived did the trouble start as the ice began to thaw and move. The Endurance was crushed and had to be abandoned. Mrs. Chippy kept his journal throughout the winter and until the time when the shipmates had to leave to walk to the nearest island--360+miles away. His story ended with this event but we do know all the men on the ship were rescued because of the heroic efforts of their captain and leader, Sir Edmund Shackleton.

The thing I liked best about this book was the pictures of the expedition taken by the ship's photographer, James Frances Hurley.

[Rusty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read other books about Shackleton's explorations I found this light hearted treatment rather entertaining. Written in diary form it is told by the cat, Mrs. Chippy, a male whose female name stuck. The cat was accepted as a full member of the crew and kept spirits positive when the Endurance became trapped in ice en route to its destination. Spending winter on the ship surrounded by ice, winter storms and cold the expeditition did not fulfill its goal but every man from the ship survived. This book includes photos of many of the activities that kept the men busy from repair, reading, the basics of living, and hunting what the ice had to offer for their table. The narrative is footnoted from a variety of sources including comments from many of the crew members who recalled and/or wrote of that winter on the ship that did not survive the ice pack. I liked it.

[Bab · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sweet... The very idea of the book, and then the book itself... This whole thing about Caroline Alexander feeling that there was something very specific that would be missing in her main book about the Endurance expedition just as in all other future books about it, and that she decided to write it down, and that she managed to do it so beautifully, and that it got published, too... It's almost too good to be true! It doesn't make this the best of all possible worlds, of course, but in that ultimately sublime version of this universe they definitely have this book too. Love everything about it! All hail Mrs. Chippy! ^_^

[4fabfelines Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very cute and has notes and thought from the ships' crew on the polar bound expedetion. The photographs were quite good and it was interesting the dynamics of the whole ship and the crew.
The ending is very sad though, they have to abandon the ship and trek across the ice so Shackleton orders several of the sled dogs pup and the cat shot and killed. (she could have rode in the sled.) Harry McNish felt the loss of the cat most profoundly and he was wrote up for discipline problems later. When he died they place a bronze cat on his grave in honor of Mrs. Chippy.

[James Holgate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely use a 5 when rating things. But this book prompted it. Great observation of feline behaviour wrapping round a fascinating, if well known, story. Funny and sad. A very easy read the will be well rewarded even if I finished with a tear in the eye.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I remember (I read it so long ago) is that it brought tears to my eyes and I dont want to read it again. It was a warm and caring book and sad and adventurous.

[Charlie Cochrane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I've read in a long time and a perfect insight into the workings of the moggy mind.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Theoretically a fast read, although the first half of the book is so distracted by footnotes it felt even tougher than usual for me to get into the book. At a certain point though, the footnotes subsided and Mrs. Chippy's unique seaman's perspective started shining through. One particular passage I enjoyed was about Mrs. Chippy assisting his purrson in a building project: methodically touching his paw to each tool to ensure its quality, then rubbing up against every board stood on end to ensure its stability. 😺 Mrs. Chippy (who is male, by the way) takes his on-board duties quite seriously, from keeping down the rodent population to taking his turn on night watch. So then, it is particularly cruel to readers who are not already familiar with the Shackleton story (myself included) when in the final entry, Shackleton declares to the crew that anything that cannot "carry their own weight" will not be making the journey. In the world of the book, Mrs. Chippy's last journal entry ends blissfully unaware, and the author doesn't tell us what happens. But because this is 2022 and information is so much more accessible than when this book was written, readers can easily find out what really happened to Mrs. Chippy. It is sad, especially given all the pages spent anthropomorphizing him. So perhaps it's no wonder that this book hasn't been in constant reprint since its release in 1997, and it was not even as easy as expected to get a copy from the local library.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I shared “Shacklelton mania” in 2014, the 100th anniversary of the beginning of his almost incredible trans-Antarctic attempt. Later I bought a copy of Mrs. Chippy's in a used book store, and read it before giving it to a cat-owned niece recently, with this note.

Mrs. Chippy – a real cat (male) on a real expedition, his “journal” written by a historian who published a history of the expedition (probably why there are so many excellent photos in this book).

I’m not sure she’s an expert in feline behavior, because there’s a sameness to the journal entries which cat people could make far more varied and spot on. So I say the journal itself is skimmable.

What’s more interesting – and fun – are the footnotes, where she provides a summary of the 1914-1917 expedition. The fun part is her masterful and often hilarious satire of the footnote style of stuffy 19th/early 20th-century historians. So funny for this MA historian who’s read so many of these scholarly footnotes.

What happened to Mrs. Chippy and Henry McNish? The reader must Google it.

Note: I gave her sister my copy of Cleveland Amory’s The Cat Who Came for Christmas, which I’d read years before. Turns out both cat owners – Amory and Henry McNish – are buried near their cats.

[tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book is insanely charming and so funny. the whole time I could picture the scenes and what Chippy was up to, and man I just love cats and boats

the only thing is it gets a bit repetitive, since the journal mostly takes place when the exhibition was at a standstill in the ice. there wasn’t much pushing the book forward, so it was a bit difficult to fully get through. but I still think it’s worth a read it’s so silly

this isn’t a spoiler I’d say cause it happened in real life and this part isn’t even in the book but reading other reviews I just found out that the captain orders to shoot all the animals from the ship?? so Chippy got fucking shot dead?? it would be absolutely insane if that was written as a “journal entry” in this book but like,,, to end it like they all started on this walk back to land and it was happy ever after and in real life they KILLED him?? I was about to go to sleep but idk if I can after that,,,

anyway it’s a very fun book! just pretend you didn’t know that he got shot I guess 😭

[Chris Rands · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light read for lovers of cats and Shackleton. This is the 3rd book I've read on the Endurance voyage that's probably about the right time to read it since it requires familiarity with the overall story (I recommend Alfred Lansing's book for a great overview of the expedition). The book is a tongue-in-cheek snapshot into the day to day life and not a historical account of all that happened, although it does have helpful footnotes for context. It is well written and humorous, with a distain for dogs, as to be expected from the cat author! The ending is rather abrupt, with the final diary entry giving no clues that it will be the last. In reality, Mrs Chippy was shot at this point, since the cat's chances of survival on the ice were very low- a bleak reminder of the harsh realities of polar exploration that is omitted from the book.

[Sireesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm finding it difficult to review this book as there's so much I'm still thinking about. On the surface it's a humorous account of a doomed expedition through the perspective of a cat. For cat lovers, of which I am one, it's so much more. Many of us who are servants to these incredible creatures often wonder what they are thinking. This book offers a delightful glimpse of what that could be. That this account, while fictional, is based on real events is even more astounding. In 1914, a cat was one of the "crew mates" on board an expedition ship in Antarctica! The end however is bittersweet and raises many questions on what could have been had Mrs Chippy continued on. Some reviews have raised ethical concerns, which are valid. And yet, ethically, it is wise to take your family cat onboard a ship to Antarctica? I don't know. Either way, Mrs Chippy's account will linger with me.

[Tom Bentley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and engaging work, and if you have studied cats to any degree, you will find telling paw prints on every page—lots of cattish judgement, sniffiness and wry observation. Chippy is likely one of the hardest workers (as he'll tell you) on the Endurance, the doomed Shackleton expedition, and a mainstay of the crew.

The book ties closely to the actual circumstances of their voyage and its interruption, and those are harrowing things indeed. Mrs. Chippy (a male cat, by the way) often describes the calamities befalling the vessel, but in a sardine and seal-oriented (with penguins flapping by) way—he is very concerned with orderly processes on the ship, like his feeding times and the correct behaviors of all the seamen.

You will spend this book in Chippy's head, and it's a genial (though judgmental) place to be. Be careful—there is a poignant turn at the end.