What do you think?
Rate this book
The Shackleton Voyages : A Pictorial Anthology of the Polar Explorer and Edwardian Hero
Ernest Shackleton is best known for his ENDURANCE expedition, but he took part in four Antarctic expeditions in all - the DISCOVERY (1902-4), the NIMROD expedition (1907-9), the ENDURANCE-AURORA expedition (1914-17) and QUEST, his final journey in 1921. Roland Huntford looks at Shackleton the explorer and leader of men, the hero of his day who was knighted by King Edward VII. This is a riveting story in words and pictures of rivalry, survival, comradeship and courage in the face of danger and hardship. Includes 100 photographs not published before, including Shackleton's own, and from personal archives in the UK, New Zealand & Australia.
Paperback
First published November 14, 2002
1 person is currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Roland Huntford
23 books29 followersRoland Huntford (né Horwitch) is an author, principally of biographies of Polar explorers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 7, 2023
Okay, so that makes an even dozen books on my "Shackleton/Crean" bookshelf, which means I needed this coffee table book like an eighth hole in my head. But for $2 at our massive used bookstore, I just couldn't say no.
Little new here, but the book does do a particularly nice job covering Shackleton's less famous - i.e., not the Endurance - voyages in both text and photos. So necessary or not, that was definitely two bucks well spent.
Little new here, but the book does do a particularly nice job covering Shackleton's less famous - i.e., not the Endurance - voyages in both text and photos. So necessary or not, that was definitely two bucks well spent.
April 24, 2016
This sumptuous volume presents a pictorial anthology of the Polar explorer and Edwardian hero Ernest Shackleton. Accompanying the myriad of photographs, taken by the photographers on each of his expeditions, there are a variety of Shackleton's diary entries, a collection of drawings done by various members of each party and some insightful captions by Julie Summers; Roland Huntford introduces each chapter with a lengthy and most useful historical background.
Shackleton undertook four voyages to the Antarctic, the first of which, in 1901-03 was with Captain Scott aboard the 'Discovery'. He had already served in the Mercantile Marine and was an accomplished sailor when he went south with Scott, when, after a long lapse, Antarctic exploration was in the process of revival. He departed England as one of two merchant officers on board 'Discovery' on 6 August 1901 and on 9 January 1902 he first stepped foot on Antarctic snow; ironically most of the 50 men on the ship, including the Commander, had hardly ever seen snow!
Once they reached McMurdo Sound, Scott sent Shackleton out to reconnoitre the route that he and Scott and Edward Wilson, a medical man, would take in their attempt to reach the South Pole. Unfortunately the journey was doomed from the start for since landing little had been done to understand the requirements of progressing in ice and snow. The party, minus Shackleton who was obliged to stop at 82 degrees 15 minutes South, did reach 82 degrees 17 minutes South, which was a then record, but that was as far as they got. They had to return and Scott always, unfairly, blamed Shackleton for his sickness that prevented them from going further. They belabouredly made their way back to 'Discovery', which was then frozen in, so on 1 March 1903 Shackleton disappointingly departed on the relief ship 'Morning'. 'Discovery' and the rest of the crew followed once the ice had melted.
Shackleton's second Antarctic expedition was from 1907-09 when, as commander, he sailed in 'Nimrod' and at the end of January 1908 he was once more in McMurdo Sound. This time he had taken a motor car with him for transport but it proved to be something of a disaster for on ice it moved reasonably well but once it encountered powdered snow it was no use at all. Similarly he had taken eight Manchurian ponies to pull the sledges but again they proved not to be ideal and so in the end he had to resort to the dogs that he had also taken along.
This time in their attempt for the Pole Shackleton was accompanied by Frank Wild, John Adams and Eric Marshall, the last named the medical man. Three of them, Marshall remained behind at their last camp, reached 87 degrees 22 minutes South before they realised that food was dwindling and that they probably did not have enough to make the journey to the Pole and return; reluctantly they gave up. They just managed to make the return journey before the deadline date that Shackleton had left for 'Nimrod' to make its way home and the exhausted foursome boarded the ship just in time to depart for New Zealand. On 23 March 'Nimrod' arrived at Halimoon Bay on Stewart Island where Shackleton went ashore to send his cable about his record furthest South expedition.
His third venture south was in 1914-17 when he sailed in the 'Endurance' when he intended to trek across Antarctica from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea; he had rejected any plan to reach the South Pole because by then Roald Amundsen in 1911 and Scott in 1912 had already achieved that goal. However, he had problems, for 'Endurance' became ice-bound and drifted inexorably north before being finally crushed on 27 October 1915. Thereafter began Shackleton's famous journey in three open boats to Elephant Island, where he made the first known landing since American sealers in the 1830s.
He decided from there that the only way to secure safety was to make another open boat journey to South Georgia and leaving the majority of his crew behind he and two members of the crew, Crean and Worsley, he made an epic 17-day journey. And in May 1916 they landed on South Georgia after which another epic journey took place as the exhausted trio marched and scrambled to the other side of the island where, with the help of the whaling community they sailed in the 'Yelcho' to rescue his men on Elephant Island. After much hardship they reached their destination and to his joy he discovered that all his crew had survived. He had, therefore, maintained his record of never having lost a crew member on any of his expeditions.
His final assault on Antarctica came in 1921-22 and ended in disaster. Sailing in the 'Quest' he was unwell and had a heart attack at Buenos Aires. But, recovered, he continued to South Georgia and it was there that he suffered a fatal heart attack on 5 January 1922. He was buried on South Georgia with his monument being a simple cross on heights overlooking the waters.
With his death the heroic age of Antarctic exploration was virtually over and he was, arguably, the pre-eminent exponent. This absolutely delightful book, both text and illustration-wise, brings him, and his crews, very much to life and it is a book that one can return to time and again to admire the superb photography.
Shackleton undertook four voyages to the Antarctic, the first of which, in 1901-03 was with Captain Scott aboard the 'Discovery'. He had already served in the Mercantile Marine and was an accomplished sailor when he went south with Scott, when, after a long lapse, Antarctic exploration was in the process of revival. He departed England as one of two merchant officers on board 'Discovery' on 6 August 1901 and on 9 January 1902 he first stepped foot on Antarctic snow; ironically most of the 50 men on the ship, including the Commander, had hardly ever seen snow!
Once they reached McMurdo Sound, Scott sent Shackleton out to reconnoitre the route that he and Scott and Edward Wilson, a medical man, would take in their attempt to reach the South Pole. Unfortunately the journey was doomed from the start for since landing little had been done to understand the requirements of progressing in ice and snow. The party, minus Shackleton who was obliged to stop at 82 degrees 15 minutes South, did reach 82 degrees 17 minutes South, which was a then record, but that was as far as they got. They had to return and Scott always, unfairly, blamed Shackleton for his sickness that prevented them from going further. They belabouredly made their way back to 'Discovery', which was then frozen in, so on 1 March 1903 Shackleton disappointingly departed on the relief ship 'Morning'. 'Discovery' and the rest of the crew followed once the ice had melted.
Shackleton's second Antarctic expedition was from 1907-09 when, as commander, he sailed in 'Nimrod' and at the end of January 1908 he was once more in McMurdo Sound. This time he had taken a motor car with him for transport but it proved to be something of a disaster for on ice it moved reasonably well but once it encountered powdered snow it was no use at all. Similarly he had taken eight Manchurian ponies to pull the sledges but again they proved not to be ideal and so in the end he had to resort to the dogs that he had also taken along.
This time in their attempt for the Pole Shackleton was accompanied by Frank Wild, John Adams and Eric Marshall, the last named the medical man. Three of them, Marshall remained behind at their last camp, reached 87 degrees 22 minutes South before they realised that food was dwindling and that they probably did not have enough to make the journey to the Pole and return; reluctantly they gave up. They just managed to make the return journey before the deadline date that Shackleton had left for 'Nimrod' to make its way home and the exhausted foursome boarded the ship just in time to depart for New Zealand. On 23 March 'Nimrod' arrived at Halimoon Bay on Stewart Island where Shackleton went ashore to send his cable about his record furthest South expedition.
His third venture south was in 1914-17 when he sailed in the 'Endurance' when he intended to trek across Antarctica from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea; he had rejected any plan to reach the South Pole because by then Roald Amundsen in 1911 and Scott in 1912 had already achieved that goal. However, he had problems, for 'Endurance' became ice-bound and drifted inexorably north before being finally crushed on 27 October 1915. Thereafter began Shackleton's famous journey in three open boats to Elephant Island, where he made the first known landing since American sealers in the 1830s.
He decided from there that the only way to secure safety was to make another open boat journey to South Georgia and leaving the majority of his crew behind he and two members of the crew, Crean and Worsley, he made an epic 17-day journey. And in May 1916 they landed on South Georgia after which another epic journey took place as the exhausted trio marched and scrambled to the other side of the island where, with the help of the whaling community they sailed in the 'Yelcho' to rescue his men on Elephant Island. After much hardship they reached their destination and to his joy he discovered that all his crew had survived. He had, therefore, maintained his record of never having lost a crew member on any of his expeditions.
His final assault on Antarctica came in 1921-22 and ended in disaster. Sailing in the 'Quest' he was unwell and had a heart attack at Buenos Aires. But, recovered, he continued to South Georgia and it was there that he suffered a fatal heart attack on 5 January 1922. He was buried on South Georgia with his monument being a simple cross on heights overlooking the waters.
With his death the heroic age of Antarctic exploration was virtually over and he was, arguably, the pre-eminent exponent. This absolutely delightful book, both text and illustration-wise, brings him, and his crews, very much to life and it is a book that one can return to time and again to admire the superb photography.
February 25, 2021
Beautiful book full of photographs and details of the polar explorer and Edwardian hero - Sir Ernest Shackleton.
The prose is interesting giving an insight into relationships between members of the crew and specifically his tussle with Scott.
A good companion to the Book South written by Shackleton describing his Endeavour expedition and the trip from Elephant Island .
The prose is interesting giving an insight into relationships between members of the crew and specifically his tussle with Scott.
A good companion to the Book South written by Shackleton describing his Endeavour expedition and the trip from Elephant Island .
December 18, 2023
The Gambler, the Organizer, the Explorer, the Boss.
A man who came too late in this world. A person to whom the lives of his crew members meant more than the achievement of his goal. The person who tried to achieve all but achieved none. The last Edwardian hero and the first surviver.
A man who came too late in this world. A person to whom the lives of his crew members meant more than the achievement of his goal. The person who tried to achieve all but achieved none. The last Edwardian hero and the first surviver.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews