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Shackleton
The acclaimed biographer of Robert Falcon Scott masterfully chronicles the life of one of the last great Edwardian heroes, Ernest Shackleton, from his Anglo-Irish childhood through the race for the South Pole to his last expedition to the North Pole.
800 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
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About the author
Roland Huntford
23 books29 followersRoland Huntford (né Horwitch) is an author, principally of biographies of Polar explorers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
December 18, 2016
An amazing book on the amazing life of one of the great polar explorers. It appears that his fame has become more to the forefront in the past few years since one usually heard about Byrd and Scott but not Shackleton.
Polar exploration is often surrounded by more myth than fact and the author rights that wrong by showing us the true but enigmatic man, his faults, his failures, and his strengths. The man was intrepid. He was full of braggadocio and brashness which often did not endear him to many people and he was constantly in debt. But he was a charismatic leader of men and his expeditions were full of peril, tragedy, and heroism. This is a long book but it holds the attention throughout. Recommended.
Polar exploration is often surrounded by more myth than fact and the author rights that wrong by showing us the true but enigmatic man, his faults, his failures, and his strengths. The man was intrepid. He was full of braggadocio and brashness which often did not endear him to many people and he was constantly in debt. But he was a charismatic leader of men and his expeditions were full of peril, tragedy, and heroism. This is a long book but it holds the attention throughout. Recommended.
March 18, 2012
Roland Huntford's "Shackleton" is one of my favorite biographies. He followed up his take on Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott's race to the South Pole with this detailed and always-interesting story of the astonishing life of Ernest Shackleton.
The shocking survival tale of Shackleton's Endurance expedition is, of course, the centerpiece of the biography, but there was much more to the man's life and many other polar adventures to be told. Though Alfred Lansing's 1959 "Endurance" was the bible on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition for years (and maybe still is), Huntford's take is, if anything, better. About a third (I'm guessing) of this 700-page biography concerns the Endurance tale, making the space devoted to it a little less than Lansing's book. Huntford writes with a little more verve and includes many more, and more extensive, diary entries.
Anyone who read Huntford's "The Last Place on Earth," about the Amundsen/Scott race, knows the author is opinionated. Huntford frankly tears Scott a new one in that book; he's still hard on Scott here, but as Scott plays less of a role, it's more palatable.
"Shackleton" really is a perfectly good place to start for those interested in the Endurance tale; there just is, obviously, a lot more about Shackleton's life in this biography. I actually read the Shackleton biography long before tackling Lansing's chronicle. Huntford fills in some gaps nicely, including some things Lansing almost completely omits, such as Frank Hurley's stunning photography of the Endurance expedition.
If you read one biography of a polar explorer (or anything about South Pole exploration), make it this one.
The shocking survival tale of Shackleton's Endurance expedition is, of course, the centerpiece of the biography, but there was much more to the man's life and many other polar adventures to be told. Though Alfred Lansing's 1959 "Endurance" was the bible on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition for years (and maybe still is), Huntford's take is, if anything, better. About a third (I'm guessing) of this 700-page biography concerns the Endurance tale, making the space devoted to it a little less than Lansing's book. Huntford writes with a little more verve and includes many more, and more extensive, diary entries.
Anyone who read Huntford's "The Last Place on Earth," about the Amundsen/Scott race, knows the author is opinionated. Huntford frankly tears Scott a new one in that book; he's still hard on Scott here, but as Scott plays less of a role, it's more palatable.
"Shackleton" really is a perfectly good place to start for those interested in the Endurance tale; there just is, obviously, a lot more about Shackleton's life in this biography. I actually read the Shackleton biography long before tackling Lansing's chronicle. Huntford fills in some gaps nicely, including some things Lansing almost completely omits, such as Frank Hurley's stunning photography of the Endurance expedition.
If you read one biography of a polar explorer (or anything about South Pole exploration), make it this one.
abandoned
February 16, 2023Got a battered copy of this from the thrift store years ago and made really decent progress in it. At first it was pretty interesting, especially all the events leading up to Shackleton's expedition with the Endurance and him butting heads with Scott. The part that really bugged me was the author's seemingly sympathetic view of Shackleton's adultery... um, how is a guy cheating on his pregnant wife "not exactly being unfaithful" (p. 152)? I stopped reading the book around that point, and it's doubtful I'll be picking it back up at this point.
January 19, 2020
Shackleton, by Roland Huntford
reviewed by NC Weil
My husband and I read this book aloud last winter. A powerful adventure story, this biography provides insight into what makes a person a leader, and how essential that quality is when a venture falls into difficulties. Ernest Shackleton made three unsuccessful trips to Antarctica in the early 20th century. On the first, he traveled with Robert Falcon Scott on an expedition to the South Pole that came up short due to poor planning and insufficient provisions.
His second journey was another attempt to reach the Pole, this time as commander. But again they were stymied by inexperience with conditions: they did not know how to ski nor how to use sled dogs, bringing instead Mongolian ponies whose small hooves for their weight often broke through the snow, sometimes into crevasses. They turned back from their goal of reaching the South Pole a mere 90 miles from it - because they didn’t have enough food to get there and return to their provisions. Shackleton chose survival over glory.
His third expedition, the one best known, involved an attempt to cross Antarctica with dogsleds. However, the ship Endurance, caught in the pack ice of the Weddell Sea, was their home for 9 fruitless months while the ice moved it north and west, away from their goal. Eventually the ice began to crush the ship, so Shackleton ordered all hands, both expedition and ship’s crew, to the ice. They lived on a large floe another couple of months, waiting for austral summer’s warmth to open a lane for them to reach the open ocean. That floe began to break up, so they manhauled their three lifeboats to another floe, which after some weeks dissolved beneath their feet.
Into the boats they went, and through some of the roughest waters on earth - Drake Passage - were able to make landfall on Elephant Island, a forbidding wasteland of rock. Shackleton appointed his second-in-command to remain with most of the crew, and a hand-picked group of six, Shackleton included, refitted one of the lifeboats and sailed by dead reckoning 700 miles across the open southern Atlantic, reaching South Georgia Island and its whaling station. Three stayed with the boat while the other three crossed the uncharted interior of the island - home to 163 glaciers - reaching the whaling station dehydrated, starved, and filthy. When the whaler's crew sailed around the island to collect their fellows, and saw the boat they had sailed so far in such perilous waters, they exclaimed, “These are MEN!”
It took several attempts for Shackleton to procure a ship and return to Elephant Island, where the rest of his crew lived under two overturned lifeboats, subsisting on penguin and seal, having no idea when or whether they would ever be rescued. As Apsley Cherry-Garrard, a polar explorer, declared in 1922, “For scientific discovery, give me Scott; for speed and efficiency of travel, give me Amundsen; but when disaster strikes and all hope is gone, get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton.” For indeed, though none of his expeditions fulfilled their mission, he brought everyone back alive, against monstrous odds.
This could well be the most thrilling adventure story of all time - men pitted against unforgiving elements, making choices we can only shake our heads over now (Mongolian ponies, shunning skis, bringing dogs without anyone who knew how to utilize them), but surviving, against the most appalling odds.
Shackleton, a true leader, looked out for his men’s comfort before his own. During their crossing of Drake Passage one man lost his mittens, and Shackleton gave him his own. When the man tried to refuse them, Sir E threatened to pitch them into the water instead of wearing them himself. Even in the vilest conditions he made sure the men were fed and sheltered, and kept them as busy as possible to keep up morale. And they loved him. What kept them alive on Elephant Island many hopeless months was the knowledge that Sir E would move heaven and earth to come back, to bring them home. As indeed he did.
reviewed by NC Weil
My husband and I read this book aloud last winter. A powerful adventure story, this biography provides insight into what makes a person a leader, and how essential that quality is when a venture falls into difficulties. Ernest Shackleton made three unsuccessful trips to Antarctica in the early 20th century. On the first, he traveled with Robert Falcon Scott on an expedition to the South Pole that came up short due to poor planning and insufficient provisions.
His second journey was another attempt to reach the Pole, this time as commander. But again they were stymied by inexperience with conditions: they did not know how to ski nor how to use sled dogs, bringing instead Mongolian ponies whose small hooves for their weight often broke through the snow, sometimes into crevasses. They turned back from their goal of reaching the South Pole a mere 90 miles from it - because they didn’t have enough food to get there and return to their provisions. Shackleton chose survival over glory.
His third expedition, the one best known, involved an attempt to cross Antarctica with dogsleds. However, the ship Endurance, caught in the pack ice of the Weddell Sea, was their home for 9 fruitless months while the ice moved it north and west, away from their goal. Eventually the ice began to crush the ship, so Shackleton ordered all hands, both expedition and ship’s crew, to the ice. They lived on a large floe another couple of months, waiting for austral summer’s warmth to open a lane for them to reach the open ocean. That floe began to break up, so they manhauled their three lifeboats to another floe, which after some weeks dissolved beneath their feet.
Into the boats they went, and through some of the roughest waters on earth - Drake Passage - were able to make landfall on Elephant Island, a forbidding wasteland of rock. Shackleton appointed his second-in-command to remain with most of the crew, and a hand-picked group of six, Shackleton included, refitted one of the lifeboats and sailed by dead reckoning 700 miles across the open southern Atlantic, reaching South Georgia Island and its whaling station. Three stayed with the boat while the other three crossed the uncharted interior of the island - home to 163 glaciers - reaching the whaling station dehydrated, starved, and filthy. When the whaler's crew sailed around the island to collect their fellows, and saw the boat they had sailed so far in such perilous waters, they exclaimed, “These are MEN!”
It took several attempts for Shackleton to procure a ship and return to Elephant Island, where the rest of his crew lived under two overturned lifeboats, subsisting on penguin and seal, having no idea when or whether they would ever be rescued. As Apsley Cherry-Garrard, a polar explorer, declared in 1922, “For scientific discovery, give me Scott; for speed and efficiency of travel, give me Amundsen; but when disaster strikes and all hope is gone, get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton.” For indeed, though none of his expeditions fulfilled their mission, he brought everyone back alive, against monstrous odds.
This could well be the most thrilling adventure story of all time - men pitted against unforgiving elements, making choices we can only shake our heads over now (Mongolian ponies, shunning skis, bringing dogs without anyone who knew how to utilize them), but surviving, against the most appalling odds.
Shackleton, a true leader, looked out for his men’s comfort before his own. During their crossing of Drake Passage one man lost his mittens, and Shackleton gave him his own. When the man tried to refuse them, Sir E threatened to pitch them into the water instead of wearing them himself. Even in the vilest conditions he made sure the men were fed and sheltered, and kept them as busy as possible to keep up morale. And they loved him. What kept them alive on Elephant Island many hopeless months was the knowledge that Sir E would move heaven and earth to come back, to bring them home. As indeed he did.
September 3, 2020
A very compelling account and narrative of all of Shackleton’s Antarctic expeditions, including the famous Endurance expedition in this non-hagiographic biography.
Shackleton was both the toughest man who ever lived and the luckiest. Also the most reckless. He barely escaped with his life on the Discovery, Nimrod and Endurance expeditions. But despite being a complete tyro on polar travel and like Scott who never learned anything from the Discovery Expedition, Shackleton came to within 100 miles of the geographic South Pole on the Nimrod expedition. Had he taken Nansen’s advice and used dogs (and learned to ski), he would have made it as both Nansen and Amundsen averred.
Shackleton’s expeditions were always hastily and poorly planned and as emphasized in the book he had no interest in acquiring the necessary skills for travel and survival in the polar regions. His entire motive was for fame and fortune and the Antarctic by chance ended up being the means to attain, unlike the other famous explorers at that time where their goals were their passion.
Shackleton apparently had the compelling and captivating personality of a cult leader who had his devoted acolytes and could get private parties to make large contributions. In the crisis situations he was without a doubt a great leader. However he had dubious ethics when trying to raise funds for his expeditions as well as in his personal life. He for the most part abandoned his wife and children and like most if not all famous men had his extramarital affairs.
The author, Roland Huntford, has written what is in my opinion the best book ever on the Antarctic, “The Last Place on Earth”, on the race to the South Pole between Scott and Amundsen. This book is a close second.
Shackleton was both the toughest man who ever lived and the luckiest. Also the most reckless. He barely escaped with his life on the Discovery, Nimrod and Endurance expeditions. But despite being a complete tyro on polar travel and like Scott who never learned anything from the Discovery Expedition, Shackleton came to within 100 miles of the geographic South Pole on the Nimrod expedition. Had he taken Nansen’s advice and used dogs (and learned to ski), he would have made it as both Nansen and Amundsen averred.
Shackleton’s expeditions were always hastily and poorly planned and as emphasized in the book he had no interest in acquiring the necessary skills for travel and survival in the polar regions. His entire motive was for fame and fortune and the Antarctic by chance ended up being the means to attain, unlike the other famous explorers at that time where their goals were their passion.
Shackleton apparently had the compelling and captivating personality of a cult leader who had his devoted acolytes and could get private parties to make large contributions. In the crisis situations he was without a doubt a great leader. However he had dubious ethics when trying to raise funds for his expeditions as well as in his personal life. He for the most part abandoned his wife and children and like most if not all famous men had his extramarital affairs.
The author, Roland Huntford, has written what is in my opinion the best book ever on the Antarctic, “The Last Place on Earth”, on the race to the South Pole between Scott and Amundsen. This book is a close second.
August 11, 2023
OMG but this is a long book.
I had probably had enough Shackleton in my life with Lansing's marvelous "Endurance". But a friend of mine thought this extensive biography of Shackleton was wonderful, and lent me the book.
Did I say extensive? Also kind of depressing - while Lansing concentrates on the superhuman leadership of Shackleton in the Endurance episode, the Huntford biography takes his life - part hustler, always in debt, womanizer, and seeker of glory - step by step. It does put a pall on his tremendous role in saving all his men and going across 800 miles of Arctic ocean in a small wooden boat. One is left with the grim thought that he was sailing out for another polar trip as the world was going to war - and he was disappointed in the lack of interest when he returned. People were too busy dying in the fields of France.
Only for the VERY interested, but certainly a work of real scholarship.
I had probably had enough Shackleton in my life with Lansing's marvelous "Endurance". But a friend of mine thought this extensive biography of Shackleton was wonderful, and lent me the book.
Did I say extensive? Also kind of depressing - while Lansing concentrates on the superhuman leadership of Shackleton in the Endurance episode, the Huntford biography takes his life - part hustler, always in debt, womanizer, and seeker of glory - step by step. It does put a pall on his tremendous role in saving all his men and going across 800 miles of Arctic ocean in a small wooden boat. One is left with the grim thought that he was sailing out for another polar trip as the world was going to war - and he was disappointed in the lack of interest when he returned. People were too busy dying in the fields of France.
Only for the VERY interested, but certainly a work of real scholarship.
September 16, 2020
A highly interesting biography of Sir Ernest Shackleton, I didn't know a great deal about the man Shackleton was before reading this book, despite reading several books on the Endurance expedition. I really found the extensive use of diaries and letters by those involved in Shackleton's life very useful in understanding the man better.
Huntford treats Shackleton as an ordinary man with faults, like any human even though it is very clear that he greatly admires Shackleton. I especially enjoyed the sections about Shackleton's involvement in the Discovery expedition and his conflict with Scott. Even though I had read about the Endurance expedition before, I still discovered things I had not previously know.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Sir Ernest Shackleton and his expeditions.
Huntford treats Shackleton as an ordinary man with faults, like any human even though it is very clear that he greatly admires Shackleton. I especially enjoyed the sections about Shackleton's involvement in the Discovery expedition and his conflict with Scott. Even though I had read about the Endurance expedition before, I still discovered things I had not previously know.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Sir Ernest Shackleton and his expeditions.
May 11, 2021
Ernest Shackleton shared with Robert Falcon Scott the stage of the heroic British explorations of the Antarctic at the start of the 20th century. Shackleton excelled as an outstanding leader of men, who led the Endurance party out of the jaws of Death with the unbelievable open boat journey from Elephant Island to South Georgia. of But still, as Huntford rightly points out, both were glorious failures. Why neither Shackleton nor Scott learned from the great Norwegian explorers, especially Nansen, to use sledge dogs and ski's is unfathomable. It probably cost Shackleton, and certainly Scott, the prize of First to the South Pole, won by Amundsen, on his ski's.
It is a fascinating book aided with maps and photo's. It demonstrates the different sides of the Shackleton personality, especially his ability to support and use the skills of subordinates. The prime example being the case of the superb navigation skills of Frank Worsley, who successfully guided them to South Georgia in a 22 feet open boat. That is the skill that sets Shackleton apart.
It is a fascinating book aided with maps and photo's. It demonstrates the different sides of the Shackleton personality, especially his ability to support and use the skills of subordinates. The prime example being the case of the superb navigation skills of Frank Worsley, who successfully guided them to South Georgia in a 22 feet open boat. That is the skill that sets Shackleton apart.
February 3, 2008
Ernest Shackleton was one tough SOB! His life and specifically his explorations on the ice are nothing short of inspiring and humbling. All the words one would associate with a great explorer facing desperate situations in an extremely harsh environment apply to him (well, maybe except "prepared"). The book does a nice job discussing a lot of the side characters that were important to (Wild, for example). This is also a great example of how a great leader can inspire people to do things they might not have been able to do on their own.
The book itself is OK. I really didn't like the authors (over) use of quotes and diary entries; almost felt like I was reading two books a the same time. At times the quotes were indeed necessary for describing the direness of the situation on the ice. At other times they were just boring. Even so, a well researched book, and the author deserves credit for his hard work.
The book itself is OK. I really didn't like the authors (over) use of quotes and diary entries; almost felt like I was reading two books a the same time. At times the quotes were indeed necessary for describing the direness of the situation on the ice. At other times they were just boring. Even so, a well researched book, and the author deserves credit for his hard work.
November 15, 2022
It was good, but oooff it was long. Huntford obviously has an agenda too, which isn't necessarily unique among biographers, but it's especially noticeable here. Either way, it provides good context and background on the man made famous by Endurance.
February 26, 2022
Superb biography of a man born after his time, when most of the world -certainly the British part of it- was turning away from private enterprise and exploration; when being out of favour with the wrong people could mean life-risking delays; when loyalty was all... but so was money.
This is probably the second best polar exploration historical biography I've read, with only Apsley Cherry-Garrard's The Worst Journey in the World bettering it for gripping accounts of the hardship and sheer tenacity a very few of capable of enduring and exhibiting. But it's by no means a slavishly admiring account - Huntford lists Shackleton's notable faults alongside the much more commendable sides of his huge character, giving a relatively balanced, often nuanced portrayal. (Fully paid-up members of the Scott Legend, though, possibly need not apply - like in his preceding Scott and Amundsen biography, Huntford gives the British explorer short shrift in Shackleton, exhibiting him as a jealous, paranoid, and prideful fool.)
Highly recommended if you have any interest in the subject matter.
This is probably the second best polar exploration historical biography I've read, with only Apsley Cherry-Garrard's The Worst Journey in the World bettering it for gripping accounts of the hardship and sheer tenacity a very few of capable of enduring and exhibiting. But it's by no means a slavishly admiring account - Huntford lists Shackleton's notable faults alongside the much more commendable sides of his huge character, giving a relatively balanced, often nuanced portrayal. (Fully paid-up members of the Scott Legend, though, possibly need not apply - like in his preceding Scott and Amundsen biography, Huntford gives the British explorer short shrift in Shackleton, exhibiting him as a jealous, paranoid, and prideful fool.)
Highly recommended if you have any interest in the subject matter.
March 14, 2016
A bit of an epic. Those Edwardian Ice explorers were all real amateurs compared to the well planned, well equipped professional explorers from Norway. Still Shakleton was quite a character and although I suspect that his exaggeration and bragging would be wearing, I would probably fall victim to his blarney and of all the Brits, Shakleton would be the man you would want to look after your back. It was quite a read and enlightened my knowledge of the three and a bit expeditions that he went on, all of which I have read about in other books.
March 31, 2016
Very detailed book that as with all of this author's books leaves you with a very clear picture of Shackleton the man, not the hero he has been made to be. As opposed to author's Scott biography, however, Shackleton doesn't really disappoint even though his flaws are very obvious. Like Scott, he is portrayed as a product of his heritage, which, aren't we all? Great book for a reader who prefers real life to myth in the realm of polar exploration.
November 30, 2014
This is the second book of Roland Huntford's that I have read, and while he is quite irreverent, it is clear that he respects Sir Ernest Shackleton. Shackleton was one of the greatest polar explorers and leaders our world has ever known. His life shows how much force of character and determination can do.
March 5, 2012
An interesting and easy read. Pace and detail keep you absorbed. The anti-Scott rhetoric is very tiring and devalues the historical balance of the book. Makes this reader question Huntford's professional assessment of the events and characters. Pity...
June 30, 2021
Ice - lots of ice; cold, bitter cold - same; hunger, thirst - sure throw them in too; periods of utter desperation, and impending doom; even throw in some scurvy and mental illness…rinse and repeat.
This is basically the recipe for what seems like the majority of this bio - a less than riveting account of Shackleton’s Antarctic expeditions, including the famous Endurance expedition. Not to say that those expeditions were NOT riveting, it’s just that reading about them in this book was not.
While Shackleton was certainly a great leader, a charmer, and a heroic and brave figure during stressful and dangerous times, this book did not completely make the case that he should be an acclaimed historical figure.
While being both lucky and courageous, he was almost certainly the most incautious explorer at the time, barely escaping death several times, and refusing to learn by experience and other countries’ methods. While some of his strengths are admirable to some degree, his other faults (his friends said he had no vices, only faults) such as infidelity, poor planning, arrogance, and a tendency to not pay his debts would seem to overshadow whatever wonderful qualities he had.
He’s basically famous for failing at polar exploration, and then surviving his failures. And the irony here is that it appears (from this biographer) that he didn’t care much for polar exploration that much, if at all. He (Shackleton) simply wanted to be famous for doing ‘something’ (and make a ton of money while doing it), and if it could have been juggling apples, that might have done it for him. He never made scientific discovery a priority, nor did he have any focus other than ‘being first’ at accomplishing whatever target he set.
So, interesting to a less than overwhelming degree, the bio failed to make a case for lionizing this particular explorer.
This is basically the recipe for what seems like the majority of this bio - a less than riveting account of Shackleton’s Antarctic expeditions, including the famous Endurance expedition. Not to say that those expeditions were NOT riveting, it’s just that reading about them in this book was not.
While Shackleton was certainly a great leader, a charmer, and a heroic and brave figure during stressful and dangerous times, this book did not completely make the case that he should be an acclaimed historical figure.
While being both lucky and courageous, he was almost certainly the most incautious explorer at the time, barely escaping death several times, and refusing to learn by experience and other countries’ methods. While some of his strengths are admirable to some degree, his other faults (his friends said he had no vices, only faults) such as infidelity, poor planning, arrogance, and a tendency to not pay his debts would seem to overshadow whatever wonderful qualities he had.
He’s basically famous for failing at polar exploration, and then surviving his failures. And the irony here is that it appears (from this biographer) that he didn’t care much for polar exploration that much, if at all. He (Shackleton) simply wanted to be famous for doing ‘something’ (and make a ton of money while doing it), and if it could have been juggling apples, that might have done it for him. He never made scientific discovery a priority, nor did he have any focus other than ‘being first’ at accomplishing whatever target he set.
So, interesting to a less than overwhelming degree, the bio failed to make a case for lionizing this particular explorer.
November 22, 2025
What a story. The author did a great job capturing the remarkable journeys of Shackleton (especially the last one on the Endurance), weaving together excerpts from crew journals and his deep knowledge of Antarctic exploration. (I also enjoyed the near-continual roasting of the ignorance of Shackleton and other people from the UK, as they arrogantly dismissed the power of skiing in polar exploration and took forever to realize dogs are important, too -- even bringing horses on one trip instead!)
It's truly astounding what Shackleton did to survive and lead his men to safety, and a heck of a tale.
There are weird things about the book, too -- the author's attitude toward Shackleton's extramarital affairs is bizarre and jarring, and the author attributes a lot to nationality (much of what Shackleton did was, apparently, primarily because he was Irish).
I didn't love that, but the book was still a great accomplishment and I'm very glad to know more about the incredible details of Shackleton's epic adventure.
It's truly astounding what Shackleton did to survive and lead his men to safety, and a heck of a tale.
There are weird things about the book, too -- the author's attitude toward Shackleton's extramarital affairs is bizarre and jarring, and the author attributes a lot to nationality (much of what Shackleton did was, apparently, primarily because he was Irish).
I didn't love that, but the book was still a great accomplishment and I'm very glad to know more about the incredible details of Shackleton's epic adventure.
July 12, 2025
What a story! And Huntford is an excellent storyteller. I got interested in Shackleton because of one of Eliot's footnotes to "The Waste Land" and I'm simply in awe of the man. Huntford does a first rate job of showing how this aura hangs over Shackleton even though he was never successful in his big goals, most notably getting to the South Pole first. But he never lost a man, and what he went through, particularly with the story of the expedition with his boat 'Endurance' is like something out of a fable or Hollywood. Shackleton never had the cool, calculating brilliance of Amundsen that made the Scandinavian so successful, but Shackleton obviously had some capacity for leadership that has rarely been matched. The details are just outrageous: Shackleton getting to Antarctica and taking off with Mongolian ponies and a pile of cocaine is one that will stay with me forever.
I've no doubt Huntford's other books are great, too, but this one is a memorable biography.
I've no doubt Huntford's other books are great, too, but this one is a memorable biography.
December 31, 2022
Comprehensive, colourful and controversial.
Huntford presents one of the largest and most detailed biographies of Shackleton. The writing is colourful and maintains structure to help the reader. This isn't necessarily an easy thing to do with Shackleton as their are many different phases to his life with many different schemes and ventures. The Antartic portions are the most gripping in my opinion.
The quality and vividness of the writing maintains the five-star rating, despite some genuine concerns about some of Huntford's interpretations and methodology. I've since found out that Huntford is a known Scott critic. This surfaces most vividly in other works but does seep into this book too when Scott is present. It's good to be wary of this before one accepts uncritically Huntford's elevation of Shackleton and subsequent critiques of Scott.
Huntford presents one of the largest and most detailed biographies of Shackleton. The writing is colourful and maintains structure to help the reader. This isn't necessarily an easy thing to do with Shackleton as their are many different phases to his life with many different schemes and ventures. The Antartic portions are the most gripping in my opinion.
The quality and vividness of the writing maintains the five-star rating, despite some genuine concerns about some of Huntford's interpretations and methodology. I've since found out that Huntford is a known Scott critic. This surfaces most vividly in other works but does seep into this book too when Scott is present. It's good to be wary of this before one accepts uncritically Huntford's elevation of Shackleton and subsequent critiques of Scott.
February 21, 2018
This book is well-researched and well-written. Being a biography it is at times tedious in some non-expedition details (Shackleton's financial & romantic affairs). However, in my view, these details only enhnace the suspense. And that's what's amazing about this story; you know the outcome. Yet the tale is still gripping. If you are interested both early 20th century & Antarctic history, you should not pass over this Biography.
August 11, 2024
As you can see, it took me even longer than the endurance campaign to read this book but it is not a problem as one can read it in chapters related to his expeditions. I found it at Leakey's Bookshop In Inverness together with an older version from the 50s. Nevertheless, I think it is a remarkable biography of an Antarctic explorer ahead of his time. In his hut from the Nimrod expedition a whiskey was found and rebuilt still available under the name Shackleton which can strongly recommend while reading this book.
September 14, 2024
"You don't know who said that," he affirmed.
"No, I don't know who said that."
"Well, Shackleton said it."
"That explorer-man?" I asked. "He must be a man of parts. I never knew he was a poet."
Again he turned on me. "Then why the devil do you think he became an explorer?"
I can't remember when my eyes were more completely opened.
"No, I don't know who said that."
"Well, Shackleton said it."
"That explorer-man?" I asked. "He must be a man of parts. I never knew he was a poet."
Again he turned on me. "Then why the devil do you think he became an explorer?"
I can't remember when my eyes were more completely opened.
July 5, 2018
While it took me sometime to get thru this book, I enjoyed it. Shackleton was flawed, but was a great leader of men. He felt personally responsible for his teammates/crew under him. This leadership skill is unfortunately lacking in today's world. recommended!
January 21, 2019
This was a masterful biography, which happens to contain the most amazing tale of leadership in the face of adversity. As Huntford states in his book, if we knew this story we'd be exclaiming 'Great Shack!' instead of 'Great Scott!' when we were surprised by magnificence.
January 27, 2019
The epitome of one who works better under pressure! Based on this account, it seemed Shackleton’s many character flaws led to deep unhappiness and a need for escapism. He was a tragic failure in most areas of his life but as is well known his leadership in dire circumstances was incredible.
June 4, 2020
The definitive biography on the legendary Antarctic explorer. Roland Huntford tells this 700-page story by constantly quoting passages of diaries and personal notes of the several characters involved in Shackleton’s expeditions. This gives a sense of the tremendous amount of work Huntford had to gather and coordinate all standpoints in a single narrative. The details laid out seem excessive, though. Shackleton was no doubt a very important character in polar exploration. Yet he entered History due to his impressive acts of heroism rather than for achieving his goals.
December 2, 2020
Yet another heavily researched and well written tome from Huntford. He is not without his detractors because he challenged the English hero Scott's reputation, but my goodness he's a page turner. Loved it!
November 17, 2023
I remember reading a paragraph in a museum about the Endurance expedition and being amazed. That was just a fraction of the story. The history here is interesting for enthusiasts, but the story of the Endurance told in detail here is just absolutely thrilling. I couldn't put it down.
December 4, 2017
A remarakable account of a man ill prepared for the adventures ahead of him!
January 15, 2019
I've read some about Shackleton and the Endurance, but this book goes into detail, and talks about the man, his debts, his family, and the time between adventures.
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