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Elephant Island and Beyond: The Life and Diaries of Thomas Orde Lees
Orde Lees was probably the least popular and most criticised man involved in Shackleton's Endurance adventure. His diaries have often been plundered for much of the detail of life on board the ship and on the ice but the part he played in keeping the men alive has not been recognised. His journal has never before been published and this book is a long overdue testament to a much misunderstood man, with fascinating details of his later life.
- GenresNonfiction
352 pages, Hardcover
First published May 20, 2003
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August 15, 2026
A fascinating look at a misunderstood man. This book features excerpts from Lees' ITAE diary and fills in the gaps of his life before and after the expedition. I particularly enjoyed the rare photographs of Lees and his family. Anyone interested in the ITAE must read Lees' complete diary. You can read most of it (in two parts) here: https://www.shackletonsway.com/endura.... The other diaries are held by Dartmouth College and are available online too, but have not been transcribed.
Lees is almost always cast as the villain of the Endurance expedition. As Thomson notes, authors have never hesitated to make fun of Lees while at the same time relying heavily on his diaries for information to use in their books and papers. While Lees was undoubtedly snobby and awkward, his diaries show a tremendous amount of personal growth during his years in the Antarctic. He obviously cared a great deal about the crew's well-being, and his meticulous storekeeping was essential to the men's comfort and ultimately, survival.
Shackleton recognized the value of Lees’ devotion to his diary. Before sailing on the James Caird, Shackleton left instructions that in the event of his death, the official expedition account should be written by Frank Wild, Frank Hurley… and Lees! Sadly it appears that the diary was not really used in the composition of the official account. “South” is good, but not great, and would have been much better if Lees’ commentary had been utilized.
I keep coming back to the diary entries where he reflected on prior polar expeditions and their sometimes-deadly outcomes. Lees was justifiably anxious about the situation well before the Endurance sank. I feel sympathy for him, particularly when he repeatedly begged Frank Wild to stockpile food on Elephant Island per Shackleton’s orders. Wild didn’t want to make it seem like he doubted a rescue, but the truth is that they were almost out of food when Shackleton arrived to save them.
Lees' obsession with doing the right thing was not limited to the ITAE. After returning to England and becoming a parachutist, he focused his efforts on promoting parachutes for military pilots, which were not yet standard issue. He also taught women how to parachute and was asked to leave the military because of it.
Today Lees might be described as a weeaboo. He was fascinated with Japanese culture and had a tendency to run everywhere purely for the sake of efficiency. Then there are the bicycle antics! But as he wrote in his diary: “…who had not their own idiosyncrasies when one comes to examine oneself… we all do some queer little things peculiarly our own.”
Thomson points out that “several writers have hyphenated Orde and Lees; he himself never did.” The least we can do is to write his name correctly, and this is just one of many important pieces of information in a wonderful book.
Lees is almost always cast as the villain of the Endurance expedition. As Thomson notes, authors have never hesitated to make fun of Lees while at the same time relying heavily on his diaries for information to use in their books and papers. While Lees was undoubtedly snobby and awkward, his diaries show a tremendous amount of personal growth during his years in the Antarctic. He obviously cared a great deal about the crew's well-being, and his meticulous storekeeping was essential to the men's comfort and ultimately, survival.
Shackleton recognized the value of Lees’ devotion to his diary. Before sailing on the James Caird, Shackleton left instructions that in the event of his death, the official expedition account should be written by Frank Wild, Frank Hurley… and Lees! Sadly it appears that the diary was not really used in the composition of the official account. “South” is good, but not great, and would have been much better if Lees’ commentary had been utilized.
I keep coming back to the diary entries where he reflected on prior polar expeditions and their sometimes-deadly outcomes. Lees was justifiably anxious about the situation well before the Endurance sank. I feel sympathy for him, particularly when he repeatedly begged Frank Wild to stockpile food on Elephant Island per Shackleton’s orders. Wild didn’t want to make it seem like he doubted a rescue, but the truth is that they were almost out of food when Shackleton arrived to save them.
Lees' obsession with doing the right thing was not limited to the ITAE. After returning to England and becoming a parachutist, he focused his efforts on promoting parachutes for military pilots, which were not yet standard issue. He also taught women how to parachute and was asked to leave the military because of it.
Today Lees might be described as a weeaboo. He was fascinated with Japanese culture and had a tendency to run everywhere purely for the sake of efficiency. Then there are the bicycle antics! But as he wrote in his diary: “…who had not their own idiosyncrasies when one comes to examine oneself… we all do some queer little things peculiarly our own.”
Thomson points out that “several writers have hyphenated Orde and Lees; he himself never did.” The least we can do is to write his name correctly, and this is just one of many important pieces of information in a wonderful book.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review