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"The White South" is a story of the sea and of the vast Antarctic icefields. The great whaling factory ship Southern Cross, of more than 20,000 tons, is caught and crushed in the deadly embrace of the polar ice, and five hundred men face death in the frozen wastes of the Antarctic. News that the ship had been abandoned was the last message to reach the outside world - and then came silence. The impenetrable barrier of the ice had closed around the Southern Cross and her men, the rescue ships were forced to return to base, and all hope was abandoned.
It was a disaster that caused a nine-day wonder in the flaring headlines of the world's newspapers, and then quietly faded out. But the story was not ended. As the whaling stations of South Georgia were preparing to close down for the long, dark Antarctic winter, two battered lifeboats sailed into harbour...
Those are the bare facts. But though modern methods and equipment have made whaling big business, the human element remains. And it was human conflict that was the cause of the disaster. "The White South" is the story behind this tragedy.
This is the epic story of the indomitable courage and endurance of a handful of English and Norwegians plunged through unforeseen circumstances into a fight with the pitiless forces of nature in the frozen South.
It was a disaster that caused a nine-day wonder in the flaring headlines of the world's newspapers, and then quietly faded out. But the story was not ended. As the whaling stations of South Georgia were preparing to close down for the long, dark Antarctic winter, two battered lifeboats sailed into harbour...
Those are the bare facts. But though modern methods and equipment have made whaling big business, the human element remains. And it was human conflict that was the cause of the disaster. "The White South" is the story behind this tragedy.
This is the epic story of the indomitable courage and endurance of a handful of English and Norwegians plunged through unforeseen circumstances into a fight with the pitiless forces of nature in the frozen South.
247 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1949
14 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
About the author
Hammond Innes
134 books106 followersRalph Hammond Innes was an English novelist who wrote over 30 novels, as well as children's and travel books.He was awarded a C.B.E. (Commander, Order of the British Empire) in 1978. The World Mystery Convention honoured Innes with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bouchercon XXIV awards in Omaha, Nebraska, Oct, 1993.
Innes was born in Horsham, Sussex, and educated at the Cranbrook School in Kent. He left in 1931 to work as a journalist, initially with the Financial Times (at the time called the Financial News). The Doppelganger, his first novel, was published in 1937. In WWII he served in the Royal Artillery, eventually rising to the rank of Major. During the war, a number of his books were published, including Wreckers Must Breathe (1940), The Trojan Horse (1941) and Attack Alarm (1941); the last of which was based on his experiences as an anti-aircraft gunner during the Battle of Britain at RAF Kenley. After being discharged in 1946, he worked full-time as a writer, achieving a number of early successes.
His novels are notable for a fine attention to accurate detail in descriptions of places, such as in Air Bridge (1951), set partially at RAF Gatow, RAF Membury after its closure and RAF Wunstorf during the Berlin Airlift.
Innes went on to produce books in a regular sequence, with six months of travel and research followed by six months of writing. Many of his works featured events at sea. His output decreased in the 1960s, but was still substantial. He became interested in ecological themes. He continued writing until just before his death. His last novel was Delta Connection (1996).
Unusually for the thriller genre, Innes' protagonists were often not "heroes" in the typical sense, but ordinary men suddenly thrust into extreme situations by circumstance. Often, this involved being placed in a hostile environment (the Arctic, the open sea, deserts), or unwittingly becoming involved in a larger conflict or conspiracy. The protagonist generally is forced to rely on his own wits and making best use of limited resources, rather than the weapons and gadgetry commonly used by thriller writers.
Four of his early novels were made into films: Snowbound (1948)from The Lonely Skier (1947), Hell Below Zero (1954) from The White South (1949), Campbell's Kingdom (1957), and The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959). His 1973 novel Golden Soak was adapted into a six-part television series in 1979.
Innes was born in Horsham, Sussex, and educated at the Cranbrook School in Kent. He left in 1931 to work as a journalist, initially with the Financial Times (at the time called the Financial News). The Doppelganger, his first novel, was published in 1937. In WWII he served in the Royal Artillery, eventually rising to the rank of Major. During the war, a number of his books were published, including Wreckers Must Breathe (1940), The Trojan Horse (1941) and Attack Alarm (1941); the last of which was based on his experiences as an anti-aircraft gunner during the Battle of Britain at RAF Kenley. After being discharged in 1946, he worked full-time as a writer, achieving a number of early successes.
His novels are notable for a fine attention to accurate detail in descriptions of places, such as in Air Bridge (1951), set partially at RAF Gatow, RAF Membury after its closure and RAF Wunstorf during the Berlin Airlift.
Innes went on to produce books in a regular sequence, with six months of travel and research followed by six months of writing. Many of his works featured events at sea. His output decreased in the 1960s, but was still substantial. He became interested in ecological themes. He continued writing until just before his death. His last novel was Delta Connection (1996).
Unusually for the thriller genre, Innes' protagonists were often not "heroes" in the typical sense, but ordinary men suddenly thrust into extreme situations by circumstance. Often, this involved being placed in a hostile environment (the Arctic, the open sea, deserts), or unwittingly becoming involved in a larger conflict or conspiracy. The protagonist generally is forced to rely on his own wits and making best use of limited resources, rather than the weapons and gadgetry commonly used by thriller writers.
Four of his early novels were made into films: Snowbound (1948)from The Lonely Skier (1947), Hell Below Zero (1954) from The White South (1949), Campbell's Kingdom (1957), and The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959). His 1973 novel Golden Soak was adapted into a six-part television series in 1979.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 3, 2019
Capetown, Feb 10
Reuter: SOS received from factory ship 'Southern Cross'
Ship is caught in ice in Weddell Sea and in danger of being crushed.
Norwegian factory ship 'Haakon'
400 miles from position of 'Southern Cross'
going to rescue.
Reuter 0713
Maybe not as well known today as Alistair MacLean or Douglass Reeman, but Hammond Innes is just as good as these two, especially when he writes about the sea, like here. Written soon after the end of the second world war, this thriller features Duncan Craig as the reluctant hero. A former corvette captain, currently working as a clerk and pining for the sea. When he decides to move to South Africa, he may get his wishes fulfilled, and then some, as he is hired to help a beleaguered whaling company owner and his daughter reunite with a stranded ship in the Antarctic.
By midday more than 150 million people knew that a ship of 22000 tons belonging to a British whaling company was locked in the grip of the Antarctic ice and was being slowly crushed. As they sat at their desks or worked in their factories they were secretly thrilled at the thought of over 400 men face to face with death in the pitiless, frozen wastes of the Antarctic.
As a couch potato traveler myself, I find reading about dangers and hardships in extreme cold weather to be more enjoyable than the real thing. One of my favorite childhood reads was the account of Fridjtof Nansen attempt to drift in a wooden ship over to the North Pole. More recently I was fascinated by the epic of the failed Shackleton expedition, something Innes also acknowledges in his thriller:
"It's like it was in the summer of 1914 when Shackleton came down here in the 'Endurance' "
I loved almost everything about this novel, from the descriptions of the southern wastes, to the gory details of industrial whaling ( The 'Southern Cross' was a well-stocked, well populated factory town. ), the complex and well fleshed out plot, the surprising and slightly forced inclusion of a romantic interest for Duncan. Most of all I liked the human factor, the byplay between principles and greed, survival of the most ruthless versus victory through team work.
Human relationships are queer. Have you ever thought what a thin veneer our civilisation is? It's little more than a code of manners, concealing the primitive.
also,
In your world, right is right and wrong is wrong. But there's another world where it's a free-for-all and devil take the hindermost. You're in that other world now.
Hammond Innes may be uneven in his output, with some of his later thrillers being in particular filled with cartoon characters and thin plots designed to highlight his conservationist interests, but this early Antarctic adventure is one of his best.
April 27, 2017
GR calls this 'a terrific tale of Antarctic adventure' and they are spot on. Innes delivers another hold your breath, hurry up and get to the next page story with this book about what happens to Duncan Craig when he decides to give up his clerking job in London and move to South Africa. Be careful when you wish for a more exciting life, you just might get it!
A promised job disappears, but the people Craig had traveled with offer him a short-term assignment with their fleet of ships that are out hunting whale. Only this fleet has had some serious trouble, and there is something fishy in the messages the Big Boss has been receiving. One ship is trapped in the ice, crewmen on other ships are fighting amongst themselves and against the Big Boss's son, who has had a stormy relationship with the fleet commander, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
Craig commanded a corvette in the Navy during WWII but he had never been on a whaling expedition, and the things he learns about this gruesome business during the first days after he gets to the fleet were eye-opening for us both, and the most sickening part of the book. A stinking factory ship, catchers, towers, hunters, exploding harpoons: the section about the whale hunt and the slaughter involved was gruesomely realistic and made me ashamed to be a human being.
Luckily we get past this part quickly and sooner than you can say Call Me Ishmael we are trapped on the ice with all kinds of dramatic goings-on going on between a cast of characters that seemed so real I huddled under my blankets in sympathy for their suffering.
But there was one detail (besides the whale killing scene) that annoyed me. I know there are ways for an author to give clues about what is going to happen soon, but Innes completely spoiled the final, Only Hope For Everyone trek over the ice made by Craig and two others during the last chapter. He has Craig give away certain details before he starts telling the story of that journey, ruining the suspense. One little unnecessary phrase inserted into a sentence, who would think it could give it all away?!
But even with these complaints, I really liked the story. And I'm still feeling the cold of Antarctica. Think I'll get back under my blankets. And maybe read something set in a desert next!
A promised job disappears, but the people Craig had traveled with offer him a short-term assignment with their fleet of ships that are out hunting whale. Only this fleet has had some serious trouble, and there is something fishy in the messages the Big Boss has been receiving. One ship is trapped in the ice, crewmen on other ships are fighting amongst themselves and against the Big Boss's son, who has had a stormy relationship with the fleet commander, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
Craig commanded a corvette in the Navy during WWII but he had never been on a whaling expedition, and the things he learns about this gruesome business during the first days after he gets to the fleet were eye-opening for us both, and the most sickening part of the book. A stinking factory ship, catchers, towers, hunters, exploding harpoons: the section about the whale hunt and the slaughter involved was gruesomely realistic and made me ashamed to be a human being.
Luckily we get past this part quickly and sooner than you can say Call Me Ishmael we are trapped on the ice with all kinds of dramatic goings-on going on between a cast of characters that seemed so real I huddled under my blankets in sympathy for their suffering.
But there was one detail (besides the whale killing scene) that annoyed me. I know there are ways for an author to give clues about what is going to happen soon, but Innes completely spoiled the final, Only Hope For Everyone trek over the ice made by Craig and two others during the last chapter. He has Craig give away certain details before he starts telling the story of that journey, ruining the suspense. One little unnecessary phrase inserted into a sentence, who would think it could give it all away?!
But even with these complaints, I really liked the story. And I'm still feeling the cold of Antarctica. Think I'll get back under my blankets. And maybe read something set in a desert next!
January 7, 2021
3.5 - decent adventure novel - intelligent observations - yet: the real-life stories, such as (my five stars - highly recommended) The Worst journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard, offer much deeper thrills.
January 17, 2020
Concluding his novels was never among Hammond Innes' greatest strengths. Too often, he simply provided a summary resolution with a bit too much happiness and no lasting edge to them. That is usually alright, however, because it's the process in reading an Innes novel that rewards the reader, not the conclusion. Yet it's a pity in the case of The White South. But for the cheery, upbeat ending that is out of synch with the rest of the book, Innes was on the verge of completing a work of literature, instead of mere fiction. Again, a pity. But for a still struggling author trying to make a paying career out of his writing, which Innes was at the time, it's understandable.
Innes did have talent. Serious talent. And it's on display, here. I've never thought I could care much for a story set in the Antarctic. But Innes proved me wrong. Usually, I prefer adventure stories set in the South Seas, South East Asia, South America, or the deserts of North Africa. But it's because I like the latter of those places that I became drawn to The White South. Why? Because Innes creates a desert landscape in that frozen land. In place of desert thirst and a burning sun, there is starvation and brutal cold. Still, the key to survival in both Antarctica and the great deserts is the same--endurance, intelligence, commitment, and luck. And so it will be with Duncan Craig in this story. Had but the author made a more Conradian solution to his ending, it would have been so much better.
Innes did have talent. Serious talent. And it's on display, here. I've never thought I could care much for a story set in the Antarctic. But Innes proved me wrong. Usually, I prefer adventure stories set in the South Seas, South East Asia, South America, or the deserts of North Africa. But it's because I like the latter of those places that I became drawn to The White South. Why? Because Innes creates a desert landscape in that frozen land. In place of desert thirst and a burning sun, there is starvation and brutal cold. Still, the key to survival in both Antarctica and the great deserts is the same--endurance, intelligence, commitment, and luck. And so it will be with Duncan Craig in this story. Had but the author made a more Conradian solution to his ending, it would have been so much better.
August 14, 2025
A harrowing tale of ship-wreck and survival in the Antarctica beyond one’s imagination. The clarity of perception is such, it feels one is literally transported to the the unending floes, mountainous ice bergs blasting away the floes, perpetual darkness, blinding ice and sun, blizzards and hail and winds freezing the very breath of man and slicing away skin along with hope to see another day, starvation, betrayal, even murder. The unforgiving white south takes away the last ray of hope where man desperately wants to embrace death to escape the inhumane cruelty of nature. Unputdownable!
January 10, 2018
Sometimes I just want an old fashioned adventure novel, and sometimes when I do I turn to English author Hammond Innes. This is because I'm an explorer at heart. Innes himself likes to explore, and often spent 6 months travelling before spending 6 months writing a novel. His novels are often set in the far corners of the British Empire, and the locations are wonderfully described. His main characters are usually the same - competent and resourceful, but ordinary - and I feel I can relate to that. All of this characters are rather cliched and vary little from one novel to another, but that's forgivable, I think.
Something else I find interesting about Innes books is that many of them take place in the years right after the second world war. Innes paints a picture of a wild-west kind of world, filled with ex-soldiers looking to make names or fortunes for themselves in the civilian world. And hidden in this world are many people who fared less well in the war - not nazis, but English, Swedes, Italians who were perhaps collaborators, or cowardly, or got up to something less than noble. These people often show up as antagonists or dark horses - and that's not something I'm used to seeing in fiction. Getting into the psyche of these people adds an interesting dimension.
The White South is about a shipping disaster in the antarctic pack ice. The second half of the book devotes itself to this environment and focuses largely on survival, but there's a twist - one of the characters in the group of survivors is strongly suspected of having murdered another member just before they became stranded. Duncan Craig, our narrator, finds himself thrust into the middle of this and must weigh his sense of justice against the desires of his crewmates in figuring out how best to survive.
The first half of the book introduces us to the characters, and in particular a web of four who have complex relations to one another. Colonel Bland is the chairman of the company and meets Craig on the journey south to be with the fleet. His son, Erik, has been placed in charge and is currently on the boat. Bernt Nordahl is Colonel Bland's old friend and second in command. He and Erik do not get along. We never actually meet this character, because he disappears from the ship before Craig and the others arrive. Lastly, there's Judy Bland, nee Nordahl, who is married to Erik Bland and daughter of Bernt Nordahl. She finds herself caught between these three men in the struggle for control over the business.
By the way, this book was made into a film in 1954 starring Alan Ladd - you can watch it on youtube. Apparently it features a lot of whaling - something that barely rears its head in the actual novel, except as a backdrop.
Recommended reading if you want a fun little old-fashioned adventure on the ice, with great scenery or a survival plot with a twist.
Not recommended if you're looking for character development, will object to the fact that a woman's looks are described before anything else, or want something that passes the Bechdel test.
Something else I find interesting about Innes books is that many of them take place in the years right after the second world war. Innes paints a picture of a wild-west kind of world, filled with ex-soldiers looking to make names or fortunes for themselves in the civilian world. And hidden in this world are many people who fared less well in the war - not nazis, but English, Swedes, Italians who were perhaps collaborators, or cowardly, or got up to something less than noble. These people often show up as antagonists or dark horses - and that's not something I'm used to seeing in fiction. Getting into the psyche of these people adds an interesting dimension.
The White South is about a shipping disaster in the antarctic pack ice. The second half of the book devotes itself to this environment and focuses largely on survival, but there's a twist - one of the characters in the group of survivors is strongly suspected of having murdered another member just before they became stranded. Duncan Craig, our narrator, finds himself thrust into the middle of this and must weigh his sense of justice against the desires of his crewmates in figuring out how best to survive.
The first half of the book introduces us to the characters, and in particular a web of four who have complex relations to one another. Colonel Bland is the chairman of the company and meets Craig on the journey south to be with the fleet. His son, Erik, has been placed in charge and is currently on the boat. Bernt Nordahl is Colonel Bland's old friend and second in command. He and Erik do not get along. We never actually meet this character, because he disappears from the ship before Craig and the others arrive. Lastly, there's Judy Bland, nee Nordahl, who is married to Erik Bland and daughter of Bernt Nordahl. She finds herself caught between these three men in the struggle for control over the business.
By the way, this book was made into a film in 1954 starring Alan Ladd - you can watch it on youtube. Apparently it features a lot of whaling - something that barely rears its head in the actual novel, except as a backdrop.
Recommended reading if you want a fun little old-fashioned adventure on the ice, with great scenery or a survival plot with a twist.
Not recommended if you're looking for character development, will object to the fact that a woman's looks are described before anything else, or want something that passes the Bechdel test.
March 13, 2014
Here's a tip: don't read this book when you're on an expedition to Antarctica!
I can't fault Innes's writing on ships. He knows his business. Although his characters are quite often cut from the same tropes, they are nonetheless entertaining and I come to expect it. But this book gets five stars for its sheer accuracy in detailing how an expedition can go deadly wrong. It's a sailors worst nightmare. Also not the sort of thing you should be reading when icebergs are knocking against your boat...
This was a first-class survival horror tale that is utterly believable and thus all the more terrifying. If you want to know what the worst fear of an Antarctic veteran is, do give this a read. I recall a particularly scary discussion with my expedition leader about the horrors of being trapped on an ice floe after reading this. Innes is the master of this genre.
I can't fault Innes's writing on ships. He knows his business. Although his characters are quite often cut from the same tropes, they are nonetheless entertaining and I come to expect it. But this book gets five stars for its sheer accuracy in detailing how an expedition can go deadly wrong. It's a sailors worst nightmare. Also not the sort of thing you should be reading when icebergs are knocking against your boat...
This was a first-class survival horror tale that is utterly believable and thus all the more terrifying. If you want to know what the worst fear of an Antarctic veteran is, do give this a read. I recall a particularly scary discussion with my expedition leader about the horrors of being trapped on an ice floe after reading this. Innes is the master of this genre.
July 17, 2021
This old suspense/thriller (from 1949) is action-packed. Duncan Craig joins The Southern Cross, part of a whaling convoy in the Antarctic, although he’s never done any whaling before. After a series of events, he’s stranded with part of the crew on a moving iceberg. As their food dwindles, the situation goes from bad to worse, mainly due to the antics of the son of The Southern Cross’s captain. The rapid-fire action and the character development are old-school but made this an enjoyable read. Even the romances are handled in an old-fashioned way. I enjoyed this quick read.
December 25, 2022
My first Innes but not my last, really enjoyed this bleak tale of surviving on floating icebergs in the Antarctic seas. The narrator is one of the survivors who was part of the whaling expedition that met such a nasty end. Though it wasn't all due to rough weather and bad luck, there is a killer in their midst as well and he will do anything to get away with his crimes.
Highly recommended, reminds me a bit of Alastair MacLean.
Highly recommended, reminds me a bit of Alastair MacLean.
February 9, 2013
The only way I can describe the experience of reading any Hammond Innes book is to say it feels like I'm reading a 1950's black & white movie. A very good black & white movie.
May 4, 2016
Engrossing tale of shipwreck and survival in the antarctic ocean.
December 13, 2024
Crikey, this is a visceral read. Hammond Innes is beginning to hit his stride now (I’m reading his books in chronological order). Former WWII Royal Navy Corvette Captain Duncan Craig will have regretted the day he threw in his safe London job on the half promise of work in South Africa. A pilot friend tells him he’s taking some whalers to South Africa and Craig manages to bum a lift on the plane with them. He hits it off with the boss of the whaling company (and Judie, the boss’s married daughter) but never dreams their paths will cross again. He is wrong. Work didn’t materialise as the gold mine went bust but, as bad luck would have it, the whaling company need a skipper for the ship to take them to join the Antarctic whaling fleet at the bottom of the world.
There follows the most magnificent description of whaling as viewed from the perspective of 1949. Ideally you need to get your harpoon embedded in the backbone. The past, as we know, is a different country but I doubt that anyone under the age of forty could credit this mighty industry had ever existed let alone be tough enough to read about its nauseating processes. Snowflakes! Speaking of which there are plenty of the wrong type encountered here. Expect a trigger warning on any new editions. It made me wonder if perhaps Greenpeace had a point. Alternatively, Peter Cooke’s succinct, “Save the bloody whale? All they do all day is float about in the sea sucking f****** plankton”. Feminists won’t be overly impressed either. Hammond Innes describes women using the stark language that he uses to evoke bad weather or a particularly angry leopard seal. Here he is on the superb Norwegian Gerda Petersen - a heroine of this tale:
…a chubby friendly face with a lot of fat flesh around the eyes and a nose that was almost flattened as though the Maker had forgotten about it until the last moment and then as an afterthought slapped on a little button of flesh without any bone.
Ouch. Of course, after the thrilling whaling sequences (explosive harpoons - kerpow!), things start to go wrong - badly wrong. Then get worse (and worse). And serve them blinking well right sensitivity readers might proclaim. What follows is a desperate struggle for survival on the shifting Antarctic ice that gradually depletes the surviving crew members who include the treacherous cause of all the trouble. He manages to divide the crew into rival factions redolent of the children in Lord of the Flies. Still, no treacherous bugger = no stories for MacLean, Innes or Bagley. Hammond Innes does not spare us the Shackletonian hardship to the extent that I almost felt guilty sitting in my armchair clutching a glass of whisky (no ice required) following Craig’s log of the perilous time stranded on a floe-berg (lots of new words for the behaviour of different types of ice and even something called ice-blink where areas of open water are reflected onto the clouds allowing navigation by means of a celestial camera obscura), a situation only marginally improved for them by their hitching a ride on a passing iceberg. Brutal, depressing - all those dead cetaceans - but rescued by the sheer bloody-mindedness of human spirit displayed by some.
I promise never to eat whale meat again.
There follows the most magnificent description of whaling as viewed from the perspective of 1949. Ideally you need to get your harpoon embedded in the backbone. The past, as we know, is a different country but I doubt that anyone under the age of forty could credit this mighty industry had ever existed let alone be tough enough to read about its nauseating processes. Snowflakes! Speaking of which there are plenty of the wrong type encountered here. Expect a trigger warning on any new editions. It made me wonder if perhaps Greenpeace had a point. Alternatively, Peter Cooke’s succinct, “Save the bloody whale? All they do all day is float about in the sea sucking f****** plankton”. Feminists won’t be overly impressed either. Hammond Innes describes women using the stark language that he uses to evoke bad weather or a particularly angry leopard seal. Here he is on the superb Norwegian Gerda Petersen - a heroine of this tale:
…a chubby friendly face with a lot of fat flesh around the eyes and a nose that was almost flattened as though the Maker had forgotten about it until the last moment and then as an afterthought slapped on a little button of flesh without any bone.
Ouch. Of course, after the thrilling whaling sequences (explosive harpoons - kerpow!), things start to go wrong - badly wrong. Then get worse (and worse). And serve them blinking well right sensitivity readers might proclaim. What follows is a desperate struggle for survival on the shifting Antarctic ice that gradually depletes the surviving crew members who include the treacherous cause of all the trouble. He manages to divide the crew into rival factions redolent of the children in Lord of the Flies. Still, no treacherous bugger = no stories for MacLean, Innes or Bagley. Hammond Innes does not spare us the Shackletonian hardship to the extent that I almost felt guilty sitting in my armchair clutching a glass of whisky (no ice required) following Craig’s log of the perilous time stranded on a floe-berg (lots of new words for the behaviour of different types of ice and even something called ice-blink where areas of open water are reflected onto the clouds allowing navigation by means of a celestial camera obscura), a situation only marginally improved for them by their hitching a ride on a passing iceberg. Brutal, depressing - all those dead cetaceans - but rescued by the sheer bloody-mindedness of human spirit displayed by some.
I promise never to eat whale meat again.
February 25, 2025
A pretty harrowing novel.
Duncan Craig is hired to pilot a ship for a whaling company. Tensions are high among the sailors because one of the company's co-owners either slipped or was tossed overboard. Craig is asked to lead an inquest, during which he falls in love with the murder victim's daughter, who also happens to be the lead suspect's wife. That's a tough enough spot as it was, but then the weather changes, some people make some bad decisions, and soon the whalers are stranded on ice floes, battling hunger, frostbite, hallucinations, snow blindness, icebergs, wind, and a psychopath.
The detail in this book is off the charts. Innes must have done a boatload of research into 1940s whaling practices and Antarctic weather and survival, because every bit feels like he's writing from experience.
It gets a little long at times—I'm used to books half this size—and the climax with the villain feels a bit underwhelming, but I can't deny the read wasn't thrilling.
Duncan Craig is hired to pilot a ship for a whaling company. Tensions are high among the sailors because one of the company's co-owners either slipped or was tossed overboard. Craig is asked to lead an inquest, during which he falls in love with the murder victim's daughter, who also happens to be the lead suspect's wife. That's a tough enough spot as it was, but then the weather changes, some people make some bad decisions, and soon the whalers are stranded on ice floes, battling hunger, frostbite, hallucinations, snow blindness, icebergs, wind, and a psychopath.
The detail in this book is off the charts. Innes must have done a boatload of research into 1940s whaling practices and Antarctic weather and survival, because every bit feels like he's writing from experience.
It gets a little long at times—I'm used to books half this size—and the climax with the villain feels a bit underwhelming, but I can't deny the read wasn't thrilling.
February 14, 2023
I want to read this book since 2007, and i have to admit that i have more expectatives, i'm not dissapointed with the book, the drama is interesting and the problem involves a complex human drama and added to this whales and Icebergs. My unique problem with the book and my low qualification to them is the incapacity of the writer to close the drama when is the better moment. The last pages are so monotons and also they surprases the tolerance of drama in my case.
In summary an interesting book and fast read but not much than this.
In summary an interesting book and fast read but not much than this.
April 28, 2025
I expected so much more from this
some thing(s) I liked:
✅it was audiobook so at least I didn't have to waste my actual effort reading such a boring book
some thing(s), not so much:
⭕boring
⭕unnecessary description
some thing(s) I liked:
✅it was audiobook so at least I didn't have to waste my actual effort reading such a boring book
some thing(s), not so much:
⭕boring
⭕unnecessary description
February 6, 2020
An epic adventure in Antartctica with lots of intrigue along the way. It's also an interesting insight into the lives of whalers.
June 10, 2025
A polar adventure. A revenge story of survival in the ice, amid icebergs.
August 8, 2015
Reto de lectura #37: Un libro con un color en el título
Creo que, antes de comenzar, diré que la edición que leí no aparece aquí, así que opté por seleccionar la que tenía una menor diferencia con respecto al número de páginas.
No es la primera vez que leo algo sobre viajes marítimos —Veinte mil leguas de viaje submarino y una serie de la cual no recuerdo el nombre— y, ciertamente, no me imaginaba que sería este tipo de historia al leer el título del libro. Ni siquiera pude encontrar una sinopsis (únicamente hallé la de la película).
El primer capítulo —o capítulo cero, prólogo o como pueda llamársele— llamó poco mi atención y, al menos, supe al fin de qué iba la historia. No soy fan de estas historias, así que pensé que terminaría llevándome un disgusto; más aún cuando vi al narrador protagonista en el siguiente capítulo.
El misterio es el que envuelve esta historia llena de aventura en el antártico (si recuerdo bien). Me preguntaba continuamente cómo es que el autor quería comentar algo acerca de la tragedia que ocurrió en un barco, el "Southern Cross", y conforme fui leyendo me encuentro con que un misterio se suma al anterior.
Comencé a un ritmo lento —experiencias anteriores me obligaron a leer así— pero conforme iba avanzando, capítulo tras capítulo, la desesperación comenzó a consumirme y esto se notó en las últimas cien páginas. Llegué al punto en el que me vi en la necesidad de no aplazar más el final y no paré hasta que, sí, leí la palabra "FIN".
Los personajes me agradaron, se sienten reales. La narración en primera persona se siente real, como si cada cosa dicha por ellos fuese exactamente esa y no pudiera ser expresada de otra forma —y sí, lo menciono por el tipo de narrador—. Me gustó tanto que, cuando terminé el libro, no pude evitar enternecerme por lo escrito en las últimas líneas.
Sin duda alguna, la experiencia hubiera sido mejor si el clima fuese frío al punto de no quedarme otra solución más que acurrucarme y estar lo más cómoda y tibia posible.
Puedes leer las citas del libro aquí
"El color volvió para aliviarnos de aquella sensación de muerte que causaba el eterno blanco."
Creo que, antes de comenzar, diré que la edición que leí no aparece aquí, así que opté por seleccionar la que tenía una menor diferencia con respecto al número de páginas.
No es la primera vez que leo algo sobre viajes marítimos —Veinte mil leguas de viaje submarino y una serie de la cual no recuerdo el nombre— y, ciertamente, no me imaginaba que sería este tipo de historia al leer el título del libro. Ni siquiera pude encontrar una sinopsis (únicamente hallé la de la película).
El primer capítulo —o capítulo cero, prólogo o como pueda llamársele— llamó poco mi atención y, al menos, supe al fin de qué iba la historia. No soy fan de estas historias, así que pensé que terminaría llevándome un disgusto; más aún cuando vi al narrador protagonista en el siguiente capítulo.
El misterio es el que envuelve esta historia llena de aventura en el antártico (si recuerdo bien). Me preguntaba continuamente cómo es que el autor quería comentar algo acerca de la tragedia que ocurrió en un barco, el "Southern Cross", y conforme fui leyendo me encuentro con que un misterio se suma al anterior.
Comencé a un ritmo lento —experiencias anteriores me obligaron a leer así— pero conforme iba avanzando, capítulo tras capítulo, la desesperación comenzó a consumirme y esto se notó en las últimas cien páginas. Llegué al punto en el que me vi en la necesidad de no aplazar más el final y no paré hasta que, sí, leí la palabra "FIN".
Los personajes me agradaron, se sienten reales. La narración en primera persona se siente real, como si cada cosa dicha por ellos fuese exactamente esa y no pudiera ser expresada de otra forma —y sí, lo menciono por el tipo de narrador—. Me gustó tanto que, cuando terminé el libro, no pude evitar enternecerme por lo escrito en las últimas líneas.
Sin duda alguna, la experiencia hubiera sido mejor si el clima fuese frío al punto de no quedarme otra solución más que acurrucarme y estar lo más cómoda y tibia posible.
Puedes leer las citas del libro aquí
October 24, 2014
This is the other story from the Hammond Innes omnibus edition of sea stories which I had not read before. I should have done, because it is a good one.
It is set in Antarctica, where a ship has become trapped and crushed by the pack ice, leaving the crew stranded on the ice. The first chapter dramatically recounts reports of the disaster and rescue attempts, then we get a survivor's story and find out what really happened.
I don't really like reading about whaling and am glad that it is no longer carried out on this industrial scale of slaughter, but Innes does describe it, the tensions on the boats and the harsh conditions of the southern oceans very well and makes them all part of the story. He has read about Antarctic journeys and includes plenty of details about surviving life there, which add to the tension.
Yet again he has a strong female character, although the love interest is less fully realised.
It is set in Antarctica, where a ship has become trapped and crushed by the pack ice, leaving the crew stranded on the ice. The first chapter dramatically recounts reports of the disaster and rescue attempts, then we get a survivor's story and find out what really happened.
I don't really like reading about whaling and am glad that it is no longer carried out on this industrial scale of slaughter, but Innes does describe it, the tensions on the boats and the harsh conditions of the southern oceans very well and makes them all part of the story. He has read about Antarctic journeys and includes plenty of details about surviving life there, which add to the tension.
Yet again he has a strong female character, although the love interest is less fully realised.
July 15, 2014
I really liked this book. It was exciting, full of adventures and dangerous situations. The characters were likable and they had to face a number of difficulties, which really kept the reader guessing what will happen to them at the end. And I really liked the location - Antarctica, the land of always winter :)
January 31, 2019
Husband really looked forward to listening to this and wasn't disappointed. Full of daring do and a mans got to do what a mans got to do. Will be downloading the rest of Mr Innes books. Great narration too :)
Descriptive without too much violence and an easy read at bed time.
Descriptive without too much violence and an easy read at bed time.
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August 2, 2011I don't remember much about this, just that I enjoyed it, and may well dig it out and re-read it having just finished Maddon's Rock.
September 21, 2013
Loved it! Another Hammond Innes classic
Highly recommended adventure story with much conflict/drama as well as heroism and romance.
Highly recommended adventure story with much conflict/drama as well as heroism and romance.
October 20, 2013
Preposterous, dated, cliched. Bought it for $1 at the flea market. Can't put it down
March 23, 2017
Hammond Innes is an excellent story teller and this book is difficult to put down. The story flows really well and he describes the Antarctic ordeal in brilliant detail. Well worth a read
June 9, 2015
A survivor's account of a rescue mission in Antarctica to save a stranded whaling ship. Innes reminds me a lot of Alistair Maclean.
October 5, 2016
One of the books that made my childhood. I read it again last week, and although the style is outdated its still a great book.
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