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South: The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition, 1914-1917

South: The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition, 1914-1917

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South: The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition, 1914-1917

by Shackleton, Sir Ernest Henry

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  • Very Good
  • first
Condition
Very Good
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About This Item

London: William Heinemann, 1919. First Edition. Very Good. First edition, first printing. Bound in publisher's original dark blue cloth stamped in silver. Very Good with cloth rubbed at joints and worn at corners and spine ends, lightly soiled. Front and rear inner hinge exposed. Pages toned especially at edges, contemporary gift inscription to title page, plates foxed and some mild marginal staining. Tear to margin of map at rear, not affecting any print. Shackleton's account of his ill-fated, yet miraculous, attempt to cross Antarctica during the eve of the first World War.

Synopsis

This is one of the books that you must read. Shackleton, like Scott and Byrd, seems more like a hero from ancient myth than a mere mortal. The story of his adventure will forever be one of the most thrilling and astounding ever told. And yet it is told in the plain style of a man who felt that he only did what any man would do. Sir Ernest Shackleton had been to the Antarctic twice before: once with Scott's first expedition (from which he was sent home with scurvy), and once on his own expedition, when he had made it to within 90 miles of the South Pole. Both Amundsen and Scott later beat him to the pole and by the time Shackleton returned on the Endurance, he was determined to be the first to complete a transpolar journey.He left England on the eve of the First World War, after offering his ship and men to the war effort, to be turned down by Winston Churchill. When he reached the island of South Georgia off the coast of Argentina, he learned from whalers that ice had moved far north into the Weddell Sea. By the time Shackleton reached Antarctica, the pack-ice was turning quickly impassible. They forced their way through as much of it as they could, but the Endurance became trapped. When they could no longer keep the ice from the sides of the ship it was crushed.In spite of it all, they retained a sense of optimism:"...after a year's incessant battle with the ice, we had returned, by many strange turns of fortune's wheel, to almost identically the same latitude that we had left with such high hopes and aspirations twelve months previously; but under what different conditions now! Our ship crushed and lost, and we ourselves drifting on a piece of ice at the mercy of the winds. However, in spite of occasional setbacks due to unfavourable winds, our drift was in the main very satisfactory, and this went a long way towards keeping the men cheerful."They lived drifting, struggling to survive the cold, the splitting ice, and the killer whales who cruised along under the ice looking for seals:"These aggressive creatures were to be seen often in the lanes and pools, and we were always distrustful of their ability or willingness to discriminate between seal and man. A lizard-like head would show while the killer gazed along the flow with wicked eyes. Then the brute would dive, to come up a few moments later, perhaps, under some unfortunate seal reposing on the ice...Wordie, engaged in measuring the thickness of young ice, went through to his waist one day just as a killer rose to blow in the adjacent lead. His companions pulled him out hurriedly." The ice cleared long enough for the men to finally make the journey to Elephant Island in the three surviving lifeboats. But the effort did not stop there for Shackleton. With five others, he undertook the perilous 800 mile journey across the South Atlantic to the whaling station on South Georgia island to get help. At one point he thought he saw day breaking only to realize that a wave of unimaginable proportions was bearing down upon their open boat; he had seen the white of the spray. Shackleton's story is full of prodigious feats, but none so compelling as his final journey: when they reached South Georgia, he, Worsley, and Crean were forced to walk through frozen mountains hitherto unexplored to reach the whaling station. This journey alone, with descents down ice crevices, waterfalls and a trek across the dangerous thin crust of an ice lake, would be adventure enough for anyone. We can't recommend this book more highly; read it to see true courage in action. Also, take a look at Shackleton's Boat Journey, also available from The Narrative Press.

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Details

Bookseller
Burnside Rare Books, ABAA US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
140940870
Title
South: The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition, 1914-1917
Author
Shackleton, Sir Ernest Henry
Book Condition
Used - Very Good
Quantity Available
1
Edition
First Edition
Publisher
William Heinemann
Place of Publication
London
Date Published
1919

Terms of Sale

Burnside Rare Books, ABAA

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About the Seller

Burnside Rare Books, ABAA

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2010
Portland, Oregon

About Burnside Rare Books, ABAA

Burnside Rare Books specializes in literary first editions and works of cultural and historic significance. We are located in Portland, Oregon and welcome visitors by appointment.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Title Page
A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
Foxed
Foxing is the age related browning, or brown-yellowish spots, that can occur to book paper over time. When this aging process...
Cloth
"Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
Hinge
The portion of the book closest to the spine that allows the book to be opened and closed.
Spine
The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
Soiled
Generally refers to minor discoloration or staining.
Edges
The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
First Edition
In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...

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