1 comments about In Shackleton's Wake.

1. people feel the urge to risk their lives in endeavors like this one! I had to wonder about the incredible amount of money that must go to re-enact such a dangerous voyage, too. But the story makes fascinating reading. A first-person account of sailing some of the most treacherous seas in the world really brings out the dangers faced--involuntarily--by Ernest Shackleton and his men.
   One change I wish for the book: a detailed map comparing Fuchs' journey with Shackleton's. Fuchs mentions several options Shackleton might have taken, but without a map, I can't see them for myself. Otherwise, this is a very readable (though I did have trouble with nautical terms, not being a sailor myself) and interesting addition to the literature of polar adventure.

No comments about Antarctica on a Plate - Misadventures of a Polar Chef.

No comments about Berserk in the Antarctic.

No comments about Scott of the Antarctic: A Life of Courage and Tragedy in the Extreme South.

No comments about The Royal Navy and Polar Exploration: From Franklin to Scott: Vol. 2.

No comments about Edge of the World: Ross Island, Antarctica A Personal and Historical Narrative of Exploration, Adventure, Tragedy, and Survival.

3 comments about The Heart of the Antarctic: Being the Story of the British Antarctic Expedition, 1907-1909.

1. The epic story of the Endurance expedition has overshadowed Shackleton's earlier Nimrod expedition, during which he and three comrades trekked to within 100 miles of the South Pole and other members of his expedition were the first to climb Mount Erebus and locate the South Magnetic Pole. This is a well-written account and gives a complete overview not only of the expedition but also of Shackleton's careful preparations. Read "South" by all means, but read this book by Shackleton too; it's excellent.



2. For me the highlight of this book is the extract from Shackleton's diary describing the 'furthest south' journey in which Shackleton reached just 97 miles from the pole before being forced to turn back. This turned into an epic struggle for survival (unlike Scott 3 years later, they won) which is splendidly recounted with diary extracts. The rest of the book describes the first ascents of Mount Erebus and the first journey to the south magnetic pole as well as the rest of the expedition. Although it is well to bear in mind that nearly all of these period books were written in a style that shows only the positive side of the expeditions I find them more enjoyable to read than some of the more critical modern descriptions.

   Not nearly as well known as the Endurance expedition a few years later I actually found this book more interesting and whole heartedly recommend it.




3. This book is essentially a poor photocopy of an incomplete previous publication of the Shackleton journals and report. There are multiple missing and illegible pages. Of mild historical interest only, not for anyone wishing to actually read the work.

No comments about The Arctic to the Antarctica: Arctic Tern Sails the Americas.

4 comments about What the Ice Gets : Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition 1914-1916.

1. This epic poem brings Shackleton's attempt to reach the South Pole to life! Some of the chapters tell the story from the point of view of individual members of the expedition; some describe particular events. Each fact is documented. Its one thing to know that Shackleton and a part of the crew left the rest of the crew behind, and travelled 800 miles in a dory on a rescue mission. Mueller brings the situation to life, describing the plight of both the rescuers and the rescuees. And then, in a moving and haunting conclusion, she tells of some of the individual's lives after the voyage. In sum, its an adventurist's story, a naturalist's story, a poet's story. A book you will want to reread, read out loud, and give to your friends.



2. This is a case where the economy of a well-crafted poetic line accomplishes what might take a page of prose. The imagery and emotion evoked by this slim volume more than capture the beauty and desperation experienced by Shackleton and his company. No space is wasted on mundane logistical cataloging and diary-keeping. Instead the reader is in the grip of perilous nature from beginning to end. The final section sketching the fate of the men after their great adventure on the ice shows that miraculously overcoming one peril does not innoculate you against life's other afflictions.



3. The Shackleton story is amazing, but this accounting of it is stunningly thought through and executed. Read it over and over.



4. The story of Shackleton's expedition alone is an amazing one, and this telling of it does an admirable job of getting across the feelings as well as the details. Mueller mixes the men's words with her own descriptions seamlessly. She uses noteworthy quotes and adds her own with that same feel, such as when Crean recounts returning from an earlier Antarctic expedition:
   
   "More than how you look, 'tis what
   you see that changes most."
   The first time I saw trees again,
   they looked to me like green ghosts." (p. 18)
   
   Overall, this is one hell of a project for a poet to take on, and she more than just does it, she does it justice. She takes not just the expedition but the broader tale of the changing world as these survivors find themselves alive but lost and passing away in a world where a World War is changing everything:
   
   "The men whose lives Frank Wild helped to save are all
   long dead. Their deaths have fallen
   so far behind us they are become, as Worsley would say,
   quaint." (p. 70)
   
   This is a book well worth picking up.

No comments about Antarctic Peninsula Antartica - Ecomapa.