The Heart of the Antarctic: Being the Story of the British Antarctic Expedition 1907-1909

About this book

Shackletons own thrilling account of his first Antarctic expedition and astonishing march to reach the South Pole. With the same drama and adventure of Shackletons later memoir South Heart of the Antarctic chronicles the first polar expedition he led himself which lasted over a year and included triumph defeat and harrowing experiences. In 1906 Lieutenant Ernest Shackleton decided that he would make his own attempt to reach the South Pole having been frustrated by his experiences on Captain Robert Scotts recent effort. His own expedition underwent such ordeals as the hazardous maneuvers to land on the icy Antarctic coast the scaling of the 13 000-foot volcanic Mount Erebus and wintering the polar blizzards before setting off for the South Pole. Shackletons tension-filled account of his "Farthest South " reaching within 97 miles of his goal is matched only by the return journeys race against time an exhausted forced march back to camp before their ship sailed without them. "A more interesting book of polar exploration . . . has yet to be written." - New York Times Book Review "The book will takes its place among the great records of adventure . . . Shackleton has just the right combination of scientific interests and love of reckless adventure . . ." - Spectator