Shackleton The biography

Ranulph Fiennes, 1944-

Book - 2022

"In 1915, Sir Ernest Shackleton's attempt to traverse the Antarctic was cut short when his ship, Endurance, became trapped in ice. The disaster left Shackleton and his men alone at the frozen South Pole, fighting for their lives. Their survival and escape is the most famous adventure in history. Shackleton is a captivating new account of the adventurer, his life and his incredible leadership under the most extreme of circumstances. Written by polar adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes who followed in Shackleton's footsteps, he brings his own unique insights to bear on these infamous expeditions. Shackleton is both re-appraisal and a valediction, separating Shackleton from the myth he has become"--

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BIOGRAPHY/Shackleton, Ernest Henry
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Subjects
Genres
Biographies
Published
New York, NY : Pegasus Books 2022.
Language
English
Main Author
Ranulph Fiennes, 1944- (author)
Edition
First Pegasus Books cloth edition
Physical Description
404 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), maps ; 24 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 379-382) and index.
ISBN
9781643138794
Contents unavailable.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Explorer Fiennes (Cold) draws on his own experiences in Antarctica in this sympathetic if somewhat dry biography of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton (1874-1921). Fiennes contends that Shackleton's first two expeditions to Antarctica "helped pave the way for Amundsen and Scott to reach the South Pole," and recounts in detail the 1914-1917 Endurance expedition, when Shackleton's ship was crushed by ice and he saved his entire crew by sailing a lifeboat across 800 miles of "grey and desolate sea" and traversing South Georgia island to get help. Fiennes also defends Shackleton against accusations of being a poor planner, and notes that his own journey across the Antarctic continent in 1993 followed the route Shackleton intended to take on the Endurance expedition. Details of Shackleton's early life in Ireland and England reveal how he dreamed from a young age "of becoming a hero... feted far and wide," while discussions of the challenges he faced in raising funds and finding crew members showcase his fierce will and powers of persuasion. Though Fiennes's admiration shines through, frequent asides about his own expeditions are more distracting than insightful, and the prose doesn't quite capture the drama of polar exploration. Still, this is a thorough record of Shackleton's successes and failures. (Jan.)

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

A world-renowned explorer and prolific writer turns his attention to Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922), a giant of the heroic age of polar exploration, with entirely satisfying results. Already a biographer of Robert Falcon Scott, it seemed inevitable that Fiennes would take on Shackleton, who dealt successfully with disaster--a unique trait among 19th- and early-20th-century British explorers. Born to an Anglo-Irish family, Shackleton yearned for adventure from childhood. After years as a merchant seaman, he pulled strings to join Scott's 1901-1903 Discovery Expedition to Antarctica, where he, Scott, and another engaged in a brutal trek toward the South Pole that reached nearly 82 degrees south, a record, before they turned back. Evacuated because of debility, he returned to England before the others and became a national celebrity for his charisma and speaking skills as well as his accomplishments. Yearning to make his own mark, in 1909, he organized an expedition that, after unspeakable suffering, turned back about 100 miles from the South Pole. Fiennes emphasizes that this decision showed intelligence as well as courage because, starving and ill, everyone would certainly have died if they continued south. Fiennes excels in describing Shackleton's apotheosis. Leading an expedition to cross Antarctica, in 1915, his ship became trapped in ice; nine months later, the ice crushed it. After months drifting on ice floes, he led his men to an isolated island and then piloted a small boat across 800 miles of stormy seas to a whaling station on South Georgia Island to organize a rescue. Having literally walked in Shackleton's footsteps, Fiennes is uniquely qualified to describe his experiences, analyze his mistakes, and contradict other biographers. While scholars almost universally condemn Shackleton (and Scott) for eschewing skis, Fiennes explains that skis are a hindrance when dragging a heavy sledge. For those inclined to disagree, he points out that he came to this conclusion dragging his own sledge across Antarctica in 1993. The definitive biography of a legendary adventurer. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.