The Heart of the Antarctic

This was a terrific book. First you have to wade through the dull aspects at the beginning on equipment which was helpful in its day, but once you get through that, it is really a gripping story. I could barely put the book down, I hated leaving Shackleton and his party stuck in a blizzard while I stopped to get a cup of tea. You will really enjoy this book, it is very well worth it!

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.

This is a very nice, somewhat abridged edition of "Heart of the Antarctic." Compared with the Carroll & Graf trade edition, this does have some bits edited from the expedition preparations and the account of the Furthest South journey, but, unlike the Carroll & Graf edition, it has Professor David's account of the march to the South Magnetic Pole and an account of the Northern Party journey and so is overall a better text. The selection of pictures is decent, although there is one photo that I suspect is from the 1912 Scott expedition (of a tracked motor-sledge; the Shackleton expedition had only a car with it). The story of the British Antarctic Expedition is just as exciting as the doomed Endurance voyage, and I would highly recommend this edition to everyone interested in Shackleton and his adventures.

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.