Chasing Shackleton : re-creating the world's greatest journey of survival
(Book)

Originally published as: Shackleton's epic. London: William Collins, 2013.

Foreword by Alexandra Shackleton.

In early 1914, British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton embarked for the South Pole, hoping to make the first land crossing of Antarctica. For three years there was no word from the expedition, and most assumed the men had perished. Remarkably, however, the crew was alive, thanks to Shackleton's leadership. After their ship was crushed by ice and the men trapped on a small island, Shackleton decided to attempt a risky eight-hundred-mile voyage across the Southern Ocean. After seventeen days in a leaking 22.5-foot wooden boat, they reached the remote island of South Georgia, where they had to climb over precipitous mountains to reach the whaling station on the other side. Ultimately, Shackleton was able to rescue all twenty-two crew members--a heroic triumph of endurance and leadership. In January 2013, using authentic period clothing, equipment, and rations, and sailing a precise replica of Shackleton's boat, Antarctica veteran Tim Jarvis leads a six-man crew in an attempt to re-create Shackleton's historic crossings, while documenting the impact of a century of climate change on the region.--From publisher description.