Scan barcode
ladytiara's review
4.0
Frank Hurley's amazing photos of Shackleton's legendary expedition make this book a must for any armchair polar explorers, and I enjoyed Alexander's take on the expedition. I read this right after finishing Alfred Lansing's Endurance. Although the books tell the same story, Alexander emphasizes difference aspects of the story, and the two books complement each other nicely.
baterbook's review against another edition
5.0
Książka moim skromnym zdaniem świetna. Nie znając tej historii i nie będąc obytym z literaturą faktu zostałam wciągnięta przez autorkę której sposób pisanie bardzo mi odpowiadał i powodował moje nieustanne zainteresowanie.
linark's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
4.75
Very well written and articulately presented book. The story was amazing with all the pictures, though unfortunately even the colour pictures are not in colour.
Such a great experience with this book. Many thoughts that I wrote down in my notes that I can't quite bring myself to repeat here in this review. However. Unexpectedly funny and wholesome to read about the strong relations that were forged, all the more vivid with the photos provided. Enthralling story. Lots of further reading is available - The Endurance expedition was the last of the Herioic Age after all. I think I'll look at Huntford's books.
Fascinating to ponder these men. Shackleton in particular. He who seemed to excel at being a leader of men did not quite fit into the box of regular living. The shockingly dismal circumstances at the outset, the unlikely perserverance despite all the times things could have gone wrong. When the men look down upon the whaling station at last it's almost unreal to imagine. Such an experience is so wonderful and so perfectly romantic that I cannot blame them for being nostalgic in the years afterward.
The relationships with the animals were also particularly interesting. They are valued tools, but morph into beloved companions by the virtue of the irrepressibly loving nature of dogs, especially in those dark and dreary times. I think they were very important. When worst come to worst and they have to be put down it's a brutally practical decision that kind of unlocked a thing in my brain. It's an extremely sad and terrible occasion. Even the slaughter of the penguins is noted to eventually become an exhausting activity. McNish is bitter about the death of his amazing can Mrs Chippy for years afterward. Just very interesting, the relation between humans and their pets/prey.
Did they eat Mrs Chippy? Did they sneak a bit of cat in among the dog? I cannot help but wonder.
I digress. Such a great book. I can't repeat myself enough. I think I might harrass my brother into reading it.
Such a great experience with this book. Many thoughts that I wrote down in my notes that I can't quite bring myself to repeat here in this review. However. Unexpectedly funny and wholesome to read about the strong relations that were forged, all the more vivid with the photos provided. Enthralling story. Lots of further reading is available - The Endurance expedition was the last of the Herioic Age after all. I think I'll look at Huntford's books.
Fascinating to ponder these men. Shackleton in particular. He who seemed to excel at being a leader of men did not quite fit into the box of regular living. The shockingly dismal circumstances at the outset, the unlikely perserverance despite all the times things could have gone wrong. When the men look down upon the whaling station at last it's almost unreal to imagine. Such an experience is so wonderful and so perfectly romantic that I cannot blame them for being nostalgic in the years afterward.
The relationships with the animals were also particularly interesting. They are valued tools, but morph into beloved companions by the virtue of the irrepressibly loving nature of dogs, especially in those dark and dreary times. I think they were very important. When worst come to worst and they have to be put down it's a brutally practical decision that kind of unlocked a thing in my brain. It's an extremely sad and terrible occasion. Even the slaughter of the penguins is noted to eventually become an exhausting activity. McNish is bitter about the death of his amazing can Mrs Chippy for years afterward. Just very interesting, the relation between humans and their pets/prey.
Did they eat Mrs Chippy? Did they sneak a bit of cat in among the dog? I cannot help but wonder.
I digress. Such a great book. I can't repeat myself enough. I think I might harrass my brother into reading it.
cathyatratedreads's review
3.0
Fascinating! It's unbelievable what these people experienced. We read it for book club a few years ago and I was aghast at what they had to endure.
lurdesabruscato's review
5.0
I am fascinated with extraordinary stories of survival. I like to imagine at what part of the story I would bail, totally incapable of the hardships at hand. Incidentally, I wouldn't have made it past the prologue on this one. In the summer of 1914, a rough-and-tumble band of 28 sailors set out to accomplish one of the last great accomplishments of the period: the first crossing of the Antarctic on foot. Their ship was called the Endurance and endure they did: frigid temperatures, perilous waters, scant provisions, and, of course, icy landscapes that first trapped and then crushed their vessel. Their collective stories are amazing, yes -- even "chilling" -- but just as powerful are the eerily haunting black-and-white photographs courtesy of the bulky equipment salvaged by their pioneering photographer.
rainynook's review
5.0
One of the best books, and the best stories, EVER. Survival, determination, glorious photographs which somehow remain for us to see the gripping tale.
kortirion's review
5.0
One of my favorite non-fiction books. It's a tale of heroic polar exploration, but also a revealing look at leadership, survival, and dealing with failure and disaster. Plus, it's full of stunning photographs taken on the expedition itself.
Shackleton's expedition set out to be the first to cross Antarctica on foot, but ended up trapped in their ship, locked in the ice. . . and worse.
Shackleton's expedition set out to be the first to cross Antarctica on foot, but ended up trapped in their ship, locked in the ice. . . and worse.
teibrich's review
4.0
A great book around a really legendary journey. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the recount of Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition. I'm amazed by the challenges these men endured and at the same time the high spirit they were able to maintain!
coni_booklover's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0