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A review by linark
The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition by Caroline Alexander
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.