Ice Captain: The Life of J. R. Stenhouse

by Stephen Haddelsey

Overview

The gripping story of J.R. Stenhouse, whose ship, the Aurora, was supposed to give support to Shackleton during his Antarctic expedition—but instead found itself caught in an ice floe and drifting out to sea

As Shackleton watched his ship Endurance become trapped in the ice floes of the Weddell Sea, on the other side of Antarctica the expedition’s second ship, Aurora, suffered an equally terrifying fate. Under the command of J.R. Stenhouse, the Aurora was torn from her moorings and driven out to sea, becoming trapped in pack ice. For 10 months the ice sawed at her hull, until, with her rudder smashed and water cascading from her seams, she broke free and embarked upon her own extraordinary voyage to safe harbor. In Ice Captain, Stephen Haddelsey reveals both the story of Stenhouse’s achievements aboard the Aurora, but also his many adventures in later life, from serving as a U-boat hunter in WWI, to digging for pirate gold, and commanding Scott’s Discovery. A captivating book about a fascinating man.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780752497792
Publisher:	The History Press
Publication date:	11/01/2014
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Stephen Haddelsey is the author of three critically acclaimed books on polar exploration, including Born Adventurer: The Life of Frank Bickerton and Shackleton’s Dream: Fuchs, Hillary and the Crossing of Antarctica.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations ix

List of Maps x

Preface xi

Acknowledgements xv

Authors Note xvii

1 The Apprentice in Sail 1

2 South with Shackleton 15

3 Arrivals and Departures 29

4 Adrift in McMurdo Sound 41

5 Prisoners of the Pack 53

6 Aurora Redux 69

7 The Mystery Ships 85

8 War in the Arctic 99

9 The Syren Flotilla 115

10 Discovery 129

11 Oceans Deep 141

12 The Final Season 155

13 Pieces of Eight 173

14 Treasure Island to the Cap Pilar 183

15 Thames Patrol 195

16 With His Boots On 205

Notes and Sources 218

Select Bibliography 228

Index 229