Shackleton: By Endurance We Conquer

by Michael Smith

Overview

Ernest Shackleton is one of history’s great explorers, an extraordinary character who pioneered the path to the South Pole over 100 years ago and became a dominant figure in Antarctic discovery. A charismatic personality, his incredible adventures on four expeditions have captivated generations and inspired a dynamic, modern following in business leadership. None more so than the Endurance mission, where Shackleton’s commanding presence saved the lives of his crew when their ship was crushed by ice and they were turned out on to the savage frozen landscape. But Shackleton was a flawed character whose chaotic private life, marked by romantic affairs, unfulfilled ambitions, overwhelming debts and failed business ventures, contrasted with his celebrity status as a leading explorer.

Drawing on extensive research of original diaries and personal correspondence, Michael Smith's definitive biography brings a fresh perspective to our understanding of this complex man and the heroic age of polar exploration.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781780747071
Publisher:	Oneworld Publications
Publication date:	09/15/2015
Edition description:	First Trade Paper Edition
Pages:	464
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.80(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Michael Smith, a former journalist, is an established authority on polar exploration. He has written a number of books including An Unsung Hero: Tom Crean Antarctic Survivor, which was short-listed for the Banff Mountain Book Festival 2002. The illustrated version was shortlisted for the Irish Published Book of the Year 2007. He contributes to TV and radio documentaries and lectures on polar history.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ix

Authors Note xi

Introduction 1

1 Touching History 7

2 The Lonely Sea and the Sky 13

3 Love and Ambition 27

4 Laying the World at Her Feet 37

5 Fortune Hunting 49

6 A Hunger 55

7 Baptism by Ice 64

8 A Step into the Unknown 77

9 A Beeline 87

10 Rejection 94

11 Two Characters 99

12 Finding a Niche 118

13 Looking South 125

14 Dreams and Realities 134

15 Broken Promise 148

16 Ice and Men 158

17 Making Ready 164

18 South 174

19 Penniless 183

20 Gateway 188

21 'Death on his pale horse…' 202

22 Home is the Hero 213

23 Arise, Sir Ernest 227

24 A Man of Parts 233

25 Unrest 243

26 Towering Ambition 252

27 Into the Pack 272

28 Imprisoned 283

29 Death of a Ship 295

30 Defiance 300

31 Into the Boats 315

32 A Dark Episode 323

33 Bleak Refuge 327

34 Scattered to the Winds 336

35 Epic Journey 342

36 South Georgia 351

37 Rescue 364

38 The Ross Sea Parry 373

39 Adrift Again 383

40 The Last Quest 399

41 At Rest 412

Notes 419

Select Bibliography 426

Index 436

Editorial Reviews

'Smith, in illuminating this unforgettable figure, brings his own considerable scholarship in the field to the story'

Wall Street Journal - Caroline Moorehead

"The epic struggles, heroics and unbelieveable hardships of the voyages are wonderfully told. Compulsive reading."

The Irish Times on An Unsung Hero

'a scholarly though very readable tome'

The Good Book Guide

‘Fascinating’

Bookseller

‘A fascinating book - warm, complex, engaging – just like the man himself. This absorbing new biography strips away the myths and misconceptions to reveal one of the twentieth century’s most important explorers in all his flawed genius.’

Mick Conefrey

'Perhaps the most riveting biography I've ever read.'

Orlando Sentinel on An Unsung Hero

'Compelling'

History Revealed

‘Diligently researched with extensive quotation... a welcome addition to the library of the polar aficionado’

Literary Review

‘Smith’s research is detailed and meticulous... fascinating... [He] tells [the story] with passion and commitment.’

Spectator

'fast-moving and gripping... Michael Smith’s biography shows us a complex multi-faceted man’

Scottish Review of Books

'A rich volume, written in a passionate, engaging style that makes it a compelling read, full of nuanced conclusions about many of Shackleton’s formative life moments, and meticulously researched, as with all of Michael Smith’s work.'

Irish Times

‘Absorb[ing]... a fair and rounded picture of a man who was a great companion and leader in a tight corner but possibly better viewed across an iceberg than across a boardroom table or a martial bedroom’

Country Life

‘a fresh perspective... very readable... Smith’s research has uncovered some interesting side stories’

Good Book Guide

‘timely and thorough… as a buccaneering Edwardian adventurer, as chaotic and hapless in his private life as he was dynamic in his public exploits, [Shackleton] is rescued by Michael Smith’s genial biography as a flawed, enduring inspiration.’

The Times

"Smith, who previously wrote about overlooked Antarctic hero Tom Crean, makes a significant effort to discuss Shackleton’s personal and business relationships as well as his adventurous journeys. This look at his family, friends, and numerous well-known romantic entanglements both humanizes Shackleton and elevates his unusual achievements even further. He was a survivor who possessed near superhuman determination, and yet Smith makes it clear that he was also capable of the most common faults and failures. Through his use of reports, diaries, books, and the private papers of Shackleton’s contemporaries, both those who admired and those who reviled him, and, most importantly, the men who served at his side, Smith provides a well-rounded look at the renowned explorer. It is Smith’s writing style, however, that makes this biography such a page-turner and a wonderfully rich portrait of a twentieth-century icon. Shackleton has finally received the literary treatment his legendary life deserves." - Booklist

"[A] highly readable account.... Shackleton is admired for his leadership skills while his repeated off-ice failures are overlooked or unknown. Smith offers a fascinating assessment of his subject, one that will be enjoyed by readers of biographies, polar literature, and adventure stories.— Library Journal

"[A] fascinating exploration of the man behind the myth.... Smith ranks Shackleton among the greatest explorers, yet he was held back by a lack of practicality, exemplified by his underestimation of the need for prowess in handling dogs and skis for ease of travel on ice. The author presents a lively account of the race to the South Pole, ultimately won by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen in 1911, and the bitter rivalry between Shackleton and his other British contender, Robert Scott.... An illuminating perspective of the man, his mission and the era in which he lived." — Kirkus Reviews

"Smith's research is detailed and meticulous...fascinating...[He] tells [the story] with passion and commitment." - Spectator

"Diligently researched with extensive quotation...a welcome addition to the library of the polar aficianado." Literary Review

"Even-handed...fast-moving and gripping...Michael Smith's biography shows us a complex multi-faceted man." - Scottish Review of Books

From the Publisher

2014-09-28
"[Ernest] Shackleton today is a cult figure who has assumed a mythical, almost saintly status," writes journalist Smith (Great Endeavour: Ireland's Antarctic Explorers, 2010, etc.) in this fascinating exploration of the man behind the myth. Given high honors and knighted by the king, Sir Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922) could not find his feet on shore. The author describes him as a paradoxical figure, an inspirational leader who excelled at improvisation when he was on the ice but a restless and impatient person when he was back in England. Unable to "spot a charlatan in a business suit," Shackleton failed at a series of business ventures and "spent a life in the futile pursuit of riches, [leaving] behind a trail of debts" after his death during a fourth polar venture. Smith ranks Shackleton among the greatest explorers, yet he was held back by a lack of practicality, exemplified by his underestimation of the need for prowess in handling dogs and skis for ease of travel on ice. The author presents a lively account of the race to the South Pole, ultimately won by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen in 1911, and the bitter rivalry between Shackleton and his other British contender, Robert Scott. Although they sailed together in 1908, their first polar venture, they were directly contending for financial support as well as high honors. On the first (joint) trip, they succeeded in setting up a base and exploring the terrain, and Shackleton's second venture to the polar region brought him within tantalizing proximity to the pole. Both trips were scientific milestones. A third trip to Antarctica narrowly averted disaster when their ship was destroyed. Launched at the start of World War I, the expedition's sponsors were hard-pressed to find funding for a relief expedition. An illuminating perspective of the man, his mission and the era in which he lived.

Kirkus Reviews