Shackleton

Rating:
Summary: A super hero; A colossal failure.
Review: Biographer Roland Huntford has combined extensive research and superb story telling into an amazing tale of a most contradictory figure of Edwardian England. At the turn of the 20th century, Ernest Shackleton was one of the heroes of the British Empire. But, by the time of his death, in 1922, he was quickly on his way to becoming a forgotten man. What is most surprising is that he became a hero at all, because he accomplished nothing that he set out to do, and his life was a personal and financial failure. And most of it was his fault. His first Antarctic sojourn to the South Pole was with his later rival Captain Robert Scott. Scott and his fellow explorers had to carry/drag Shackleton much of the way home without them coming close to reaching their goal. His second assult on the South Pole he led himself, but was forced to abandon his quest with only 100 miles to go. Before Shackleton could make his next attempt, Scott reach the South Pole, but died before he could return. So, Shackleton's next venture to make a name for himself was to walk across Antarctica. Before he could begin his cross-continent trek, his ship, the Endurance, was caught in the ice and crushed. Shackleton and his band of hapless men fought bitter cold, starvation, trecherous seas, etc., as they struggled to survive. Yet, without having accomplished his goals he became a hero, because he was an adventurer who never gave up, and that met the criteria of that time. However, the reason he was mostly unsuccessful was because he refused to accept the proven methods of ice exploration. He wouldn't consider using skis or dogs, ways that had previously been proven to be successful and most historians now believe would have made the difference between his success and failure. Instead, he struggled with horses and motorized vehichles, methods that had already been proven disatorous. But, struggle on he did, and that made him a hero in his country's eyes. Another factor Shack pointed to with pride: he never lost the life of any of his fellow explorers. But, in fact, he lost several memebers of a seperate supply party, because of lack of preparation for which he was notorious. Yet, in the diaries his men kept, he was constantly praised for his strength and attitude. However, these must be regared with a jaundiced eye, because - by contract - all diaries had to be turned over to Shackleton at the end of each voyage. Yet, proper due must be given, for it would be easy to understand why Shackleton could have given up at numerous occasions and just laid down and died. But he persevered, and brought his men back with him. In addition to his continuous failures as an explorer, Shackleton was an adulturer, left his wife and children at the financial mercy of others (even his mistress), constantly chased financial windfalls which never had a chance of success, died 40,000 pounds in debt, ostrasized himself from his family, was a heavy drinker, in fact, pretty much a cad. He failed to fulfil his writing and lecture committements. He didn't pay most of the men who risked their life in his employ. As author Huntford sums up his life: "Mental sloth was Shackleton's fatal flaw." It was the World War that showed Brits what true heros really were, and brought about their almost immediate lack of interest in this hapless and hopeless wanderer. So, why should we care about this man and devote the time to read this almost 700 page book? Because Huntford has written such a brilliant biography that places us at death's door, in violent conditions, against tremendous odds and then gives us the joy of overcoming. Huntford delves interestingly and deeply into the rivalries of the explorers of the day and into the fascinating personalities of the men who went with Shackleton. We get it, warts and all. A first class biography with very helpful maps and dozens of great pictures.

Rating:
Summary: A super hero; A colossal failure.
Review: Biographer Roland Huntford has combined extensive research and superb story telling into an amazing tale of a most contradictory figure of Edwardian England. At the turn of the 20th century, Ernest Shackleton was one of the heroes of the British Empire. But, by the time of his death, in 1922, he was quickly on his way to becoming a forgotten man. What is most surprising is that he became a hero at all, because he accomplished nothing that he set out to do, and his life was a personal and financial failure. And most of it was his fault. His first Antarctic sojourn to the South Pole was with his later rival Captain Robert Scott. Scott and his fellow explorers had to carry/drag Shackleton much of the way home without them coming close to reaching their goal. His second assult on the South Pole he led himself, but was forced to abandon his quest with only 100 miles to go. Before Shackleton could make his next attempt, Scott reach the South Pole, but died before he could return. So, Shackleton's next venture to make a name for himself was to walk across Antarctica. Before he could begin his cross-continent trek, his ship, the Endurance, was caught in the ice and crushed. Shackleton and his band of hapless men fought bitter cold, starvation, trecherous seas, etc., as they fought to survive. Yet, without having accomplished his goals he became a hero, because he was an adventurer that never gave up, and that met the criteria of that time. However, the reason he was mostly unsuccessful was because he refused to accept the proven methods of ice exploration. He wouldn't consider using skis or dogs, ways that had previously been proven to be successful and most historians now believe would have made the difference between his success and failure. He believed in little or no preparation. He struggled with horses and motorized vehichles, methods that had already been proven disatorous. But, he struggled on, and that made him a hero in his country's eyes. Another factor Shack pointed to with pride: he never lost the life of any of his fellow explorers. But, in fact, he lost several memebers of a seperate supply party, again because of lack of preparation for which he was responsible. Also, in the diaries his men kept, he was constantly praised for his strength and attitude. However, these must be regared with a jaundiced eye, because - by contract - all diaries had to be turned over to Shackleton at the end of each voyage. Yet, proper due must be given, for it would be easy to understand why Shackleton could have given up at numerous occasions and just laid down and died. But he persevered, and brought his men back with him. In addition to his continuous failures as an explorer, Shackleton was an adulturer, left his wife and children at the financial mercy of others (even his mistress), constantly chased financial windfalls which never had a chance of success, died 40,000 pounds in debt, ostrasized himself from his family, was a heavy drinker, in fact, pretty much a cad. He failed to fulfil his writing and lecture committements. He didn't pay most of the men who risked their life in his employ. As author Huntford sums up his life: "Mental sloth was Shackleton's fatal flaw." It was the World War that showed Brits what heros really were, and brought about their almost immediate lack of interest in this hapless and hopeless wanderer. So, why should we care about this man and devote the time to read this almost 700 page book? Because Huntford has written such a brilliant biography that places us at death's door, in violent conditions, against tremendous odds and then gives us the joy of overcoming. Huntford delves interestingly and deeply into the rivalries of the explorers of the day and into the fascinating personalities of the men who went with Shackleton. We get it, warts and all. A first class biography with very helpful maps and dozens of great pictures.

Rating:
Summary: The best book I've read in months
Review: I could not finish this book. The subject is fascinating but method of piecing together bits of newspaper articles, diaries and other accounts makes for cumbersome reading. This is a graduate text book, not a story.

Rating:
Summary: "This is a man's man!"
Review: I first read of Shackleton in National Geographic. That only whetted my appetite to hear his entire exruciating journey. Roland's biography took me two months to read, but it was worth it.

I will never forget Ernest Shackleton. From "Shackleton" I leaned about leadership, the power of hope, optimism, human relationships; the power of dreams, perseverance. You will learn more from "Shackleton" in two months than you will from a lifetime of MBA professors.

Shackleton's antarctic journeys are the most engaging tales of survival, endurance and human pressure that I have ever read. Can you image yourself crossing 1,000 miles of frigid south Atlantic seas in a 20 foot boat, with 3 men, a box of matches, a pulpy map, a Victorian compass, and insufficient water in order to save the lives of 50 men who are in an even worse predicament! He did all that and more.

If you like real life stories of survival and adventure, you will enjoy this book to no end.

Rating:
Summary: A Courageous Man
Review: Most people remember Shackleton as the man who headed the doomed Endurance expedition and lost not a single man. (In fact not one man died on any Polar expedition he led, save himself from a heart attack at the start of his last one) But he was also the man who beat Scott and Wilson's furthest south record by over 360 miles in 1908-1909 and got to within 100 miles of the Pole. When asked by his wife how he had withstood the temptation to go on and take a gamble on his life with the odds stacked heavily against him and his men on the return journey he replied: 'I thought you would prefer a live donkey to a dead lion'. Now that is sheer bravery. If Scott constantly saw him as an ally and not as a rival and enemy (Scott's cruelty to Shackleton during his Discovery expedition triggered off their mutual loathing for each other)then he would have learned much and probably would have lived longer.

Rating:
Summary: A rambling account of the great explorer
Review: Shackletons life was one tragedy after another. Sir Ernest failed to beat Amundsun to the South Pole and his previous voyages were blocked by ice flows and lack of ability to exceed his `furthest south' point. The goal of his final voyage was to cross Antarctica, a feat that had never been accomplished. Setting out during the outbreak of the Great War his ship, the Endurance, became stranded in the ice. For more then a year his ship floated in the ice pack and was finally destroyed at which time his men marched over land and finally took to boats to paddle towards S. Georgia. His tale was one of survival against all odds and should make for an exciting biography.

Unfortunately this book combines far to many diary entries from the various participants and in the end it reads like a rambling account without order or organization. Although the many entries are chronological the author refuses to tie them together, leaving it to the reader to page through the ramblings of Shackleton himself and his men. It would have been simply better to publish the diaries in their entirety. This book, although a decent account, is simply hard to follow at its climax, when the men are stranded on the ice pack. It does not do Shackleton justice

Rating:
Summary: A rambling account of the great explorer
Review: Shackletons life was one tragedy after another. Sir Ernest failed to beat Amundsun to the South Pole and his previous voyages were blocked by ice flows and lack of ability to exceed his 'furthest south' point. The goal of his final voyage was to cross Antarctica, a feat that had never been accomplished. Setting out during the outbreak of the Great War his ship, the Endurance, became stranded in the ice. For more then a year his ship floated in the ice pack and was finally destroyed at which time his men marched over land and finally took to boats to paddle towards S. Georgia. His tale was one of survival against all odds and should make for an exciting biography.

Unfortunately this book combines far to many diary entries from the various participants and in the end it reads like a rambling account without order or organization. Although the many entries are chronological the author refuses to tie them together, leaving it to the reader to page through the ramblings of Shackleton himself and his men. It would have been simply better to publish the diaries in their entirety. This book, although a decent account, is simply hard to follow at its climax, when the men are stranded on the ice pack. It does not do Shackleton justice

Rating:
Summary: A good read for the adventure minded
Review: Such a fantastic book, using copious material from the explorers diaries with page turning narrative. By reading this book you become a member of the expeditions, feeling cold, hungry, tired, dirty and seasick.

Comparisons between the British and Norwegian explorers of the day are fascinating. While you can relate to the British explorers as hero's, you are also made aware of their failings. It is clear that in many instances their need for endurance was often self inflicted, while the Norwegians move quickly in comfort. The book makes you realise that the British were true amateurs in polar exploration and it is truly amazing that any came back alive. Yet, despite these failings, men such as Shackleton seem to thrive in adverse conditions. You can only marvel at Shackleton's ability to lead, when many others would sit down and give up. They are true hero's and you root for them every step of the way.

Huntsford brings this adventure to life. I must now travel to Antartica to satisfy my thirst for more.

Rating:
Summary: Cold, wet and dirty
Review: Such a fantastic book, using copious material from the explorers diaries with page turning narrative. By reading this book you become a member of the expeditions, feeling cold, hungry, tired, dirty and seasick.

Comparisons between the British and Norwegian explorers of the day are fascinating. While you can relate to the British explorers as hero's, you are also made aware of their failings. It is clear that in many instances their need for endurance was often self inflicted, while the Norwegians move quickly in comfort. The book makes you realise that the British were true amateurs in polar exploration and it is truly amazing that any came back alive. Yet, despite these failings, men such as Shackleton seem to thrive in adverse conditions. You can only marvel at Shackleton's ability to lead, when many others would sit down and give up. They are true hero's and you root for them every step of the way.

Huntsford brings this adventure to life. I must now travel to Antartica to satisfy my thirst for more.

Rating:
Summary: Complete Your Knowledge
Review: This is a fabulous addition to the Endurance myth. In the last several years Shackleton has gone through a bit of a revival with a big movie and release of several books. This biography of the man himself is a must read for anybody looking to get at the reasons for why a man would trek out into the dark, lonely, uncharted waters of the Antarctic. Perhaps the vougue comes to us as we look around to find our own uncharted lands and discover we have very little of it left. This is a life that literally could not be led in todays world of Global Positioning and Gortex. It brings to mind the question of the next great frontiers, the mind, space or underseas adventure all could be next. To match Shackleton one would have to build the rocket ship themselves out of duct tape and soda cans and somehow save his crew from aliens in the meantime. All the while Shackleton never really lets on that the true mission is to become a hero at any cost. Truly inspirational.