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Rating: 
Summary: Endearing, but bring Kleenex
Review: "Mrs. Chippy's Last Expedition" is a playful window into the history and personalities of the 1908-09 Endurance expedition to Antarctica. Incredibly, the ship was crushed after 9 months trapped in the ice, but not a single man was lost. Mrs. Chippy (the cat who accompanied the crew of the Endurance to Antarctica) leads us on an examination, not just of history and brave explorers, but of day-to-day survival and interaction between men in dire circumstances. If you love cats and have a curiosity about Antarctic exploration, this is a great book to start your journey. One must, however, have patience with the 100-plus footnotes, as they are a slightly awkward part of the story that enable one to understand the big picture behind the journal of this extraordinary feline."Mrs. Chippy's Last Expedition", though it is light and high-spirited, tells a vivid tale which stands in the same compelling league as Jon Krakauer's, "Into the Wild". Both left me in awe of nature and wringing my handkerchief by books' end.
Rating: 
Summary: South Bound Cat
Review: After seeing the IMAX movie about Shackelton in Richmond, VA, my wife and I had to get some books about this expedition and the incredible story of survival. We have two cats and I thought my wife would like this book. As I read through the book, I laugh out loud and some of the "commentary" from Mrs. Chippy. If you have ever lived with a cat, you can see exactly what she is talking about.
We also got "South" by Shackelton. Mrs. Chippy gives a less doom-and-gloom factual account than that book, but still maintains the essence of what is happening during the voyage. I thoroghly enjoyed this book.
Rating:
Summary: Cat book? History? Adventure? You'll never forget Mrs Chippy
Review: All cat lovers will recognize the behavior and thinking of cats so observantly and lovingly depicted in this little gem of a book. It's a cat book, a history book, and an adventure book all in one. Written in diary form, it tells the story of Shackleton's antarctic voyage from the point of view of the expedition's cat, Mrs. Chippy. The expedition, the last of the heroic age of polar exploration, might have been wiped out, as was the Scott expedition a few years before. If only Scott had taken a cat with him, things might just have turned out differently. Somehow, Shackleton's crew survived. Mrs. Chippy, like the men of the expedition, is in many ways just an ordinary cat, not a hero. We read of her (well, actually, it's really his) devotion to ship routine, never missing a meal, always inspecting things and keeping watch, and his comic demonstrations of how a mouse works. Don't skip the footnotes! They are necessary to round out the story's "human angle." Caroline Alexander has carefully combed the photographs made during the expedition for traces of Mrs. Chippy. Don't look for digital insertions of Mrs. Chippy where none had existed before, as in Forrest Gump. Instead Ms. Alexander makes a delightful game of inferring Mrs. Chippy's presence. Is that Mrs. Chippy on Page 108? What do you think? My only criticism of this book relates to its ending. Armchair explorers may not be ready for this surprise.
Rating:
Summary: A Pleasing Work of Historical Fiction
Review: I can't say enough good things about this book. However, I think it's obvious that any review of it must take into account that while the story takes place in actual historical context, the book's literary content, being the journal of a domesticated cat, is clearly fabricated. I find it humorous that several reviewers seem to have forgotten this and have criticized it for being somehow unrealistic. The book is a journal of the Endurance's carpenter's cat, Mrs. Chippy (apparently, ships' carpenters are often nicknamed "Chips"). We learn that Mrs. Chippy took his responsibilities as an explorer, including keeping a stern watch to monitor the ship's progress, helping his mate in carpentry projects, and mousing, quite seriously. In fact, Chippy's concern for the maintenance of ship routine through the monotony of the shipwreck period surpasses that of virtually any other crew member. If you've read any account of the Endurance Expedition already, you will quite likely enjoy this book for its thoughtful alternative perspective. It is not sappy in the least - Chippy's intelligent writing allows us to see him as he sees himself: as the 29th crew member on the expedition. If you have to ask, "how did Chippy learn how to write?" or "when did he find the time?", you're not appreciating the books purpose - to entertain and provide a little insight into how an animal might have been more than slightly responsible for maintaining the crew's sanity.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining for cat lovers or Shackleton fans
Review: I really enjoyed this book. Throughout the book, you learn about the men on the Endurance, what their characters were like, and what life was like on the ship, all from the point of view of a cat.
Of course, the ending is sad, but Caroline Alexander does not dwell on the details of Mrs Chippy's demise.
This story will appeal to many, animal lovers like myself, history buffs, and anyone interested in seeing how man handles himself in times of great stress.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining for cat lovers or Shackleton fans
Review: Mrs Chippy's Last Expedition is an entertaining story of Ernest Shackletons journey to Antarctica as told from the perspective of the true-life on board cat who was named Mrs. Chippy. The story is told in journal form and will delight cat lovers with a keen view of the adventure as only a cat would see things. Caroline Alexander does an excellent job of capturing the intelligence and demeanor of cats as in this passage. "The dogs were barking like mad... i suspect they are bewildered much of the time by what goes on around them." Entertaining for both cat lovers and as an adjunct to any book on the true Shackleton adventure. I highly recommend Alfred Lansings account Endurance: Shackletons Incredible Voyage although Caroline Alexander herself also wrote a serious account after this Mrs Chippy cat diary version. Giving it 3 1/2 stars....4+ if you are a cat lover.
Rating:
Summary: A Pleasing Work of Historical Fiction
Review: You've read the tale of the Endurance and you can't get enough of this incredible epic. You must now read 'Mrs. Chippy's Last Expedition'. Ms. Alexander, in a delightfully strange manner, has provided a unique perspective on both the expedition and on the relationship between a cat and its mates. If you read 'The Endurance', you already appreciate Ms. Alexander's scholarly and literary abilities. (Frankly, it easily rivals the accounts of Lansing and even Shackleton, himself.) When you read 'Mrs. Chippy', you will also appreciate her profound perception of both feline and human behavior. It's a pity that other reviewers feel they must exhibit their knowledge of Mrs. Chippy's actual fate, but don't worry, if you love cats, nothing can prepare you for the end of this book. Thank you, Caroline Alexander, for a truly remarkable story.
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