Audiobook · read by volunteers
South! The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition 1914-1917
Ernest Shackleton (1874–1922)
Read by Gesine, Sibella Denton, Esther, J. M. Smallheer, Lizzie Driver, David Barnes, Laura Caldwell, Anna Simon, Cori Samuel, Sir Ernest Shackleton · 37 chapters · 15 h 32
About the book
In August 1914, as Europe went to war, Ernest Shackleton led an expedition to cross Antarctica on foot, from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea by way of the South Pole. The ship Endurance sailed from London, reached the ice of the Weddell Sea and became trapped. What followed was one of the most extraordinary survival stories ever told: months of drifting on the ice, the loss of the ship, a desperate journey in small boats and an open-boat voyage across the stormy ocean to find help. South is Shackleton’s own account of the expedition, written in a plain, direct style. It is a book about leadership, endurance and loyalty, and it grips the listener from the first chapter. The adventure was real, and so was every hardship, and the voice that tells it is that of the man in charge.
Introduction
Ernest Shackleton (1874–1922) was an Anglo-Irish explorer who took part in several expeditions to Antarctica. His Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914 to 1917 never achieved its original goal, but it became famous for the way he brought his men home. South was published in 1919, and it combines his own narrative with extracts from the journals of other members of the party.
The book opens with a preface and then takes the story chapter by chapter, beginning with the voyage into the Weddell Sea. Shackleton writes modestly about his own part, and he gives credit to the men who shared the hardship. Descriptions of ice, weather and the daily routines of survival make the account feel immediate. Listeners should be prepared for a long recording, thirty-seven parts and more than fifteen hours, but the story is compelling throughout, and the later chapters turn from the Endurance to the Ross Sea party on the other side of the continent.
Today the expedition remains an emblem of courage under pressure, and the book is often cited in discussions of leadership. Shackleton’s account, even though written long ago, remains one of the best-loved books of polar exploration, and it offers inspiration to those who value teamwork.
The 37 recordings, about 15.5 hours in all, are shared among LibriVox volunteers. The last recording is a historical curiosity: a short spoken message by Shackleton himself, linked to his 1907 expedition. Chapter titles such as Ocean Camp, Patience Camp and The Boat Journey give an idea of how the story unfolds, and the book is best heard a few chapters at a time over a couple of weeks.
Public domain
Ernest Shackleton died in 1922: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text