South: the Story of Shackleton’s Last Expedition 1914 – 1917

South is the story of the most important trip undertaken by Sir Ernest Shackleton as told by himself: the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Feeling that the pride of his homeland, Great Britain, was lost as it had not been the first country to reach the Geographic South Pole — the Norwegian Roald Amundsen had conquered it in 1911 — Shackleton planned an extremely ambitious adventure that had not yet been accomplished: Not only did he intend to reach the South Pole but he also dreamt of crossing the vast white continent, from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea, a total distance of more than 1800 miles.

At the beginning of World War I in 1914, the expedition left on board the Endurance. However, weather conditions that year were more severe than usual, and his powerful ship was trapped in the implacable pressure of the ice packs. Unable to do anything to save their ship, the brave crew abandoned her and witnessed her destruction in the unbreakable clutches of the immense frozen mass.

From that moment on, Shackleton and his men had to fight against the hostile weather and find a way to be rescued as soon as possible. Shackleton showed his courage and resolution — his name is invoked even today as an example of great leadership — as he dared undertake dangerous exploits such as navigating furious seas in a 23 feet long boat and walking nonstop for 36 hours through the challenging mountains and glaciers in South Georgia Island.

South is not a mere historical chronicle; this book is a testimony of one of the greatest survival stories of all times.