South

The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition, 1914-1917

By: Sir Ernest Shackleton

Narrated by: Steven Crossley

Length: 14 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

As war clouds darkened over Europe in 1914, a party led by Sir Ernest Shackleton set out to make the first crossing of the entire Antarctic continent via the Pole. But their initial optimism was short-lived as ice floes closed around their ship, gradually crushing it and marooning twenty-eight men on the polar ice. Alone in the world's most unforgiving environment, Shackleton and his team began a brutal quest for survival. And as the story of their journey across treacherous seas and a wilderness of glaciers and snow fields unfolds, the scale of their courage and heroism becomes movingly clear.

Public Domain (P)2011 Tantor

Great narrator for a gripping story

I've read several other accounts of this expedition, but hadn't previously gone straight to the source. Shackleton's writing is a bit drier and more occupied with meteorological detail than later descriptions of the journey, like Alfred Lansing's 1959 Endurance, but any reader who is used to nonfiction from the late 19th and early 20th centuries will easily adjust to the tone and get into the book. And, of course, it gets much more dramatic about 3 hours in, when the Endurance is crushed in the ice and sinks.

Crossley's narration is fantastic, he really brings Shackleton's words to life. It feels like having SIr Ernest in the room with you, telling you his story.

Amazing

What a fantastic account of resilience and perseverance in the face of many challenges while exploring the arctic in the early 1900’s

a rare tale of grit & determination

absolutely engrossing.
These men were unwavering, so positive in the face of monumental difficulties.

A REMARKABLE STORY OF COURAGE AND INNOVATION!

Man's eternal drive to explore and understand the nature of his planetary space ship has never been more eloquently told. Shackleton's genius extends beyond the scientific. Nowhere do you find demonstrated the art of leadership than in the life story of Sir Earnest. A inspiring and rewarding read. LaMar M. Fox, M.D.

What a narrator!

This is an amazing story of adventure made incredibly enjoyable thanks to the narrator. His accent and rhythm made it feel like it was Lord Shackleton himself telling his accomplishments.

This is a must read.

If there were 10 books that one must read during their lifetime this is one. Leadership, courage and a level head with extraordinary leadership. Anyone who leads whether in business or a family can learn from Shackleton's way.

Interesting Story, Little Dry Though

So as someone who currently serves in the military and travels frequently, I've had this book on my radar for quite awhile. It's a great tale about stoicism, leadership, and staying upbeat when all the odds are against you. But the narrator doesn't vary his voice much if at all, so on longer drives it can get a little monotonous. Also, this might just be me, but there were times parts of the story were retold from a different perspective, and the book (I felt) didn't transition very well between POV's. So that was a little confusing. But overall it's a great story, and frankly should be covered more in history.

Amazing first hand account

It’s like sitting down with the legendary explorer and him telling me about the harrowing journey from beginning to end. He’s one of my heroes and I tell everyone to read or listen to this book. The narrator is spot on with the emotion he evokes As he speaks of the trials and tribulations they all went through. I can’t recommend this enough!

An Exploration Epic

First, a quick note on the reader. I listened to this book on 1.3 x the speed and it was perfect. I momentarily switched it to regular speed and it was terribly slow.
Having read Alfred Lansing‘s Endurance, I was eager to get my hands on the first hand account from Shackleton himself. It did not disappoint. Compared to Lansing’s shorter book, South includes a lot more meticulous navigational details, and sometimes reads more like a “log”, but is still gripping nonetheless. He also does not include as many details about the crew’s more personal experiences, which I enjoyed reading from Lansing, who used several of the crews’ diaries in his research. However, if I had to pick, I would definitely go with South, the main reason being that the last 1/3 of the book retells the incredible story of the other half of the expedition, led by Captain MacKenzie and his dog sledding team.
I will say that if you are not familiar with this story at all, I would make sure to look up a map of the expedition routes so you can have a clearer mental view of what is going on.

Read Endurance

Sir Ernest Shackleton was an amazing leader, Alfred Lansing was a better story writer.