South. The Story of Shackleton’s Last Expedition: 1914-1917.

SHACKLETON, Ernest.

Item Number: 93577

London: William Heinemann, 1919.

First edition, first issue of Shackleton’s own account of his ill-fated expedition, with folding map at rear, in-text maps and illustrations, and 87 black-and-white plates, most after photographs by Frank Hurley. Octavo, original publisher’s blue cloth, upper cover lettered and stamped with image of Endurance in silver, color frontispiece, numerous plates, large folding map, errata slip. In near fine condition. An exceptional example.

Ernest Shackleton embarked in 1914 in the Endurance to make the first crossing of the Antarctic continent—1800 miles from sea to sea. But 1915 turned into an unusually icy year in Antarctica; after drifting trapped in the ice for nine months, the Endurance was crushed in the ice on October 27. “Shackleton now showed his supreme qualities of leadership…with five companions he made a voyage of 800 miles in a 22-foot boat through some of the stormiest seas in the world, crossed the unknown lofty interior of South Georgia, and reached a Norwegian whaling station on the north coast. After three attempts… Shackleton succeeded (30 August 1916) in rescuing the rest of the Endurance party and bringing them to South America” (DNB). Rosove 308.A2; Spence 1107; Taurus 105.2.