In Shackleton's Footsteps: A Return To The Antarctic
by Henry Worsley
Tales of heroes and peril make such good reads because they take us beyond the ordinary into the realm of the impossible - to the edge of human capability. In Shackleton's Footsteps by Henry Worsley is such a book. It takes the reader back to the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration through the journey of the Shackleton Centenary Expedition (SCE) of 2008-9. In late 2008, descendants of the original explorers - Will Gow, Henry Adams and Henry Worsley - set off to recreate Ernest Shackleton's unsuccessful 820 mile Nimrod Expedition to the South pole. This was a tribute to the centenary of the original expedition of 1909.
The real-life story that follows is not only about the arduous physical journey, but a meditation on the qualities that drive men to such extraordinary feats. Although not a light read by any standards, this book is the perfect summer read for those seeking a challenge and some adventure.
Essential Travel Rating: 7/10
Read on...
Before The Expedition
You would expect arctic explorers to be men of a different type, but the members of SCE come from ordinary backgrounds - Will is a City worker from Ashford, Henry A a shipping lawyer from Snape, and Henry W a soldier from Hereford. Their first meeting in 2004 reminds one a lot of those late night pub discussions - wild dreams that often go unfulfilled. But these men, in the five years before the expedition, turn words into actions and we see them go from being complete strangers to being united by a common goal.
The beauty of the book is in the way the progress of the Centenary expedition is interspersed with accounts of what happened a century earlier with Shackleton, as if the two stories are unfolding simultaneously. One moment Worsley describes the pivotal decision to replace Will as the leader, and the next we are transported a hundred years back to Shackleton's own troubles with Robert Scott - his former leader and later rival in the race to the South.
The Expedition
The delays caused by adverse weather at the beginning of the expedition bring an element of drama to the story, as doubts creep in for the team. Will they be able to reach the same spot where Shackleton turned back a century earlier in time?
As the writer and narrator is also the leader of the expedition, some would argue that the book is excessively subjective. But when the expedition itself begins the value of this viewpoint becomes clear: the daily struggle to make the necessary miles can only be told from the first person. In plain prose Worsley describes the daily struggle to grind out miles while constantly being alert to dangers - especially when they walk Beardmore glacier and have to avoid hidden crevasses. Worsley is a faithful and honest narrator, dealing with the good, bad and humiliating in equal measure: his struggle to keep up with the others, the occasional friction between team-mates, dealing with piles and battling the demons that bedeviled the mind in the quiet moments trekking.
You can't help but feel awed by Shackleton's original expedition that, without the assistance of modern technology, achieved so much despite failing at their ultimate goal. This admiration for men of this heroic age is a constant theme in Worsley's writing. Walking in the path of giants gave his crew strength and perseverance.
A story about three men trekking across the Antarctic may seem to have little relevance to everyday life, but the lessons one can take away from this book are universal. Struggling against adversity, whether it be the icy wilderness at the bottom of the world or just dealing with the challenges of daily life, is something we can all relate to.
Do they overcome the challenges and reach their goal in time? Well, you'll have to read the book to find out.
To read more about the Shackleton Centenary Expedition go to shackletoncentenary.org