In Shackleton's Footsteps: A Return to the Heart of the Antarctic

Description

Shackleton's descendants take on the expedition that defeated him in the most extreme Antarctic challenge known to man On the 29th of October 1908, a party of four men, led by Ernest Shackleton, set out to be the first to reach the South Pole. Three months later, their mission was in ruins and they faced certain death if they carried on. Just 97 miles from the South Pole, Shackleton turned back. One hundred years on, in October 2008, a team that included descendants of that original party, led by Henry Worsley, set out from Shackleton's hut to celebrate the centenary of his expedition by retracing the exact 870 mile route and going on to finish the last 97 miles. This captivating book explores the history of the original expedition and reasons behind its failure, while capturing the meticulous planning, fundraising and training for the new expedition. There is also the team's first days on the ice, Christmas on the polar plateau, the brutal reality of crossing the Beardmore Glacier and the final miles to the South Pole. In Shackleton's Footsteps is a unique story of adventure, pioneering spirit and man's triumph over nature.

Henry Worsley is descended from Frank Worsley, the skipper on Shackleton's ship The Endurance. He is a Lieutenant Colonel with The Rifles in the British Army. In 2007 he helped set up The Shackleton Foundation which aims to support people who embody the leadership style and spirit of Ernest Shackleton. www.shackletonfoundation.org www.shackletoncentenary.org

An honest, gripping and intensely personal account of one man's quest to tackle the coldest, toughest, most desolate journey on earth. Henry is a man moulded in Shackleton's image and courage and spirit oozes from these pages. * Bear Grylls * Thrillingly detailed * The Guardian * In an era where most of the world is explored and adventurous journeys have become more commonplace, it still takes a certain type of person to walk the 900 miles over 66 days, in Antarctic weather conditions, to fulfil a genetic ambition * Independent * A century after the pioneering Anglo-Irish explorer was forced to turn back just 97 miles from his goal, the modern-day adventurers achieved what he could not * Telegraph *