They Stood No Chance. . .And Survived

At the onset of writing this review of Jennifer Armstrong's 1998 book Shipwreck At The Bottom Of The World, I do not know whether or not this true story of courage, adventure, despair and hope has ever been made into a motion picture. At the very least, the tale of the nearly doomed crew of the ill-fated Endurance merits a documentary on The History Channel or some similar venue. But even that does not matter. What does matter is the Armstrong has vividly captured the drama and danger that a crew of 28 intrepid sailors endured during a 1914 excursion to the frigid South Pole.

The hubris of expedition leader Ernest Henry Shackleton might be cited as a factor in the harrowing ordeal, which officially began when the ship sailed from England in August of 1914. Shackleton, who had been knighted several years earlier, was a veteran traveler who had sailed close to the southernmost continent in 1908 but never reached Antarctica. By the time the Endurance set out, two previous explorers had achieved this goal, so Shackleton set his goal higher: his Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition would not only reached the frozen continent, they would cross it. How wrong he was. In December of that year the possibly misnamed Endurance sailed from South Georgia Island, bound for Antarctica. A year and a half later, the harrowed, exhausted crew returned, alive but sans their original vessel.

Armstrong's book may be classified as "juvenile literature," an often inaccurate epithet, and one that rings somewhat deprecatory. The diction is neither condescending nor erudite, and Shipwreck is accessible to most readers from about the age of 10 to adult. To the seasoned reader, the occasional parenthetical references might seem superfluous, but not really out of place. Armstrong skillfully brings to life the perils and tribulations faced by the crew. The daily hazards that these men faced are hard to imagine: hurricane force winds, icebergs, ravenous sea lions, frostbite and near starvation. The tact and aplomb with which Shackleton circumvented a mutiny are equally impressive.

The 45 authentic photographs complement Armstrong's excellent narrative, as well as helping to provide a break between blocks of text for the reader's eyes. That being established, there is a significant dearth of images between pages 69 to 95, spanning seven chapters. Overall, the pictures are interspersed effectively, and elicit a wide range of reactions, from humorous (like the one on page 68 of First Officer Lionel Greenstreet with icicles on his moustache) to breathtaking (such as the view on page 16 of the scenic, snow-capped mountains on South Georgia Island in the South Atlantic Ocean). An image sure to linger in the mind of any viewer is that of Shackleton's second-in-command Frank Wild grimly surveying the crushed remains of the Endurance, after the ship became trapped in the ice. Other essential visual aids are the detailed drawings showing the four separate decks of the Norwegian-built Endurance and the two maps delineating the overall geography of the region, and the ship's itinerary.

Somewhat tragic is the fate of the animals on board, a cat and numerous dogs, none of whom survived the entire voyage. The dogs were at first necessary to tow sleds full of supplies, but as food grew scarcer, orders were given to shoot the dogs rather than let them starve. The reaction of one of the crew sums up the general sentiment:

It seemed like murdering in cold blood a trusty pal, but, alas, there was no alternative.
Food was running short and the end was inevitable, for the dogs could not be taken
into the boats (67).

Ultimately, the reader, as I did, will appreciate that the 28 besieged sailors did what they had to do to survive. Ironically, Shackleton died at South Georgia Island on yet another Antarctic expedition six years after his return, following two heart attacks. Some may have questioned why, after his terrible ordeal with the Endurance, Shackleton would attempt to return to the South Pole. Those who knew him, and sailed with him through across hundreds of miles of dangerous seas, never questioned why.