Shackleton's Forgotten Men: The Untold Tragedy of the Endurance Epic (Adrenaline Classic Series)

This is a great narration about the rest of Shackleton's Antarctic expedition which suffered so many incredible setbacks, yet most survived. This is a good detailed telling of the other expedition sent out about the same time from Australia which was to set up supply depots from the opposite side of Antactica from Shackleton's expedition, in order for him to hopefully complete his attempt to be the first to cross the Continent from one side to the other. These depots would then enable him and his crew to be able to have food and supplies to complete their trans-continental expedition. While Shackleton's part of the expedition was floundering, this expedition also encountered its' own set of incredibly impossible circumstances. Their ship also became trapped in ice, but in this case, part of the crew was trapped on land with meager supplies, while the rest of the crew was trapped on board and carried away by the ocean currents and unable to return and aid the fellow crew mates. Well, you'll just need to get the book and find out "the rest of the story", if you don't already know it!!!

I read "Shakletons Way" and "Endurance". They were both essential to get all of my questions answered about what happened to that party, however I remained uncomfortably curious about what happened to the Ross Sea Party because they were only alluded to. "Shakletons Forgotten Men" was awesome because it showed how what happened to the Ross Sea Party was as strenuous and heroic as the Endurance experience. It also portrayed the perfect contrast to great leadership by the aweful domino effect of what happens when people are under poor leadership (not hideous leadership, just typical). I learned some great things about myself and my motivations and my will from reading this book. The book also totally explains why it could only be written now and not decades ago. I was very satisfied with the answer and felt like I could trust the authors portrayl of the experience of the Ross Sea Party. I give it only 4 stars because the writer was a little hard to follow at times (I eventually put some things together later). It didn't interefere too much with the story though, which I highly reccomend!

If you are a Shackleton fan, then this book is sure to delight you. The epic of Endurance has been given the most publicity but this story is every bit as captivating. These men, who had the responsibility to place food and supply depots for Shackleton's intended journey across Antarctica, endured hardship beyond description. They were totally dedicated to their task and their devotion to Shackleton is heartwarming. It proves, once again, his leadership prevailed even though he was almost 2,000 miles away from them. The writer gives a good insight into each of the characters and, as you read, you will feel you are enduring the journey yourself. It is without a doubt, one of the greatest stories of survival and a tribute to the toughness of the human spirit to prevail.

I ran across this book in a library while traveling and had to get a copy for myself. An interesting read of the other side of the story. No longer in print so it may take some time to find a copy.

This is the true story of Shackleton's Ross Sea team, tasked with creating the supply depots Shackleton expected to find waiting when he crossed Antartica from the Weddel Sea, through the South Pole, and on to the other side. They didn't know that Shackleton would never need the depots because his ship was frozen into the Weddel Sea -- they assumed he was depending on them to do their part. And so they did it, under this planet's most adverse conditions, with improvised equipment, and with extraordinary discipline, good humor and courage. These guys make today's "extreme" adventurers look like sissies. I liked this book because it describes brave people at work on a difficult task. It made me think about the qualities of good leaders and good team members. The book requires a bit of mental effort to piece together all the events. I thought it was worth the effort, but a timeline and maps with better legends would be helpful for readers who aren't already familiar with Shackleton's story.

This is the story of the less well known tragedy of the other ship involved in Shackleton's Antarctic expedition. I could not put this book down, the stories of the men were so amazing, and even though just about everything that could have gone wrong did, these men struggled on, because they knew that Shackleton was counting on them, and they did not want to fail. Hero is a word that could certainly apply here.

This is ultimately a great sequel to Lansing's book, Endurance. It is well-chronicled and engaging. Fascinating insight is given into the personalities of the real-life characters. The author also parallels the time line of this story along with the Shackleton Expedition across the continent.

An excellent book on unbelievable Antarctic hardship.

interesting but depressing tale of a lost cause frozen on the ice and rescued too late

Great read

This is a great narration about the rest of Shackleton's Antarctic expedition which suffered so many incredible setbacks, yet most survived. This is a good detailed telling of the other expedition sent out about the same time from Australia which was to set up supply depots from the opposite side of Antactica from Shackleton's expedition, in order for him to hopefully complete his attempt to be the first to cross the Continent from one side to the other. These depots would then enable him and his crew to be able to have food and supplies to complete their trans-continental expedition. While Shackleton's part of the expedition was floundering, this expedition also encountered its' own set of incredibly impossible circumstances. Their ship also became trapped in ice, but in this case, part of the crew was trapped on land with meager supplies, while the rest of the crew was trapped on board and carried away by the ocean currents and unable to return and aid the fellow crew mates. Well, you'll just need to get the book and find out "the rest of the story", if you don't already know it!!!

I read "Shakletons Way" and "Endurance". They were both essential to get all of my questions answered about what happened to that party, however I remained uncomfortably curious about what happened to the Ross Sea Party because they were only alluded to. "Shakletons Forgotten Men" was awesome because it showed how what happened to the Ross Sea Party was as strenuous and heroic as the Endurance experience. It also portrayed the perfect contrast to great leadership by the aweful domino effect of what happens when people are under poor leadership (not hideous leadership, just typical). I learned some great things about myself and my motivations and my will from reading this book. The book also totally explains why it could only be written now and not decades ago. I was very satisfied with the answer and felt like I could trust the authors portrayl of the experience of the Ross Sea Party. I give it only 4 stars because the writer was a little hard to follow at times (I eventually put some things together later). It didn't interefere too much with the story though, which I highly reccomend!

If you are a Shackleton fan, then this book is sure to delight you. The epic of Endurance has been given the most publicity but this story is every bit as captivating. These men, who had the responsibility to place food and supply depots for Shackleton's intended journey across Antarctica, endured hardship beyond description. They were totally dedicated to their task and their devotion to Shackleton is heartwarming. It proves, once again, his leadership prevailed even though he was almost 2,000 miles away from them. The writer gives a good insight into each of the characters and, as you read, you will feel you are enduring the journey yourself. It is without a doubt, one of the greatest stories of survival and a tribute to the toughness of the human spirit to prevail.

I ran across this book in a library while traveling and had to get a copy for myself. An interesting read of the other side of the story. No longer in print so it may take some time to find a copy.

This is the true story of Shackleton's Ross Sea team, tasked with creating the supply depots Shackleton expected to find waiting when he crossed Antartica from the Weddel Sea, through the South Pole, and on to the other side. They didn't know that Shackleton would never need the depots because his ship was frozen into the Weddel Sea -- they assumed he was depending on them to do their part. And so they did it, under this planet's most adverse conditions, with improvised equipment, and with extraordinary discipline, good humor and courage. These guys make today's "extreme" adventurers look like sissies. I liked this book because it describes brave people at work on a difficult task. It made me think about the qualities of good leaders and good team members. The book requires a bit of mental effort to piece together all the events. I thought it was worth the effort, but a timeline and maps with better legends would be helpful for readers who aren't already familiar with Shackleton's story.

This is the story of the less well known tragedy of the other ship involved in Shackleton's Antarctic expedition. I could not put this book down, the stories of the men were so amazing, and even though just about everything that could have gone wrong did, these men struggled on, because they knew that Shackleton was counting on them, and they did not want to fail. Hero is a word that could certainly apply here.

This is ultimately a great sequel to Lansing's book, Endurance. It is well-chronicled and engaging. Fascinating insight is given into the personalities of the real-life characters. The author also parallels the time line of this story along with the Shackleton Expedition across the continent.

An excellent book on unbelievable Antarctic hardship.

interesting but depressing tale of a lost cause frozen on the ice and rescued too late

Great read

This is a great narration about the rest of Shackleton's Antarctic expedition which suffered so many incredible setbacks, yet most survived. This is a good detailed telling of the other expedition sent out about the same time from Australia which was to set up supply depots from the opposite side of Antactica from Shackleton's expedition, in order for him to hopefully complete his attempt to be the first to cross the Continent from one side to the other. These depots would then enable him and his crew to be able to have food and supplies to complete their trans-continental expedition. While Shackleton's part of the expedition was floundering, this expedition also encountered its' own set of incredibly impossible circumstances. Their ship also became trapped in ice, but in this case, part of the crew was trapped on land with meager supplies, while the rest of the crew was trapped on board and carried away by the ocean currents and unable to return and aid the fellow crew mates. Well, you'll just need to get the book and find out "the rest of the story", if you don't already know it!!!

I read "Shakletons Way" and "Endurance". They were both essential to get all of my questions answered about what happened to that party, however I remained uncomfortably curious about what happened to the Ross Sea Party because they were only alluded to. "Shakletons Forgotten Men" was awesome because it showed how what happened to the Ross Sea Party was as strenuous and heroic as the Endurance experience. It also portrayed the perfect contrast to great leadership by the aweful domino effect of what happens when people are under poor leadership (not hideous leadership, just typical). I learned some great things about myself and my motivations and my will from reading this book. The book also totally explains why it could only be written now and not decades ago. I was very satisfied with the answer and felt like I could trust the authors portrayl of the experience of the Ross Sea Party. I give it only 4 stars because the writer was a little hard to follow at times (I eventually put some things together later). It didn't interefere too much with the story though, which I highly reccomend!

If you are a Shackleton fan, then this book is sure to delight you. The epic of Endurance has been given the most publicity but this story is every bit as captivating. These men, who had the responsibility to place food and supply depots for Shackleton's intended journey across Antarctica, endured hardship beyond description. They were totally dedicated to their task and their devotion to Shackleton is heartwarming. It proves, once again, his leadership prevailed even though he was almost 2,000 miles away from them. The writer gives a good insight into each of the characters and, as you read, you will feel you are enduring the journey yourself. It is without a doubt, one of the greatest stories of survival and a tribute to the toughness of the human spirit to prevail.

I ran across this book in a library while traveling and had to get a copy for myself. An interesting read of the other side of the story. No longer in print so it may take some time to find a copy.

This is the true story of Shackleton's Ross Sea team, tasked with creating the supply depots Shackleton expected to find waiting when he crossed Antartica from the Weddel Sea, through the South Pole, and on to the other side. They didn't know that Shackleton would never need the depots because his ship was frozen into the Weddel Sea -- they assumed he was depending on them to do their part. And so they did it, under this planet's most adverse conditions, with improvised equipment, and with extraordinary discipline, good humor and courage. These guys make today's "extreme" adventurers look like sissies. I liked this book because it describes brave people at work on a difficult task. It made me think about the qualities of good leaders and good team members. The book requires a bit of mental effort to piece together all the events. I thought it was worth the effort, but a timeline and maps with better legends would be helpful for readers who aren't already familiar with Shackleton's story.

This is the story of the less well known tragedy of the other ship involved in Shackleton's Antarctic expedition. I could not put this book down, the stories of the men were so amazing, and even though just about everything that could have gone wrong did, these men struggled on, because they knew that Shackleton was counting on them, and they did not want to fail. Hero is a word that could certainly apply here.

This is ultimately a great sequel to Lansing's book, Endurance. It is well-chronicled and engaging. Fascinating insight is given into the personalities of the real-life characters. The author also parallels the time line of this story along with the Shackleton Expedition across the continent.

An excellent book on unbelievable Antarctic hardship.

interesting but depressing tale of a lost cause frozen on the ice and rescued too late

Great read

This is a great narration about the rest of Shackleton's Antarctic expedition which suffered so many incredible setbacks, yet most survived. This is a good detailed telling of the other expedition sent out about the same time from Australia which was to set up supply depots from the opposite side of Antactica from Shackleton's expedition, in order for him to hopefully complete his attempt to be the first to cross the Continent from one side to the other. These depots would then enable him and his crew to be able to have food and supplies to complete their trans-continental expedition. While Shackleton's part of the expedition was floundering, this expedition also encountered its' own set of incredibly impossible circumstances. Their ship also became trapped in ice, but in this case, part of the crew was trapped on land with meager supplies, while the rest of the crew was trapped on board and carried away by the ocean currents and unable to return and aid the fellow crew mates. Well, you'll just need to get the book and find out "the rest of the story", if you don't already know it!!!

I read "Shakletons Way" and "Endurance". They were both essential to get all of my questions answered about what happened to that party, however I remained uncomfortably curious about what happened to the Ross Sea Party because they were only alluded to. "Shakletons Forgotten Men" was awesome because it showed how what happened to the Ross Sea Party was as strenuous and heroic as the Endurance experience. It also portrayed the perfect contrast to great leadership by the aweful domino effect of what happens when people are under poor leadership (not hideous leadership, just typical). I learned some great things about myself and my motivations and my will from reading this book. The book also totally explains why it could only be written now and not decades ago. I was very satisfied with the answer and felt like I could trust the authors portrayl of the experience of the Ross Sea Party. I give it only 4 stars because the writer was a little hard to follow at times (I eventually put some things together later). It didn't interefere too much with the story though, which I highly reccomend!

If you are a Shackleton fan, then this book is sure to delight you. The epic of Endurance has been given the most publicity but this story is every bit as captivating. These men, who had the responsibility to place food and supply depots for Shackleton's intended journey across Antarctica, endured hardship beyond description. They were totally dedicated to their task and their devotion to Shackleton is heartwarming. It proves, once again, his leadership prevailed even though he was almost 2,000 miles away from them. The writer gives a good insight into each of the characters and, as you read, you will feel you are enduring the journey yourself. It is without a doubt, one of the greatest stories of survival and a tribute to the toughness of the human spirit to prevail.

I ran across this book in a library while traveling and had to get a copy for myself. An interesting read of the other side of the story. No longer in print so it may take some time to find a copy.

This is the true story of Shackleton's Ross Sea team, tasked with creating the supply depots Shackleton expected to find waiting when he crossed Antartica from the Weddel Sea, through the South Pole, and on to the other side. They didn't know that Shackleton would never need the depots because his ship was frozen into the Weddel Sea -- they assumed he was depending on them to do their part. And so they did it, under this planet's most adverse conditions, with improvised equipment, and with extraordinary discipline, good humor and courage. These guys make today's "extreme" adventurers look like sissies. I liked this book because it describes brave people at work on a difficult task. It made me think about the qualities of good leaders and good team members. The book requires a bit of mental effort to piece together all the events. I thought it was worth the effort, but a timeline and maps with better legends would be helpful for readers who aren't already familiar with Shackleton's story.

This is the story of the less well known tragedy of the other ship involved in Shackleton's Antarctic expedition. I could not put this book down, the stories of the men were so amazing, and even though just about everything that could have gone wrong did, these men struggled on, because they knew that Shackleton was counting on them, and they did not want to fail. Hero is a word that could certainly apply here.

This is ultimately a great sequel to Lansing's book, Endurance. It is well-chronicled and engaging. Fascinating insight is given into the personalities of the real-life characters. The author also parallels the time line of this story along with the Shackleton Expedition across the continent.

An excellent book on unbelievable Antarctic hardship.

interesting but depressing tale of a lost cause frozen on the ice and rescued too late

Great read

This is a great narration about the rest of Shackleton's Antarctic expedition which suffered so many incredible setbacks, yet most survived. This is a good detailed telling of the other expedition sent out about the same time from Australia which was to set up supply depots from the opposite side of Antactica from Shackleton's expedition, in order for him to hopefully complete his attempt to be the first to cross the Continent from one side to the other. These depots would then enable him and his crew to be able to have food and supplies to complete their trans-continental expedition. While Shackleton's part of the expedition was floundering, this expedition also encountered its' own set of incredibly impossible circumstances. Their ship also became trapped in ice, but in this case, part of the crew was trapped on land with meager supplies, while the rest of the crew was trapped on board and carried away by the ocean currents and unable to return and aid the fellow crew mates. Well, you'll just need to get the book and find out "the rest of the story", if you don't already know it!!!

I read "Shakletons Way" and "Endurance". They were both essential to get all of my questions answered about what happened to that party, however I remained uncomfortably curious about what happened to the Ross Sea Party because they were only alluded to. "Shakletons Forgotten Men" was awesome because it showed how what happened to the Ross Sea Party was as strenuous and heroic as the Endurance experience. It also portrayed the perfect contrast to great leadership by the aweful domino effect of what happens when people are under poor leadership (not hideous leadership, just typical). I learned some great things about myself and my motivations and my will from reading this book. The book also totally explains why it could only be written now and not decades ago. I was very satisfied with the answer and felt like I could trust the authors portrayl of the experience of the Ross Sea Party. I give it only 4 stars because the writer was a little hard to follow at times (I eventually put some things together later). It didn't interefere too much with the story though, which I highly reccomend!

If you are a Shackleton fan, then this book is sure to delight you. The epic of Endurance has been given the most publicity but this story is every bit as captivating. These men, who had the responsibility to place food and supply depots for Shackleton's intended journey across Antarctica, endured hardship beyond description. They were totally dedicated to their task and their devotion to Shackleton is heartwarming. It proves, once again, his leadership prevailed even though he was almost 2,000 miles away from them. The writer gives a good insight into each of the characters and, as you read, you will feel you are enduring the journey yourself. It is without a doubt, one of the greatest stories of survival and a tribute to the toughness of the human spirit to prevail.

I ran across this book in a library while traveling and had to get a copy for myself. An interesting read of the other side of the story. No longer in print so it may take some time to find a copy.

This is the true story of Shackleton's Ross Sea team, tasked with creating the supply depots Shackleton expected to find waiting when he crossed Antartica from the Weddel Sea, through the South Pole, and on to the other side. They didn't know that Shackleton would never need the depots because his ship was frozen into the Weddel Sea -- they assumed he was depending on them to do their part. And so they did it, under this planet's most adverse conditions, with improvised equipment, and with extraordinary discipline, good humor and courage. These guys make today's "extreme" adventurers look like sissies. I liked this book because it describes brave people at work on a difficult task. It made me think about the qualities of good leaders and good team members. The book requires a bit of mental effort to piece together all the events. I thought it was worth the effort, but a timeline and maps with better legends would be helpful for readers who aren't already familiar with Shackleton's story.

This is the story of the less well known tragedy of the other ship involved in Shackleton's Antarctic expedition. I could not put this book down, the stories of the men were so amazing, and even though just about everything that could have gone wrong did, these men struggled on, because they knew that Shackleton was counting on them, and they did not want to fail. Hero is a word that could certainly apply here.

This is ultimately a great sequel to Lansing's book, Endurance. It is well-chronicled and engaging. Fascinating insight is given into the personalities of the real-life characters. The author also parallels the time line of this story along with the Shackleton Expedition across the continent.

An excellent book on unbelievable Antarctic hardship.

interesting but depressing tale of a lost cause frozen on the ice and rescued too late

Great read

Book was as described-virtually brand new. Great read. How many people do you know that went for 2 years without a bath or change of clothes?

If you like the Endurance books, this is a must read as it’s the other half of the story

Brrrrr. Shackleton’s Forgotten Men is best read during a summer heatwave. Bickel’s history will give you chills with descriptions of early twentieth century polar explorers, ill-equipped and stranded with scraps of food in sub-zero cold with little between their skin and howling 60mph blizzards except thin ice-crusted canvas tents. Imagine living in the same clothes for two years, without benefit of bathing, clothes fashioned from leftover canvas. Imagine living in sleeping bags, their furry insides coated in rime ice. Imagine eating no fresh food, no greens, no juices, just seal meat and warmed up weak tea. Yet, here again are the stiff-upper-lipped Brits out trying to support a crossing of Antartica in 1915-16 by the ill-fated Ernest Shackleton. Here are the most noble souls who know they won’t achieve fame, they are simply pack mules delivering food to supply depots intended for use by the would-be cross-continent trekkers. A few men haul thousands of pounds using nothing mechanical, just skis, sleds and huskies. Two hundred and forty-one pages of extraordinary adventure, heroism, and dutiful bravery in the extreme, and in the end all a reader can do is ask “Why?” Is this loyalty gone mad? A fantastic tale. I’m ashamed to wear Gore-Tex.

Many people know the story of Shackleton's Endurance voyage, or they think they do. But the oft-told tale of the crew of the Endurance becoming trapped, and eventually lost, in the ice of the Weddell Sea, and the incredible story of survival that followed is only half the story. Shackleton's plan called for the Endurance to land his team on the shore of the Weddell, from where he intended to cross the Antarctic continent, via the South Pole, to the Ross Sea. In order to do this, he employed a second ship - the Aurora - and crew to land on the Ross Sea side of Antarctica, from where they would lay depots of food and fuel supplies for Shackleton's team to use as they completed the crossing. This book tells the story of that Aurora expedition. Like the Endurance, the Aurora became trapped in the sea ice and drifted helplessly with the pack. Unlike the Endurance, however, the Aurora had already landed several men, but only a fraction of the food and supplies they would need both for themselves and for the supply depots. Having no knowledge of the fate of Endurance, the Aurora's Ross Sea Party assumed the lives of Shackleton's team depended on them, so they not only faced the challenge of their own survival, but the even more daunting task of trying to lay supplies for Shackleton as well. What follows is possibly the greatest story of endurance and survival in the history of exploration - yes, even greater than the well-known story of Shackleton's Endurance crew. It's unfortunate that this epic tale of perseverance remained untold for so many years, and even know remains relatively unknown. If you were moved by Alfred Lansing's "Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage," you simply must read this to complete the story. The only reason I rate it four stars, rather than five, is that I preferred the writing style of Lansing to Bickel. Mr. Bickel occasionally jumps forward or backward in time to tell additional information about how a particular crew member came to be on the team or what happens to someone in later years. This style can be a bit confusing, and I occasionally found myself re-reading a few sentences or paragraphs to grasp that he was referring to something yet to come. It can also serve as a bit of a spoiler: when the author writes of a particular individual's thoughts or actions many years after this expedition, if removes any suspense as to whether or not that individual survived. Regardless, the story is very much worth reading, even if I take issue with the writing style.

I had read of Scott and Amundson but, I confess, I was not well-versed on Shackleton. I enjoyed this account of his other crew, the ones who were there to set up supply bases for the second half of his journey accross Antarctica. This book was based on the personal accounts of the participants, some recently discovered. It is a good overview of the Shacklton quest and it leaves the reader with a chill and an appreciation of the sacrifices these men suffered through. It seems incomprehensible that some of these men survived at all. Their ship disappeared in a storm leaving them with less than adequate provisions and no contact with the outside world. I was surprized that Scott's shelters, built some years earlier, were still is satisfactory condition. I discovered that it is best not to be in the same room where seal blubber is being fried. I was impressed with the story of these men's determination to get the job done even though they surely knew that their names were not going to go down in history. Of course, the reader is struck with the irony of knowing that their work was all to support a journey that would never take place. I thought this story was well-told with imagery that gave us a sense of the privations of the men.

Why did men travel to the Polar regions and pit themselves against the elements? I just don't underrstand these folks, mainly British and Commonwealth country citizens, who risked life and limb for what appears to me to be mere illusory fame. Every epedition, it seems, had its share of tragedy and heroism, and thus Shackleton's grand trans-Antarctic trek fits into this mold. Even though his ship, the Endurance, failed to deliver his team to the Polar continent to make the proposed trip, his team of men on the opposite side of Antartica went doggedly on laying food depots to the Beardmore glacier for the men who never arrived. The story of this depot laying is incredible when read, and the sheer devotion to Shackleton revealed in this tale is marvelous. At a distance of almost one hundred years, the most we can do is marvel at these people, even though we can question their reasons for what they did. This is a well-told tale, and we feel grat emotion for their courage, particularly for the silent, cheeful bearing of suffering of the only ordained clergyman buried in the Antarctic. They were larger than life, and we must salute their courage.

"Mawson's Will" is the harrowing tale of one man's endurance despite the appearance of futility. Among Antarctic tales, it is second behind this one. Mawson was one man struggling for a few weeks to survive or at least leave his notes for others. This is the story of a group struggling a full year to accomplish a mission in support of others who may (and did) never come. The odds against both were high, although it is amazing how few Antarctic explorers died. Mawson finally succeeded; Shackleton's men accomplished a misson that proved futile. This book is a better study for manned Mars missions. One aspect of this book, not shared by the Mawson story, is reminiscent of Scott's polar attempt; disaster due to poor orders from the leader. If Shackleton (who was not there) had not made one blunder (vs. Scott's N blunders), this expedition would have been much less interesting. In a story this good, it is impossible for me to critique the writing. I was thoroughly engrossed in both books. Excuse me, I'm just going outside. I may be some time.

Although modern writers discussing the events of the Endurance expedition have indeed pretty much forgotten this side of the expedition, it should be pointed out that Sir Ernest Shackleton himself covered it in his own book "South." Bickel has used recently found documentation and other materials to put together the complete tale of the Ross Sea Party of the Endurance expedition. After their ship Aurora was pulled away from her moorings by a storm, the men left on shore brilliantly improvised stores and equipment to lay the depots required for the planned crossing the Antarctic continent. During their sledging journeys one man died, and the survivors had to struggle to save two more (who ultimately were lost through their own foolishness in crossing sea ice when a storm threatened). All in all this is a valuable contribution to the story of the Endurance expedition. I also very highly recommend "Mawson's Will" by the same author.

I guess this is Polar exploration week for me since I just read this volume right after the American Museum book on the Shackleton side of the expedition. This book reads very much the same as that one: a terse day by day recount of the horrible deprivations these brave men suffered, all to lay down a supply depot for Shackleton were he to actually make it across the continent. Of course most readers know already that Shackleton's side was a disaster that resulted in his boat being crushed, long months floating on ice floes and then an incredible open ocean journey to St. Georgia island. The amazing part of this book is that the men were so willing to lay down their lives for Shackleton -- he goes down in the books as one of the all time great leaders. A shame he died of a heart attack at only age 48. He inspired incredible feats of courage. I thought the most moving part of this book had to do with how Wells compassionately took care of two invalids (advanced stages of scurvey) for months on end with nary a complaint. Well written and well-paced account that any fan of an adventure story will want to read.

This would have been a five-star book, had the maps not been so poorly presented. Of the three maps printed in the book, none of them have a scale, which is the cardinal sin of cartography. Ten miles? A hundred miles? Beats me. Also, while the map of all of Antarctica understandably does not have a north arrow (when you're at the South Pole, every direction is north), one of the smaller maps has south as up while the third has north as up, which is needlessly confusing. These quibbles aside, the story is fascinating and heartbreaking at the same time. Saying "never have so many done so much for so little" sounds cliched, but it's true. What a horrible exercise in futility, although of course at the time the men did not know their efforts were for naught. Overall, I highly recommend this book and just wish the maps could be corrected.

This is a great narration about the rest of Shackleton's Antarctic expedition which suffered so many incredible setbacks, yet most survived. This is a good detailed telling of the other expedition sent out about the same time from Australia which was to set up supply depots from the opposite side of Antactica from Shackleton's expedition, in order for him to hopefully complete his attempt to be the first to cross the Continent from one side to the other. These depots would then enable him and his crew to be able to have food and supplies to complete their trans-continental expedition. While Shackleton's part of the expedition was floundering, this expedition also encountered its' own set of incredibly impossible circumstances. Their ship also became trapped in ice, but in this case, part of the crew was trapped on land with meager supplies, while the rest of the crew was trapped on board and carried away by the ocean currents and unable to return and aid the fellow crew mates. Well, you'll just need to get the book and find out "the rest of the story", if you don't already know it!!!

I read "Shakletons Way" and "Endurance". They were both essential to get all of my questions answered about what happened to that party, however I remained uncomfortably curious about what happened to the Ross Sea Party because they were only alluded to. "Shakletons Forgotten Men" was awesome because it showed how what happened to the Ross Sea Party was as strenuous and heroic as the Endurance experience. It also portrayed the perfect contrast to great leadership by the aweful domino effect of what happens when people are under poor leadership (not hideous leadership, just typical). I learned some great things about myself and my motivations and my will from reading this book. The book also totally explains why it could only be written now and not decades ago. I was very satisfied with the answer and felt like I could trust the authors portrayl of the experience of the Ross Sea Party. I give it only 4 stars because the writer was a little hard to follow at times (I eventually put some things together later). It didn't interefere too much with the story though, which I highly reccomend!

If you are a Shackleton fan, then this book is sure to delight you. The epic of Endurance has been given the most publicity but this story is every bit as captivating. These men, who had the responsibility to place food and supply depots for Shackleton's intended journey across Antarctica, endured hardship beyond description. They were totally dedicated to their task and their devotion to Shackleton is heartwarming. It proves, once again, his leadership prevailed even though he was almost 2,000 miles away from them. The writer gives a good insight into each of the characters and, as you read, you will feel you are enduring the journey yourself. It is without a doubt, one of the greatest stories of survival and a tribute to the toughness of the human spirit to prevail.

I ran across this book in a library while traveling and had to get a copy for myself. An interesting read of the other side of the story. No longer in print so it may take some time to find a copy.

This is the true story of Shackleton's Ross Sea team, tasked with creating the supply depots Shackleton expected to find waiting when he crossed Antartica from the Weddel Sea, through the South Pole, and on to the other side. They didn't know that Shackleton would never need the depots because his ship was frozen into the Weddel Sea -- they assumed he was depending on them to do their part. And so they did it, under this planet's most adverse conditions, with improvised equipment, and with extraordinary discipline, good humor and courage. These guys make today's "extreme" adventurers look like sissies. I liked this book because it describes brave people at work on a difficult task. It made me think about the qualities of good leaders and good team members. The book requires a bit of mental effort to piece together all the events. I thought it was worth the effort, but a timeline and maps with better legends would be helpful for readers who aren't already familiar with Shackleton's story.

This is the story of the less well known tragedy of the other ship involved in Shackleton's Antarctic expedition. I could not put this book down, the stories of the men were so amazing, and even though just about everything that could have gone wrong did, these men struggled on, because they knew that Shackleton was counting on them, and they did not want to fail. Hero is a word that could certainly apply here.

This is ultimately a great sequel to Lansing's book, Endurance. It is well-chronicled and engaging. Fascinating insight is given into the personalities of the real-life characters. The author also parallels the time line of this story along with the Shackleton Expedition across the continent.

An excellent book on unbelievable Antarctic hardship.

interesting but depressing tale of a lost cause frozen on the ice and rescued too late

Great read

The other half of Ernest Shackleton's Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-15 started from McMurdo Sound on the Ross Sea and laid supply depots across the Ross Ice Shelf for Shackleton and his team to use as they crossed the continent from the Weddell Sea. Here as on the Endurance disaster struck at the very beginning. The Ross Sea party's ship was blown out to sea, marooning the men for two years with little more than the clothes they stood up in. Fortunately, the lavishly equipped Scott Expedition had departed in a hurry four years before and left a surprising amount of stuff behind. Hard-headed Aeneas Mackintosh and his men carried out their task despite their own precarious position, laying depots that would never be used. The cost was the lives of three men, including Captain Mackintosh himself. The loss of the ship was something no one could have prevented, but the deaths were fundamentally due to inexperienced leadership, which ultimately went back to Shackleton, who left ambiguous orders about who would be commander: Mackintosh, captain of the ship but with only one short sledging journey to his credit, or Ernest Joyce, who had gone south with Scott on the Discovery, with Shackleton on the Nimrod, and had selected dogs for Douglas Mawson. The stubborn Mackintosh insisted that final decisions were his alone. His refusal to heed Joyce's advice led directly to the death of three-quarters of their dogs by the end of the first sledging season. The Expedition never fully recovered. The author doesn't have the English language quite under control, particularly his verbs. "Men's legs burying deep in the drift"? I blame his copy editor.

Many people know of Ernest Shackleton's tragic Antartic expedition. His ship, the Endurance, becomes trapped in the ice and is eventually crushed. Shackleton and his men, make there way back to civilization through Shackleton's efforts. However, not many people know about the other group of men involved in that same expedition. On the other side of Antartica, on the Great Ross Ice Shelf, a group of ten men sail and set up camp. Their task is to set up a number of supply depots for Shackleton's team. Once they cross the South Pole, the team would be abel to resupply at the depots established by this other team of men. Unfortunately, their ship is lost and they are trapped. The fate of the Endurance is unknown to them and they struggle to complete there assigned tasks. It is a tale is suffering and incredible human endurance.

Rather than rehash what previous reviewers have already said, this book for me was very difficult to put down. Bickel does a great job of pulling the reader into the harshest environment on the planet by recounting the incredible physical and psychological barriers Shackleton's depot team had to endure to lay stores and supplies for Shackleton's ill-fated attempt to cross the continent. The book is a chronicle to not only the incredible courage, loyalty, and physical stamina exhibited by these brave explorers, but to a lesser degree that glorious era of exploration and the final throes of the British Empire. As a former research oceanographer, I identified with detailed descriptions of the journey over hostile waters. In the mid-80s while working on my MS degree in geochemistry, I was on the waiting list to work in Antaractica for six months to retrieve recently discovered Martian meteorites embedded in ice fields. I probably would have changed my mind had I read this book if it was available then.

Too many books and movies about Shackleton's ill-fated Endurance expidition end with Shackleton reaching South Georgia Island and returning to rescue his crew of Endurance. This book chronicles the story of the party who was to lay Shackleton's supply depots for his cross-Antarctic journey, a journey he never made. These men in many ways had an even harder task than Shackleton's party. They not only had responsibility for their own well-being, but (as far as they knew) Shackleton's as well. This book is a riviting account of their harrowing journey and what Shackleton found when he went back for THEM after rescuing his own crew. This book will make all other accounts of Shackleton's Endurance expidition seem incomplete.

Everyone knows of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s epic 1916 voyage to save his men after his ship Endurance was crushed in the Antarctic ice. Few know that Shackleton planned to walk across Antarctica from the Weddell Sea off the tip of South America to the Ross Sea south of New Zealand. This is the story of the second ship and crew, the forgotten men, who were supposed to help him cross the continent, but who were themselves marooned...for two long, cold years. Read more at: bookmanreader.blogspot.com .

A very good story, but not as riveting as Shackelton's tail. After reading about Shackelton's misadventure's, it's easy to wonder what happened to the other half of his plan. In this book, the author clearly and vividly lays out the rest of the story, of the struggles of the crew, the conflicts of command and egos, of the disasters that imperiled lives, and the eventual results. If you're new to polar exploration history, then read Shackelton as your first book. If you've already read that, then read this book.

I thought I 'd read about most or all of the great expeditions to the Poles. I'm so glad I discovered this story which I never heard anything about. In all ways it is as exciting and interesting story as any of the accounts of Shakleton, Scott, Amundson, Pearey, etc.. Other reviews do a good job of summarizing the story. It is totally engrossing if arctic exploration, leadership, and survival under the worst conditions possible....and it all happened less than 100 years ago.

Having read about Shackleton several years ago I am glad to see more interest in this amazing story and people looking at Shackleton's leadership which was incredible. I am troubled by one thing though, in almost everything I have seen and read (such as the Nova special, Caroline Alexander's Book, and Alfred Lansing's book) there is almost no mention about the crew on the other side of the Antarctica. In Shackleton's South, he wrote about checking on the men, but never went into the hardship they faced. I was disturbed that the Nova special did not even mention there was a crew laying supplies on the other side. In some ways, I actually think their story is more amazing the story of the crew of the Endurance. The crew was to lay supplies almost to the pole and then one night a storm came in a blew the ship back out to sea and then the men on shore had a very small fraction of the supplies from the ship. They still had to lay depots for Shackleton as they did not know there were not going to make it. At one point in the book, the men start out on a sledging journey that to this day holds, the record for the longest trip in both miles and time. If you are really into Shackleton, you MUST read about the other half of the story in this book.

I have not read other books about this topic first. Therefore, I did not know the outcome of Shackleton's adventure. But I did learn of the endurance of the men on the otherside waiting for Shackleton. The book gives a very personal account of the men from the ship Aurora as they trek to leave supply stores for Shackleton's crossing of Antartica. It never ceases to amaze what human's can endure for exploration.

"Shackleton's Forgotten Men..." was an awesome book about a true group of heroes. The trials and tribulations that the group of men on the Endurance undertook to merely survive was awesome and humbling. I wholeheartedly recommend this book and suggest it especially for young people to see what 'heroic' really is (it's not playing basketball, football, etc. under adverse conditions).

This is a great narration about the rest of Shackleton's Antarctic expedition which suffered so many incredible setbacks, yet most survived. This is a good detailed telling of the other expedition sent out about the same time from Australia which was to set up supply depots from the opposite side of Antactica from Shackleton's expedition, in order for him to hopefully complete his attempt to be the first to cross the Continent from one side to the other. These depots would then enable him and his crew to be able to have food and supplies to complete their trans-continental expedition. While Shackleton's part of the expedition was floundering, this expedition also encountered its' own set of incredibly impossible circumstances. Their ship also became trapped in ice, but in this case, part of the crew was trapped on land with meager supplies, while the rest of the crew was trapped on board and carried away by the ocean currents and unable to return and aid the fellow crew mates. Well, you'll just need to get the book and find out "the rest of the story", if you don't already know it!!!

I read "Shakletons Way" and "Endurance". They were both essential to get all of my questions answered about what happened to that party, however I remained uncomfortably curious about what happened to the Ross Sea Party because they were only alluded to. "Shakletons Forgotten Men" was awesome because it showed how what happened to the Ross Sea Party was as strenuous and heroic as the Endurance experience. It also portrayed the perfect contrast to great leadership by the aweful domino effect of what happens when people are under poor leadership (not hideous leadership, just typical). I learned some great things about myself and my motivations and my will from reading this book. The book also totally explains why it could only be written now and not decades ago. I was very satisfied with the answer and felt like I could trust the authors portrayl of the experience of the Ross Sea Party. I give it only 4 stars because the writer was a little hard to follow at times (I eventually put some things together later). It didn't interefere too much with the story though, which I highly reccomend!

If you are a Shackleton fan, then this book is sure to delight you. The epic of Endurance has been given the most publicity but this story is every bit as captivating. These men, who had the responsibility to place food and supply depots for Shackleton's intended journey across Antarctica, endured hardship beyond description. They were totally dedicated to their task and their devotion to Shackleton is heartwarming. It proves, once again, his leadership prevailed even though he was almost 2,000 miles away from them. The writer gives a good insight into each of the characters and, as you read, you will feel you are enduring the journey yourself. It is without a doubt, one of the greatest stories of survival and a tribute to the toughness of the human spirit to prevail.

I ran across this book in a library while traveling and had to get a copy for myself. An interesting read of the other side of the story. No longer in print so it may take some time to find a copy.

This is the true story of Shackleton's Ross Sea team, tasked with creating the supply depots Shackleton expected to find waiting when he crossed Antartica from the Weddel Sea, through the South Pole, and on to the other side. They didn't know that Shackleton would never need the depots because his ship was frozen into the Weddel Sea -- they assumed he was depending on them to do their part. And so they did it, under this planet's most adverse conditions, with improvised equipment, and with extraordinary discipline, good humor and courage. These guys make today's "extreme" adventurers look like sissies. I liked this book because it describes brave people at work on a difficult task. It made me think about the qualities of good leaders and good team members. The book requires a bit of mental effort to piece together all the events. I thought it was worth the effort, but a timeline and maps with better legends would be helpful for readers who aren't already familiar with Shackleton's story.

This is the story of the less well known tragedy of the other ship involved in Shackleton's Antarctic expedition. I could not put this book down, the stories of the men were so amazing, and even though just about everything that could have gone wrong did, these men struggled on, because they knew that Shackleton was counting on them, and they did not want to fail. Hero is a word that could certainly apply here.

This is ultimately a great sequel to Lansing's book, Endurance. It is well-chronicled and engaging. Fascinating insight is given into the personalities of the real-life characters. The author also parallels the time line of this story along with the Shackleton Expedition across the continent.

An excellent book on unbelievable Antarctic hardship.

interesting but depressing tale of a lost cause frozen on the ice and rescued too late

Great read

A well written work that reads like a novel about the members of Shackleton's Ross Sea Party whose mission it was to lay food and supply depots for Shackleton's crossing of Antarctica. The brave men united by adversity, experience such unimaginable hardships, that as the reader I found myself rooting for these brave and courageous men to abandon their mission and save themselves. Their persistance to carry on and complete their mission while enduring every suffering possible of the Antarctic is testament to the true character and grit of these men. For anyone who has read any of the published "ENDURANCE" works this book is a must read. The adventure will not be complete until you read this bone chilling tale of the human spirit, unbroken.

I have read many Artic and Antartic books and this is very high on my list. Bickel's style is compelling without being overly technical. The saga that these men went through to lay depots for their "boss" (Shackleton) is just as amazing as the Endurance story.

Anyone interested in Shackleton's amazing story will find this part of it very interesting, particularly if, like me, they have not heard about it before. A heartbreaking story of men starving whilst leaving food for an expedition that would never use it.

the most amazing adventure story of them all....and all in vain

This is a great narration about the rest of Shackleton's Antarctic expedition which suffered so many incredible setbacks, yet most survived. This is a good detailed telling of the other expedition sent out about the same time from Australia which was to set up supply depots from the opposite side of Antactica from Shackleton's expedition, in order for him to hopefully complete his attempt to be the first to cross the Continent from one side to the other. These depots would then enable him and his crew to be able to have food and supplies to complete their trans-continental expedition. While Shackleton's part of the expedition was floundering, this expedition also encountered its' own set of incredibly impossible circumstances. Their ship also became trapped in ice, but in this case, part of the crew was trapped on land with meager supplies, while the rest of the crew was trapped on board and carried away by the ocean currents and unable to return and aid the fellow crew mates. Well, you'll just need to get the book and find out "the rest of the story", if you don't already know it!!!

I read "Shakletons Way" and "Endurance". They were both essential to get all of my questions answered about what happened to that party, however I remained uncomfortably curious about what happened to the Ross Sea Party because they were only alluded to. "Shakletons Forgotten Men" was awesome because it showed how what happened to the Ross Sea Party was as strenuous and heroic as the Endurance experience. It also portrayed the perfect contrast to great leadership by the aweful domino effect of what happens when people are under poor leadership (not hideous leadership, just typical). I learned some great things about myself and my motivations and my will from reading this book. The book also totally explains why it could only be written now and not decades ago. I was very satisfied with the answer and felt like I could trust the authors portrayl of the experience of the Ross Sea Party. I give it only 4 stars because the writer was a little hard to follow at times (I eventually put some things together later). It didn't interefere too much with the story though, which I highly reccomend!

If you are a Shackleton fan, then this book is sure to delight you. The epic of Endurance has been given the most publicity but this story is every bit as captivating. These men, who had the responsibility to place food and supply depots for Shackleton's intended journey across Antarctica, endured hardship beyond description. They were totally dedicated to their task and their devotion to Shackleton is heartwarming. It proves, once again, his leadership prevailed even though he was almost 2,000 miles away from them. The writer gives a good insight into each of the characters and, as you read, you will feel you are enduring the journey yourself. It is without a doubt, one of the greatest stories of survival and a tribute to the toughness of the human spirit to prevail.

I ran across this book in a library while traveling and had to get a copy for myself. An interesting read of the other side of the story. No longer in print so it may take some time to find a copy.

This is the true story of Shackleton's Ross Sea team, tasked with creating the supply depots Shackleton expected to find waiting when he crossed Antartica from the Weddel Sea, through the South Pole, and on to the other side. They didn't know that Shackleton would never need the depots because his ship was frozen into the Weddel Sea -- they assumed he was depending on them to do their part. And so they did it, under this planet's most adverse conditions, with improvised equipment, and with extraordinary discipline, good humor and courage. These guys make today's "extreme" adventurers look like sissies. I liked this book because it describes brave people at work on a difficult task. It made me think about the qualities of good leaders and good team members. The book requires a bit of mental effort to piece together all the events. I thought it was worth the effort, but a timeline and maps with better legends would be helpful for readers who aren't already familiar with Shackleton's story.

This is the story of the less well known tragedy of the other ship involved in Shackleton's Antarctic expedition. I could not put this book down, the stories of the men were so amazing, and even though just about everything that could have gone wrong did, these men struggled on, because they knew that Shackleton was counting on them, and they did not want to fail. Hero is a word that could certainly apply here.

This is ultimately a great sequel to Lansing's book, Endurance. It is well-chronicled and engaging. Fascinating insight is given into the personalities of the real-life characters. The author also parallels the time line of this story along with the Shackleton Expedition across the continent.

An excellent book on unbelievable Antarctic hardship.

interesting but depressing tale of a lost cause frozen on the ice and rescued too late

Great read