Books

First edition, first impression. "The failure of Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition to even reach the Antarctic continent, much less to cross it via the South Pole, has become the great polar success story of the twentieth century" (Books on Ice). Shackleton embarked in 1914 on the Endurance to make the first traverse of the Antarctic continent; a journey of some 1,800 miles from sea to sea. But 1915 turned into an unusually icy year in Antarctica. After being trapped in the ice and drifting for nine months, the Endurance was eventually crushed by 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" (ODNB). South, produced while the exigencies of the First World War were still a reality, is rarely encountered in collectible condition. The fine images captured by Australian Frank Hurley, particularly those made on a moonlit night, when he thought the ship was at its most beautiful, are well reproduced. Hurley's heroic feat in saving his original glass negatives is another fascinating chapter in an extraordinary story. Octavo. Original dark blue cloth, spine and front cover lettered in silver, front cover with large silver vignette of Endurance stuck in the ice (from a photograph by Hurley, reproduced at p. 45), publisher's device in blind on rear cover, top edge blue. Colour frontispiece and 87 half-tone plates, folding map; errata slip on p. 1. Contemporary gift inscription on front free endpaper: "L. S. Fry from L.G.F.", and a later inscription below. Some marks to cloth with minor creasing in places, spine ends and upper corners a touch frayed, upper corners bumped, silver remaining bright, starting before half-title but firm, toned and foxed throughout as usual, map with tear to stub sometime repaired, also lightly dust soiled and frayed at fore edge. A very good copy of a vulnerable book. Books on Ice 7.8; Conrad p. 224; Rosove 308.1A; Spence 1107; Taurus 105.