Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World

Starred review from November 2, 1998
Endurance is the fitting name British explorer Ernest Shackleton gave to the ship that left England in 1914 with a crew of 27, transporting what he anticipated to be the first expedition to cross the entire continent of Antarctica. It is also a fitting characterization for the struggle of the men described in this tale, a true story of survival against incredible odds. The crew of the ship (which sank a year and three months into their journey) went on to spend an Antarctic winter camping on ice floes, battling sub-zero temperatures and frostbite, dehydration and diarrhea, insomnia, boredom and--perhaps most dangerous of all--despair. Even while describing the months of inactivity, as the explorers drift along on ice floes, waiting to reach open water, Armstrong (The Dreams of Mairhe Mehan) keeps her narrative moving at a brisk pace. A generous supply of colorful anecdotes (e.g., Hussey, the meteorologist, "serenades the passing wildlife with his banjo") and excerpts from journals (one crewman described the ice-locked Endurance as being stuck "like an almond in the middle of a chocolate bar") shed light on the men's personalities and reveal Shackleton's remarkable skill for keeping his crew agreeable and hopeful, despite life-threatening conditions. Other passages--as when a floe on which the crew is camping suddenly cracks in two and one mate, still asleep, falls into the icy water--possess heart-pounding immediacy. Armstrong's absorbing storytelling, illustrated with dramatic black-and-white photographs, make this an enthralling adventure. Ages 10-13.

If you think it's cold this winter, imagine being trapped from 1914 to 1916 on ice floes in Antarctica with barely enough food and too few tents and sleeping bags. Armstong's vivid biography of Shackleton and his crew is brought to life by Taylor Mali. Excerpts from diaries and newspaper accounts, which flesh out this incredible adventure of survival in the harshest environment on the planet, are read in distinct accents by Mali. Maps showing the travels of ship and crew on the audiobook cover help illustrate the extent of this trip. Mali's intense narration drives listeners of all ages to experience the severe weather, lack of food and incredible demands of exploration and survival. M.B.K. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine