Shackleton: By Endurance We Conquer

461 Pages·2014·5.09 MB·English

by  Smith

Shackleton
By Endurance We Conquer
Also by Michael Smith
An Unsung Hero: Tom Crean – Antarctic Survivor
I Am Just Going Outside: The Tragedy of Captain Oates
Tom Crean – Ice Man: The Adventures of an Irish Antarctic Hero
Polar Crusader: A Life of James Wordie
Shackleton – The Boss: The Remarkable Adventures of a Heroic Antarctic
Explorer Captain Francis Crozier: Last Man Standing?
Tom Crean: An Illustrated Life
Great Endeavour: Ireland’s Antarctic Explorers
Shackleton
By Endurance We Conquer
MICHAEL SMITH
A ONEWORLD BOOK
First published in North America, Great Britain & Australia by
Oneworld Publications 2014
This edition of Shackleton: By Endurance We Conquer is published
by permission of The Collins Press, Cork, Ireland, www.collinspress.ie
This ebook edition published by Oneworld Publications, 2014
Copyright © Michael Smith 2014
The moral right of Michael Smith to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted by him in
accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
All rights reserved Copyright under Berne Convention
A CIP record of this title is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-1-78074-572-5
eISBN 978-1-78074-573-2
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To Barbara, Daniel, Nathan, Lucy and Zoe
Contents
Acknowledgements
Author’s Note
Introduction
1 Touching History
2 The Lonely Sea and the Sky
3 Love and Ambition
4 Laying the World at Her Feet
5 Fortune Hunting
6 A Hunger
7 Baptism by Ice
8 A Step into the Unknown
9 A Beeline
10 Rejection
11 Two Characters
12 Finding a Niche
13 Looking South
14 Dreams and Realities
15 Broken Promise
16 Ice and Men
17 Making Ready
18 South
19 Penniless
20 Gateway
21 ‘Death on his pale horse …’
22 Home is the Hero
23 Arise, Sir Ernest
24 A Man of Parts
25 Unrest
26 Towering Ambition
27 Into the Pack
28 Imprisoned
29 Death of a Ship
30 Defiance
31 Into the Boats
32 A Dark Episode
33 Bleak Refuge
34 Scattered to the Winds
35 Epic Journey
36 South Georgia
37 Rescue
38 The Ross Sea Party
39 Adrift Again
40 The Last Quest
41 At Rest
Notes
Select Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgements
T
his book arose from a lifelong interest in the history of polar exploration and
it would be impossible to thank everyone who has helped me over the years.
Some have long since passed away, though their assistance, guidance and sound
advice will never be forgotten.
Equally, it would be impossible to thank all the archives, libraries, museums
and personal collections I have benefited from over the years to inspect many
records, papers and photographs relating to polar history. I am grateful to them
all and any omissions are unintentional.
Special thanks must go to: Athy Heritage Museum, Ireland; British Library,
London; British Library Newspaper Archive, London; Canterbury Museum,
New Zealand; Dulwich College, London; Edinburgh University Library,
Scotland; Kerry County Museum, Tralee, County Kerry; Library and Museum of
Freemasonry, London; National Archives, London; National Library of
Scotland, Scotland; National Maritime Museum, London; Oldham Local Studies
& Archives, Lancashire; Royal Geographical Society, London; Scott Polar
Research Institute, Cambridge; Alexander Turnbull Library, New Zealand.
I am especially grateful for the help given by: Mervyn Bassett, Beadle, The
Skinners’ Company; Sheila Donaldson, Bingley & District Local History
Society; Calista Lucy, Keeper of Archives at Dulwich College; Peter Aitkenhead
and Captain David Swain, the Library and Museum of Freemasonry; Del Styan
and Alistair Murphy of the Cromer Museum; Angela Heard-Shaw at the Hull
History Centre; Aubrey Jones for access to Koettlitz Family Papers.
My thanks go to Alexandra Shackleton, the granddaughter of Sir Ernest
Shackleton, who allowed me access to material in the family possession.
Jonathan Shackleton was also very helpful and willingly answered my questions.
I am very grateful.
Robert Burton has been an enthusiastic and generous source of information
about polar affairs and especially South Georgia. Anne Savours willingly shared
her voluminous knowledge of polar history. I am hugely grateful to them both.
I must pass on a very special thanks to Seamus Taaffe for generously sharing
his knowledge and information about polar history. Thanks must also go to
Margaret Walsh at the Athy Heritage Museum for her patient and valued
support. Joe O’Farrell was a source of wisdom and encouragement for which I
am very grateful. I owe a particular debt of gratitude to Richard Green who
generously allowed me access to Kilkea House and gave me a fine insight in the
place where Shackleton was born. I am very grateful for the much-valued
assistance of Dr Jim McAdam. Mary O’Connell was a source of inspiration.
I am indebted to Dr Cathy Corbishley for her very valuable help with medical
matters. Dr Ursula Rack, Adjunct Fellow, University of Canterbury was
especially helpful regarding Felix König. Nan Keightley was an important help
with my research and I am very grateful.
Charles and Christine Dorman provided useful knowledge of Emily
Dorman’s family. I also appreciate the help given by Rev. Heidi Huntley and
Michael Kingston of St Bartholomew’s Church, Sydenham. I was also given
generous assistance by Angie Butler on Frank Wild and by Helen Carpenter on
John Quiller Rowett. Walter Hodder was generous with his understanding of the
Dorman family connection with Wadhurst.
Thanks are also due to the following for sharing their knowledge on a variety
of matters: Ulf Bakke; Mike Barry; Caroline Bone; Con Collins; Arthur
Credland; Rosemary Fulton-Hart; Eugene Furlong; Richard Graham; John
James; Sarah Lurcock; John Mann; Maureen E. Mulvihill; Alistair Murphy;
James Nethery; Frank Nugent; Robb N. Robinson; Peter Wordie.
Where possible, I have identified all known sources of material used in this
book and provided full accreditation where it can be properly established. Any
omissions are purely unintentional and I would be pleased to correct any errors
and oversights.
Families play a vital supporting role in producing a book and I am proud and
delighted to say that I have received enormous support from those closest to me.
Daniel and Nathan, my sons, were always there when I needed them. Lucy and
Zoe, my grandchildren, were simply … Lucy and Zoe! The help, patience and
understanding of Barbara, my wife, has been supreme and I could not have
coped without her.