School Library Journal Review
Adult/High School-This profusely illustrated and engaging work on the British leader focuses primarily on his public life while explaining how his sharp intelligence and iron will made him one of the towering figures of the 20th century. Archival photographs, political cartoons, and posters add a visual richness that brings his story to life. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
In the latest volume in this publisher's series of illustrated biographies, Plimpton tells the story of Shackleton's life and his four Antarctic expeditions. In what Plimpton calls "a voyage considered one of the great exploits of the heroic age of exploration," he recounts how Shackleton and five shipmates sailed 800 miles from Elephant Island to South Georgia in a small boat to rescue 28 of his men after their ship was crushed in pack ice in 1915. The author, a critic, novelist, essayist, and cofounder of The Paris Review, chronicles his own trip to Antarctica in 2002 and interweaves the story of his trip with that of Shackleton's as he follows in the explorer's footsteps. There are 136 photographs and illustrations; many of the black-and-white photos were taken by Frank Hurley, a member of the crew of the Endurance. --George Cohen
Library Journal Review
In this tandem account Plimpton, of Paris Review fame, traces the life and four expeditions of the South Polar explorer and tells of his own recent adventures retracing Shackleton's course. Although a reader needs to keep a close sight on when Plimpton shifts focus, this work is a brisk and eye-opening reminder that-hazards and disasters notwithstanding-human nature's intrepid spirit is unquenchable. An excellent case in point: Plimpton's re-telling of a moment in Shackleton's traverse of South Georgia, when Shackleton and his two companions, with darkness coming on, stand at the top of a snow slope with no idea of whether it levels out below or drops precipitously: "The three arrange themselves as if on an imaginary toboggan, each straddled behind the other..." and push off. Plimpton notes: "It is one of the few moments in the saga of the Endurance that brings a smile to the face-the image of the three of them as if on a sled, a typical winter scene that equates with Christmas revelry on the hill up beyond the barn, and yet in this case in a wintery vastness where no man had ever set foot before." Although not the final word on Shackleton, this elegant tribute is recommended for all libraries with patrons interested in exploration.-Robert C. Jones, Central Missouri State Univ., Warrensburg, MO (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.