The Lost Men: The Harrowing Story of Shackleton's Ross Sea Party

Another firm 5 stars for this book - an engrossing story told with narrative panache and wonderful attention to detail. I've now read most of the key texts about the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration (a recent weird obsession), and this was the real standout for me, documenting one of the most incredible stories, and in the most satisfying way. This despite being a 'sideline' to the previously far more well-documented expeditionary stories of Scott and Shackleton. Perhaps part of its initial charm lies in being an underdogs' tale from the outset. But I also found it to offer some of the most thought-provoking insights into the whole subject of early polar expeditions (more on this later...); in fact, one of the most thought-provoking studies of human grit and endurance in any field.Piecing together such a coherent, balanced and detailed historical recollective from very old and far-flung sources, whilst making it read more like a novel than a thesis, is an exceptional literary feat. The author is not afraid to add her own interpretive insights when this brings an important guiding hand of balance, but the story always feels personal to the Ross Sea Party's experiences, rather than a distant historical record.[mild spoiler alert from this point; hopefully not gratuitous!].Pacing is excellent throughout, from the chaotic set-up to the adventure (Shackleton's chaos, not the author's!) all the way to the 'what happened to the key players afterwards?' epilogues; the latter are very poignant - you come to really care for individuals' fates and wish them a long, easy life afterwards - not all got one.Despite the almost unbearable hardships detailed (the poor dogs' miserable existences especially are enough to move a grown man to tears) it is oddly digestible. So don't be put off by an anticipated gruelling read, as i nearly was. With the author's deft introductions, you quickly come to care deeply about these people, and feel compelled to follow as their story unfolds. This, and a constantly human touch, gets the reader through the more harrowing parts - it's a real page turner to very end. Unlike Scott's famous expeditionary journal, this story doesn't have an inescapable sense of melancholic, impending doom hanging over the whole narrative; there is tragedy here, but also triumph and redemption of sorts. This book also tempers the hard facts of the Antarctic slog with a more revealing window into the motivations, personalities and interactions (including hearteningly familiar squabbling) of the expeditionary members; much of this human detail was airbrushed out in the sanitized, politically-cautious records of Scott, Shackleton, Amundsen et al.Whilst Shackleton only has a relatively minor direct role here, his reach from afar is palpable, shaping the story and, especially, informing the way the men responded when their expedition started to unravel. He must have been quite a man. But it also becomes clear from the unfolding evidence of his expeditionary preparations that he seems to have woefully underestimated the challenges of his proposed Antarctic crossing. This perhaps reflected the rushed timescales, as he was racing to get his expedition underway in the run up to seemingly inevitable war (which became WW1) before these events could sweep it aside. But never the less, he had made a number of almost laughably bad assumptions when planning the polar crossing, which seems bizarre given his two prior experiences on the continent (the first of which nearly killed him) and the cautionary tale of Scott just two years previously. There were just too many things that could go wrong and, yet again, absolutely no margin for error; even with everything else working in his favour, staying alive on the sledging diet was, alone, akin to Russian roulette, despite attempted improvements. Previously costly mistakes seem to have been destined to be repeated again and again (perhaps because there was simply no realistic way to respond otherwise to the challenges at the time, but perhaps not). The benefits of historical hindsight not withstanding, it seems particularly crazy to have intended to set out on a totally uncharted route to the pole whilst relying completely on the work of an inexperienced, poorly briefed and very under-resourced team coming towards him from the other side of the world (with whom he had no method of communicating, or knowing if they even arrived safely in Antarctica at all), to lay - in time and visibly - the depots upon which his subsequent survival would entirely depend. Neither was there time or a realistic contingency to allow retracing of steps. Even though the Ross Sea Party did succeed in fulfilling their support mission, in the face of incredible odds, from what i read in this book, it seems likely to me that, with all the other bad assumptions in the mix, had Shackleton actually initiated the crossing of the continent he would still have had a pretty small chance of succeeding. And considering that failure beyond a certain point of no return could only result in one thing, i now think it highly likely he would have died in the attempt, a grim repeat of Scott's Terra Nova polar expedition. And how differently he might have been remembered as a result. So in the end, perhaps his famous expeditionary misfortunes resulted in a doubly-lucky escape? This is not explicitly debated or concluded in the book, and so you might wonder why I am meandering into such speculation within a book review, but its relevant as I think the sheer precariousness of Shackleton's intended Antarctic crossing is a message that does emerge pretty strongly here, and not from other accounts; books covering the Weddell Sea Party's more famous tale don't cover this ground, because Shackleton's polar party didn't ever set foot on the continent; theoretical sledging logistics (and possible impending catastrophic failures of these), are therefore pushed aside.In fact, after reading this book I wondered for the first time whether the whole concept of polar exploration, with the technological capabilities of the time, was actually just fundamentally foolhardy and idiotic, and not worth the extraordinary cost exacted on the supporting players (not least their poor, wretched beasts of burden). Perhaps they really should have left alone, or at least been much more cautious, tempering the astonishingly ambitious, grueling and primarily ego-driven, `record journey' attempts and concentrating on making steadier progress and pushing forward the scientific objectives. Although, as Shackleton himself noted, `without the Pole, there is no science' reflecting the realities of raising the necessary funds by promising expeditionary glories, set against more temperate and scholarly aims. But for the first time i feel like i have been given enough insight to make me ponder the reputation-making motives of the great polar explorers, and the ethics of their expeditions, a bit more soberly. Plenty of people voiced concerns in Shackleton's time, so perhaps this is not just retrospective judgement from the safety of comfortable modern armchair. The costs just seem to have been extraordinarily savage, and repeatedly, predictably so, in the face of ongoing questionable rewards.I think there are deep truths and insights in all this too, equally applicable today, about the internal workings of the great risk-taking, charismatic entrepreneurs who are likely to find their way to the forefront of our species' ongoing great adventures, and what that might mean for the people who support and enable them. Challenging stuff then if you want to ruminate.After reading this book, every time i think i'm having a bad time or facing tough challenges, i only need to cast my mind back to the vivid pictures painted about the Ross Sea Party's trials to very promptly re-evaluate my own easy existence and its minor irritations. Awesome, humbling stuff.

Having read Shackleton's own account of 'the Lost Men', as well as Roland Huntford's, I was intrigued to find what was new that Kelly Tyler-Lewis could write. The book was a revelation. Brilliantly written. Expertly researched. A page-turner to the end.The Lost Men is an account of what happened to the group of men who set off in the Aurora to lay depots from Ross Island, across the Great Ross Ice Barrier, up to the Beardmore Glacier, to support Shackleton's attempt to be the first to cross the Antarctic, from the Weddell Sea. It is well known that Shackleton failed even to land on the sub-continent, and his heroic efforts to save his men after his ship the Endurance was crushed in ice, are legendary. But Tyler-Lewis tells of what happened to the others - of their success in laying depots, which ironically would never be used, and the deaths of 3 of them - lost in the unforgiving conditions which existed.Not only is the story of those men gripping in its own right, but Tyler-Lewis, having done a prodigious amount of work to seek out surviving contemporary diaries, manages to get inside their characters - their heroism; their absolute loyalty to Shackleton; their fears; their loves and their hates; their friendships and their animosities, and some critical rivalries - and tells a compelling story of human nature, as melded by their enforced time together.This is a remarkable book. Well worth a read.

A very good story. Quite harrowing at times showing the men's suffering One thing i would say and that is the maps are too small but I suppose in a paperback one could not expect too much. The other thing I wish the photo's could have been clearer. Apart from that a good read and I shall be coming back to the book again and again.

This is a really interesting read. The book first describes the scepticism surrounding Shackleton’s expedition plans:p9 “What is the use of another expedition?” “Enough life and money has been spent on this sterile quest.” Winston Churchill.p25 “Geology, I suppose means in the main picking up stones and putting them on a sledge?” Lord Curzon RGSAnd then the appalling expedition arrangements made by Shackleton:p48 “Some of the donors were outraged that Shackleton had dispatched the expedition poorly prepared and dependent on charity.”And then a description of the amazing efforts and deprivations of the Ross Sea party after they were stranded when the Aurora broke loose of her moorings and drifted away.Finally it describes the organisation of the rescue party, recriminations and the aftermath of the expedition:p217 “Fancy that ridiculous Shackleton & his South Pole – in the crash of the world.” Winston Churchill, 1916.P224 “Shackleton should perish.” Lender to the expedition.It’s an account that gives a more realistic description of an Antarctic expedition than most.

An excellent account of a very harrowing subject. Highlights the good and the bad of this journey and the courage of those who made it.

5 glorious stars!!!What a brilliant piece of writing this is! The Lost Men: The Harrowing Saga of Shackleton’s Ross Sea Party is just outstanding and every bit as good as one of the very best books I’ve read in my life—Endurance by Alfred Lansing. Ironically, each of these books tells one half of the same story, the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-1917. The main goal of this expedition was for Ernest Shackleton and his party to be the first to traverse the Antarctic continent. The Shackleton party traveled to the Antarctic on the Endurance. The Ross Sea Party, commanded by Aeneas Mackintosh, reached the opposite side of the continent via the ship Aurora. Their mission was to set up depots of food and supplies along the latter part of Shackleton’s proposed journey.Let me tell you, these expeditions were not for sissies. The incredible number of things that went wrong was staggering. Most people know the story of the Endurance, but until Ms. Tyler-Lewis took on the job of writing this book, there was not much known about the Ross Sea Party experience. The author took years to research the book. She traveled extensively, including to Antarctica, to collect as much firsthand information as she could. She was also a visiting scholar of the Scott Polar Research Institute of the University of Cambridge for 2 years. Be sure to read A Note on the Sources at the end of the book which gives a fascinating view of how she went about making the account as factual as possible. Interestingly, before writing this book, she won an Emmy for a historical documentary on a film titled Shackleton’s Voyage of Endurancel (2002).This book grabbed me and didn’t let go. The struggles of the Ross Sea Party are almost unfathomable. I will avoid details in order to not drop spoilers. I will just say these men faced disaster after disaster but for the most part let nothing erode their passion to complete their mission and take care of one another. I would swear it was a novel if I didn’t know it was true. Adding icing to the cake was Ms. Tyler-Lewis’s detailed portrayal of the entire Ross Party team with most of the information gleaned from the men’s personal diaries. This lent the narrative that human touch, which I find so necessary in historical nonfiction. Not only that, but the author also wrote one of the best epilogues ever, two chapters actually, devoting at least several paragraphs to each of all of the main characters revealing how they spent the rest of their lives. I loved this! I will never cease to marvel at the courage, stamina, and drive of these early Antarctic explorers.After reading three nonfiction books covering different polar expeditions, my TBR holds many more of this genre and other nonfiction adventure books. I find them exhilarating and cannot wait to read more.Special thanks to my Goodreads friend George Illsey for highly recommending this book for me. I cannot bear to send this book back to the library, so I am off to buy my own copy now.

Die andere Shackelton Geschichte: Schiff verloren, kaum Ausrüstung aber im Glauben das das Leben von Shackleton von Ihnen abhängt werden Depots nach Plan gelegt, ohne Rücksicht auf eigenes Leben. Die Geschichte einer völlig sinnnlosen Reise, ein Muß wenn einen die Geschichte der (Ant)arktis Entdeckung interessiert.Einzig störend: Das ist eben ein Englisches Buch also mit Fahrenheit statt Celsius, lustigen anderen Maßen und einem blödsinnigen Anhang, den auf die dicke Liste der Verweise verweist im Text nichts - der Anhang zitiert die Textstelle, dadurch wird er unbrauchbar - aber 100 Seiten dick.Nur für diejenigen die weit mehr als Schulenglisch können, denn das mitteldicke Wörterbuch ist mit dem Text überfordert.

While Shackleton deserves credit for the extraordinary measures he took to keep his men alive during his 1914-17 Antarctic expedition, Shackleton's bad planning and inadequate management were integral reasons why his men faced with such danger. This is true not only for the Endurance party (a story that's now well told) but also for the Aurora party: their mission was to lay food and fuel depots from the Ross Sea to the base of the Beardmore glacier for Shackleton to pick up as he crossed the continent. Tyler-Lewis' book tells the story of the Aurora, her crew, and the landing party.Despite an extreme lack of cohesion, the landing party completed their assignment at a cost. [Details omitted to prevent spoilers.] Each man and his actions are described from their original journals and diaries. Tyler-Lewis doesn't seem biased in her presentation of Shackleton, Stenhouse's command of the Aurora, Ernest Joyce's near mutiny, or John King Davis' relief mission. Her detailed narrative not only describes the most inept Antarctic expedition since the Belgian Antarctic Expedition but makes you feel as if you were an eye-witness. This is a valuable book for anyone drawn to Antarctic exploration during its "Heroic Age".

As a reader who enjoys polar expedition stories, this book ranks up there with "Endurance - Shackelton's Incredible Voyage". Of particular interest to me is that The Lost Men is a corollary to the Endurance novel insofar as it covers the expedition on the other side of Antarctica that supported Shackelton's voyage. The author did a great job researching her subject matter and presented it in an even-handed manner. She was not hesitant to report some of the negative or unsavory aspects, comments, and actions of the men as pulled from the available documentation. However, she also provides a good balance, generally offsetting negative elements with positive aspects. This approach drew me in and indicated an honest and accurate telling of the story. And the story itself was very compelling, documenting a by-gone era of exploration, adventure, extreme conditions, and survival. Highly recommended.

"The Lost Men", by Kelly Tyler-Lewis is the sister book to the original saga of Sir Ernest Shcakelton's journey to Antarctica. The original called "Endurance" tells of Shackelton's failed expedition to cross Antarctica. His ship the Endurance was smashed by ice in the Weddell Sea and his men stranded until their eventual rescue by Shackelton himself after a harrowing journey in a 22 foot open boat across the southern ocean.Shackelton's Ross Sea Party, the subject of "The Lost Men", is the other half of Shackelton's ill-fated expedition. The Ross Sea party was charged with sailing to the opposite side of Antarctica from the Wedell Sea and laying storage depots of food and supplies along Shackelton's route. The harrowing saga of these men to lay these depots is brilliantly described by historian Tyler-Lewis. Despite extreme conditions, shortages of supplies, faulty leadership and blizzard after blizzard, the Ross Sea party managed to lay supply depots along Shackelton's route and waited for him in vain. The whole expedition proved to be all for naught as Shackelton's plans went awry. Two of the men from the Ross Sea party succumbed to the conditions having been weakened by the vitamin-C deficiency disease scurvy.If you like adventure novels this one is for you. If you have read "Endurance" this book will complete the saga.The writing is crisp and well done. Tyler-Lewis has done a fantastic job to bring history to life. You can feel the pain and suffering of the men in her words. Bravo!