South

First Edition, First Impression. Shackleton embarked in 1914 on the Endurance to make the first traverse of the Antarctic continent; a journey of some 1800 miles from sea to sea. But 1915 turned into an unusually icy year in Antarctica; after drifting trapped in the ice for nine months, the Endurance was crushed in the 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" (DNB). Amazingly, all members of the Endurance party survived the ordeal.

8vo. Original midnight-blue cloth, spine and upper cover lettered in silver and with large block of the Endurance in silver to the upper board, publisher’s device in blind to lower board. Colour frontispiece, folding map and 87 plates. Somewhat browned, but far more lightly than is usual, map has been neatly taken out and now reattached with archival tape, contemporary ownership inscription to the front pastedown, cloth slightly rubbed at the extremities, a nice copy.