SHIPWRECK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD: THE EXTRAORDINARY TRUE STORY OF SHACKLETON AND THE ENDURANCE by Jennifer Armstrong

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Armstrong, Jennifer. 1998. Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0375810498

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This book is about the incredible true story of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition led by Sir Ernest Shackleton, which began August 1914 in London aboard the ill-fated Endurance. While the voyage begins with much optimism, the unusually thick ice pack causes delays and eventually traps the Endurance on January 19, 1915- less than 100 miles from the continent. The crew spends the winter drifting along on the ice pack, staying sane as best they can. On October 27, after several months of straining against increased pressure, the ship is crushed beyond repair. Salvaging what they can, the crew sets off across the ice hauling three lifeboats in an attempt to reach open water. Several months and tent camps later, they launch the boats and make the perilous crossing to Elephant Island. On April 24, 1916, Shackleton and five crew members board a lifeboat for a rescue mission to South Georgia Island- 800 miles away across frigid, treacherous ocean. Against all odds, the small boat makes landfall there after 20 days. Shackleton and one other crew member cross the mountainous interior to the inhabited side of the island for help. The crew remaining on Elephant Island is finally rescued on August 30, 1916. While some are worse for wear, the entire crew survives the ordeal!

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Before telling the tale, Armstrong provides plenty of background information about the Antarctic, previous expeditions and personal information about Shackleton and other key crew members. Photographs of the crew, diagrams of the ship and maps of the journey precede the text and prepare the reader for the magnitude of the story to follow. At the outset, Armstrong declares the Antarctic as “the most hostile place on earth” (1).

To merely relate the facts of the fated expedition does little justice to the incredible triumph of this story. Using authentic photographs taken by the expedition’s photographer and information from the captain’s logbook (combined with a variety of other sources), Armstrong paints a very human picture. Anecdotes (about how the men occupied their time during the waiting periods, how the tension builds as the situation begins to deteriorate and how the basic struggle for survival takes precedence) make the characters seem very real. Armstrong’s vivid descriptions also bring to life the harshness of the terrain. She depicts the whaling station on South Georgia Island as “a rough spot, with the carcasses of blue and humpback whales putrefying in the midnight sun, and the harbor red with blood and shimmering with grease...” (13). It is an experience that leaves the reader humbled and amazed.

The book is nicely organized with a logical progression. Chapters break the story into key episodes. Armstrong includes a bibliography for additional source information as well as a useful index.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
From School Library Journal: “This is a very effective presentation of not only how the disaster occurred, but of the toll it took on the crew and how they rose to the challenge.”

From Amazon: “The true-to-life story is as thrilling as they come, and Armstrong's lively, crystal-clear writing style is just as compelling.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Other Orbis Pictus Award Winning Books:
York's Adventures with Lewis and Clark: An African-American's Part in the Great Expedition by Rhoda Blumberg ISBN 0060091118
Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea by Sy Montgomery ISBN 0618496416
Children of the Great Depression by Russell Freedman ISBN 0618446303
*Other books about Antarctica:
How to Survive in Antarctica by Lucy Jane Bledsoe ISBN 0823418901
Antarctica: Journey to the Pole by Peter Lerangis ISBN 0439163870
Explore Antarctica by Louise Crossley ISBN 0521455669
*Read this book in conjunction with a study of the polar regions, the continents or a unit on exploration/explorers