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Frank Worsley : Shackleton's fearless captain

documentary heritage
  • Description

    "This book is a biography of Frank Worsley, without doubt one of New Zealand's greatest, but largely unsung adventuring heroes. Born in Akaroa he went to sea as a teenager in 1888 on the sailing ships plying their trade between New Zealand and England. But the greatest adventure of his life began when he became the captain of Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship Endurance, which was trapped in pack ice on the 1914-1916 Antarctic expedition and slowly crushed.

    The crew of 28 spent over a year camped on the Antarctic ice before Shackleton, Worsley and four others sailed a tiny lifeboat across the wild Southern Ocean to South Georgia to summon help for the rest of the men, who were all eventually rescued. This 17-day journey remains one of the greatest ever feats of seamanship and relied totally on Worsley's brilliant navigation. Worsley was more than just Shackleton's captain however. For the rest of his life he continued to seek adventures in a manner contemporaries described as 'fearless', being decorated for bravery in both world wars, and continuing to captain ships all around the world. This is a revision of John Thomson's 1998 book Shackleton's Captain and features new information and illustrations to refresh a story that deserves to be retold for future generations. The story of this proud New Zealander's remarkable approach to life, far from home, will inspire young men and women who dare to lift their gaze above the ordinary"--Publisher's description.

  • Place
  • Other Id

    G875.W67 THO (Library of Congress Call Number)

    83820 (Cat ID)

    83787 (Presto content ID)

  • Department

Images and documents

Images

Catalogue

  • Object Type
  • Name/Title
    Frank Worsley : Shackleton's fearless captain
  • Primary Maker
  • Contributor/Publisher
    Craig Potton Publishing
  • Place
  • Date
    2014
  • Physical Description

    216 pages : illustrations, facsimiles, maps, portraits ; 27 cm

  • ISBN/ISSN
    9781927213124
  • Level of Current Record
    Bib record
  • Member Object

    1 item in this collection. View all items.

  • Edition/State/Version
    Revised edition
  • Subject Category
  • Content
    1. The family
    2. First voyage
    3. Pacific command
    4. On the ice with Shackleton
    5. To Elephant Island
    6. The boat crew
    7. Preparing the boat
    8. The boat journey
    9. Over the Island
    10. New Zealand with Shackleton
    11. 1917: the submarine
    12. Russia
    13. Captain, mate and crew
    14. The much-maligned quest
    15. All for a drink
    16. To sail where no ship has sailed
    17. London life
    18. Pirate gold
    19. Last posts
    Appendix 1. The boat
    Appendix 2. The Karori companions.
  • Public Access Text

    [Keywords: Antarctica - Discovery and exploration]

    The biography of a true New Zealand hero.--Cover. Previously published as Shackleton's captain : a biography of Frank Worsley by Hazard Press, 1998. Includes bibliographical references (pages 211-213) and index.

  • Collection Type
    Reading Room
  • Copyright
    All rights reserved
  • Last Update
    06 Dec 2024
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