The Heart of the Antarctic; Being the Story of the British Antarctic Expedition 1907-1909

Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1909. First American Edition, 1st Printing. Very Good. In two volumes, 8vo [10.25x7.75in]; Vol. I - [2], liii, [1], 366 pp. [2], 78 plate leaves of illustrations and images, with frontispiece and 6 in color with printed tissue guards, black/white and diagrams, numerous illustrations in text; Vol. II -xvi, 451 pp., [1], 69 plate leaves, with frontispiece and 6 in color with printed tissue guards, black/white, numerous illustrations in text, in rear pocket a black and white landscape panorama, with 3 colored folding maps of routes; Dark blue cloth with silver lettering on front and spine, ruled borders and silver illustration of three explorers and flag on front (from image at the magnetic South Pole) and silver illustration on spine of single explorer, top edge gilt and other edges untrimmed; Minor shelf wear to covers with rubbing to corners, edges and top/bottom of spine on both volumes, illustration on Vol. II front has rubbed spot, age toning to text edges and crease folds of maps, spines are darken and illustrations tarnished, Vol. I has cracked and loose hinges and holding, Vol. II rear hinge partially cracked and holding tight, limited archival tape repair to crease of Vol. I frontispiece tissue guard and small closed tear to title page fore edge. Overall in very good condition [Rosove 305.C1a, Spence 1098, Renard 1447, Conrad p. 148, Howgego III S20]. Sir Ernest Shackleton [1874-1922] was one of the great explorers of the "Heroic Age" of Antarctic exploration [ranging from the late 1890s to early 1920s]. Known as the Nimrod Expedition, this was Shackleton's first expedition as a leader. He was the 3rd Officer of Robert Falcon Scott's important Discovery expedition (1901-1904) and accompanied Scott, and Edward Wilson, on a survey journey to chart the route to the Polar Plateau. The party was ill prepared and due to lack of supplies and illness never left the Ross ice sheet only reached 82 degrees along the Trans- Antarctic Mountains. Shackleton had a falling out with Scott, who then shipped him to New Zealand on the supply ship. Shackleton then began to plan for the Nimrod Expedition to expand the knowledge of the McMurdo sound and routes to the Pole.

The Nimrod expedition achieved several 'firsts' - the "discovery" of the magnetic pole location by Edgewood David and Douglas Mawson, the accent of Mt. Erebus, an active volcano, several scientific sledging trips to discover the dry valleys, and a journey to the south to complete Scott's polar attempt. Shackleton discovered the Beardmore Glacier and route to the polar plateau, and was able to continue to within 97 miles of the South Pole. Shackleton and three others turned back short of the Pole due to doubtful food and fuel supply to safely return to the expedition's base at Cape Royds. In a letter to his wife Emily, Shackleton said "I thought, dear, that you would rather have a live ass than a dead lion." His efforts mapped the route to the South Pole that Scott used in the ill fated 1912 expedition. For his polar achievements, Shackleton was knighted by King Edward VII for his accomplishments and laying the ground work for a future Polar attempt.