Learning Resources

Have we wet your appetite to learn more about Shackleton, Scott, Amundsen & Mawson and their heroic age expeditions? Here are our top book, film and website recommendations.

A complete list of the books and films we liked can be found in the Recommended Reading section of  our book, When Your Life Depends on It

Book Recommendations

  • The Lost Photographs of Captain Scott
    David Wilson. An incredible collection of recently discovered photographs that bring to life the challenges of the Heroic Age. UK: link to book

  • Shackleton: By Endurance We Conquer
    Michael Smith. A wonderfully written, superb biography of “the Boss”. UK: link to book

  • Discovery Illustrated: Pictures from Captain Scott’s First Antarctic Expedition
    Judy Skelton, David Wilson. Remarkable photographs depicting all aspects of the Discovery Expedition. Both authors are descendants of men who were on the Expedition.

  • The Worst Journey in the World
    Apsley Cherry-Garrard originally published in 1922. Cherry-Garrard was on Scott’s Terra Nova expedition.

  • The Lost Men: The Harrowing Story of Shackleton’s Ross Sea Party
    Kelly Tyler-Lewis. An unforgettable true story

  • Captain Scott
    Sir Ranulph Fiennes. An incredible book about Robert Scott, written by Ranulph Fiennes, who is the world’s greatest living Polar explorer. Fiennes brings his own experiences into the descriptions of the challenges of Antarctic exploration.

Film & Video Recommendations

  • Shackleton – Death Or Glory
    Recreation of Shackleton’s boat journey by Tim Jarvis, (Discovery Channel) DVD released in 2014

  • Scott Of The Antarctic
    Director: Charles Frend, Main actor: John Mills, originally released in 1948, now available on DVD

  • Shackleton
    Director: Charles Sturridge, Main actor: Kenneth Branagh, DVD released in 2008

  • South
    Director: Frank Hurley, featuring real footage shot by Hurley on the Endurance expedition

  • The Great White Silence / 90 Degrees South
    Director: Herbert Ponting with Robert Scott. Originally released in 1933, featuring real footage shot by Ponting on the Terra Nova expedition

Website Recommendations

  • The Antarctic Circle is a treasure chest of historical, literary, bibliographical, artistic and cultural aspects of Antarctica and the South Polar regions. Website >

  • Antarctic Posts Live from the Antarctic 1910-1916:  Diary entries from the explorers of the heroic era, posted live one hundred years from the day they were written. Website >

  • James Caird Society: Semi-annual meetings and newsletter. Meets at Dulwich College, England where Shackleton was a student.  This is also where the James Caird lifeboat is housed. Website >

  • Kingsbridge Books: Antiquarian bookseller specializing in books on the polar regions. Autographed copies of our book (signed by Brad) are available from Kingsbridge Books. Website >

  • Tom Cream Discovery: The story of Tom Crean, Ireland’s Antarctic hero. Website >

  • Athy, Ireland Heritage Center and Shackleton Museum: Host to the annual Shackleton Autumn School conference: Website >

  • Discovery Point, Dundee, Scotland: Robert Scott’s first Antarctic ship, the Discovery is on display. Website >

  • Fram Museum, Oslo, Norway: Roald Amundsen’s Antarctic ship, the Fram is based at this wonderful museum. The Fram was built for Nansen’s Arctic expedition in the 1890’s so has a great Polar pedigree. Also in the museum is Amundsen’s ship, the Gjoa, which he used to discover the Northwest Passage, and interestingly, in a neighboring museum, is the Kon-Tiki   Website >

  • James Caird boat, Dulwich College, England: Shackleton’s James Caird boat is on display at Shackleton’s high school which is called Dulwich College. Website >

  • Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, UK: Research institute and world’s greatest polar museum. Website >

  • South Pole Inn, Ireland:  Tom Crean’s pub is located on the west coast of Ireland. Website >

  • Statues:  Amundsen in Oslo; Edward Wilson in Cheltenham, England; Mawson in Adelaide; Robert Scott (carved by his wife who was a renowned sculptor) in Waterloo Place, London; Shackleton on the Royal Geographic Society building in London

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