The Heart of the Antarctic: Being the Story of the British Antarctic Expedition 1907-1909 by Shackleton, Sir Ernest - 1932

London: William Heinemann, (1932). 

One Volume Edition - Abridged.

368 pages.
Illustrated with photographs from the expedition and one large foldout map.

Very Good. Tight binding; clean pages and covers; a little foxing to edges of textblock; a couple of light scuff marks to front cover else not much wear; lacking the rare dust jacket.

Nimrod expedition, 1907-1909:
On 1 January 1908, the Nimrod set off on the British Antarctic Expedition from Lyttelton Harbour, New Zealand. Shackleton's original plans had envisaged using the old Discovery base in McMurdo Sound to launch his attempts on the South Pole and South Magnetic Pole. Before leaving England, he had been pressured to give an undertaking to Scott that he would not base himself in the McMurdo area, which Scott was claiming as his own field of work. Shackleton reluctantly agreed to look for winter quarters at either the Barrier Inlet-which Discovery had briefly visited in 1902-or King Edward VII Land.

To conserve coal, the ship was towed 1,650 miles (2,655 km) by the steamer Koonya to the Antarctic ice, after Shackleton had persuaded the New Zealand government and the Union Steamship Company to share the cost. In accordance with Shackleton's promise to Scott, the ship headed for the eastern sector of the Great Ice Barrier, arriving there on 21 January 1908. They found that the Barrier Inlet had expanded to form a large bay, in which were hundreds of whales, which led to the immediate christening of the area as the Bay of Whales.

It was noted that ice conditions were unstable, precluding the establishment of a safe base there. An extended search for an anchorage at King Edward VII Land proved equally fruitless, so Shackleton was forced to break his undertaking to Scott and set sail for McMurdo Sound, a decision which, according to second officer Arthur Harbord, was "dictated by common sense" in view of the difficulties of ice pressure, coal shortage and the lack of any nearer known base. Nimrod arrived at McMurdo Sound on 29 January, but was stopped by ice 16 miles (26 km) north of Discovery's old base at Hut Point. After considerable weather delays, Shackleton's base was eventually established at Cape Royds, about 24 miles (39 km) north of Hut Point. The party was in high spirits, despite the difficult conditions; Shackleton's ability to communicate with each man kept the party happy and focused.

The "Great Southern Journey", as Frank Wild called it, began on 29 October 1908. On 9 January 1909, Shackleton and three companions-Wild, Eric Marshall and Jameson Adams-reached a new Farthest South latitude of 88° 23' S, a point only 112 miles (180 km) from the Pole. En route the South Pole party discovered the Beardmore Glacier-named after Shackleton's patron-and became the first persons to see and travel on the South Polar Plateau. Their return journey to McMurdo Sound was a race against starvation, on half-rations for much of the way. At one point, Shackleton gave his one biscuit allotted for the day to the ailing Frank Wild, who wrote in his diary: "All the money that was ever minted would not have bought that biscuit and the remembrance of that sacrifice will never leave me". They arrived at Hut Point just in time to catch the ship.

The expedition's other main accomplishments included the first ascent of Mount Erebus, and the discovery of the approximate location of the South Magnetic Pole, reached on 16 January 1909, by Edgeworth David, Douglas Mawson, and Alistair Mackay. Shackleton returned to the United Kingdom as a hero, and soon afterwards published his expedition account, Heart of the Antarctic. Emily Shackleton later recorded: "The only comment he made to me about not reaching the Pole was 'a live donkey is better than a dead lion, isn't it?' and I said 'Yes darling, as far as I am concerned'". [wikipedia]

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
CHAPTER I. THE EXPEDITION:
Inception and Preparation : Food Supply : Equipment : The Nimrod : Hut for Winter Quarters : Clothing : Ponies, Dogs, and Motor-car : Scientific Instruments : Miscellaneous Articles of Equipment.

CHAPTER II. THE STAFF OF THE EXPEDITION.
The Members of the Expedition : Nimrod leaves East India Docks, July
30: In the Solent, August 3-5.

CHAPTER III. ROYAL VISIT TO THE NIMROD.
In the Solont: The Nimrod visited by Royal Party : Her Majesty Queen
Alexandra presents a Union Jack to the Commander of the Expedition
Torquay, August 6 : Nimrod arrives : August 7, the Nimrod sails for Lyttelton, via St. Vincent and Cape Town : Arrival at Lyttelton, November 23, 1907.

CHAPTER IV. LYTTELTON TO THE ANTARCTIC CIRCLE.
Final Preparations at Lyttelton : Enthusiastic_send-off : In tow of the
Koonya for 1510 miles : Getting through the Pack-ice : Ross Sea reached
January 17.

CHAPTER V. THE ATTEMPT TO REACH KING EDWARD VII LAND.
Disappearance of Barrier Inlet : Course to King Edward VII Land blocked by Ice : Course Set for McMurdo Sound : Arrival at Cape Royds, February 3.

CHAPTER VI. THE LANDING OF STORES AND EQUIPMENT, FEBRUARY 3-22, 1908. 
Blizzard in McMurdo Sound, February 18-21 : Nimrod sails for New
Zealand, February 22.

CHAPTER VII. WINTER QUARTERS AT CAPE ROYDS OUTSIDE AND INSIDE.
View from Winter Quarters over the Sound and the Western Mountains : Field for Scientific Work: The Hut completed and Out-buildings erected : Interior arrangements : The bed question : Acetylene Gas-plant 

CHAPTER VIII. SLEDGING EQUIPMENT.
Sledges : Cookors : Tents : Sleeping bags : Clothing : Ponies : Dogs and Food : Acknowledgment of Supplies presented to the Expedition by various Firms.

CHAPTER IX. THE CONQUEST OF MOUNT EREBUS.
March 5 : Party starts from Winter Quarters to ascend Mount Erebus : Camp 2750 ft. above Sea-level : March 6, altitude 5630 ft. and Depot made : March 7, Fierce Blizzard, Brocklehurst badly frostbitten : March 8, Camp 11,400 ft. : March 9, Highest Point reached 13,370 ft. : Descent safely accomplished

CHAPTER X. WINTER QUARTERS DURING POLAR NIGHT 1908 : NOTES ON SPRING SLEDGING JOURNEYS
Meteorological Observations : The Anemometer : Night Watchman's Duties : Fierce Blizzard on March 13 : Preliminary Journey on the Barrier Surface starts August 12 : Hut Point reached August 14 : Party starts for Hut Point on September 1, to leave there some Gear and Provisions in readiness for the Southern Journey

CHAPTER XI. THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY.
Preparation : Depot A laid : First Days of the March from Winter Quarters : Start from Hut Point, November 3.

CHAPTER XII. BEYOND ALL FORMER FOOTSTEPS, NOVEMBER 10 TO DECEMBER 4.
Steady Progress : The Sighting of New Land.

CHAPTER XIII. ON THE GREAT GLACIER, DECEMBER 5 TO 17.
Appearance of a Bird in 83° 40' South Latitude : Our last Pony engulfed, Coal at an altitude of 6100 ft.

CHAPTER XXI. NOTES ON THE WESTERN JOURNEY.
Christmas Day at Knob Head Mountain : In search of Fossils : Adrift on a Floe : Party Picked up by the Nimrod, January 28

CHAPTER XXII. EXTRACTS FROM THE NARRATIVE OF PROFESSOR DAVID.
Final Instructions : Loss of a Cooker : Camp at Butter Point : Travelling over Sea-ice heavy Relay-work : Cooking with Blubber : Seal Bouillon : Drygalski Glacier : Depot laid : Preparations for trek Inland : Depot at Mount Larsen: New Year's Day in Latitude 74° 18': Arrival at Magnetic Pole (mean position of) January 16, 1909, 72° 25' S., 155° 16' E. : Union Jack hoisted at 3.30 P.M.

CHAPTER XXIII. THE RETURN MARCH, JANUARY 17 TO FEBRUARY 5.
March of 250 Miles back to our Depot on Drygalski Glacier : Sugar in the Hoosh : A Question of Route : Ice Dongas : Nearing the Coast : A
Barranca : Severe Climbing : Our Unhappy Lot : A Double Detonator :
Mawson in a Crevasse : Afternoon Tea on board the Nimrod.

CHAPTER XXIV. A BRIEF RETROSPECT.
Total Distance Travelled : Travelling over Sea-ice : The Drygalski Glacier : Backstairs Passage : Results of Journey : How to spend a Week at the Magnetic Pole.

CHAPTER XXV. ALL ABOARD: THE RETURN TO NEW ZEALAND.
An Oar Breaks : Disaster Averted : Last View of Winter Quarters : Supplies left at Cape Royds : New Coast-line ; Anchored at Mouth of Lord's River, Stewart Island, March 22 : Arrived Lyttelton, March 25, 1909.

APPENDIXES.
EXPEDITION NOTES:
I. SOME NOTES BY JAMES MURRAY, BIOLOGIST TO THE
II. SOUTHERN JOURNEY DISTANCES BY THE COMMANDER OF TAK EXPEDITION.