In Shackleton’s Footsteps – Kirkdale Bookshop talk by author Henry Worsley

On the 29th of October 1908, a party of four men, led by Ernest Shackleton, set out to be the first to reach the South Pole. Three months later, their mission was in ruins and they faced certain death if they carried on. Just 97 miles from the South Pole, Shackleton turned back.One hundred years on, in October 2008, a team that included descendants of that original party, led by Henry Worsley, set out from Shackleton’s hut to celebrate the centenary of his expedition by retracing the exact 870 mile route and going on to finish the last 97 miles. This captivating book explores the history of the original expedition and reasons behind its failure, while capturing the meticulous planning, fundraising and training for the new expedition. There is also the team’s first days on the ice, Christmas on the polar plateau, the brutal reality of crossing the Beardmore Glacier and the final miles to the South Pole. In Shackleton’s Footsteps is a unique story of adventure, pioneering spirit, settling old family business and man’s triumph over nature.What the critics say…An honest, gripping and intensely personal account of one man’s quest to tackle the coldest, toughest, most desolate journey on earth. Henry is a man moulded in Shackleton’s image and courage and spirit oozes from these pages.
Bear Grylls