Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic Library: A Source of Inspiration and Endurance
The Explorer’s Library
When Ernest Shackleton embarked on his ill-fated Antarctic expedition in 1914, he brought with him a library of books. These books served as a source of inspiration and solace for Shackleton and his crew during their grueling journey.
A newly digitized image from the Royal Geographical Society has revealed a list of many of the books in Shackleton’s library. The image shows that Shackleton brought a variety of books, including reference books, popular fiction, classic novels, and poems.
Books for Survival
Particularly poignant are the library’s collection of books about exploration, such as “Journal of HMS Enterprise,” which details a failed rescue mission in search of the lost Franklin expedition in the Arctic in the 1840s. These books provided Shackleton and his crew with a sense of hope and inspiration during their own perilous journey.
Books for Inspiration
Shackleton also brought books that provided him with inspiration and guidance. These included works by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Amélie Rives. These books helped Shackleton to maintain his morale and to keep his crew motivated during the darkest days of their expedition.
The Power of Books
The books that Shackleton brought on his Antarctic expedition served as a lifeline for him and his crew. They provided them with knowledge, inspiration, and hope. They also helped them to stay connected to the outside world and to maintain their sanity during their long and arduous journey.
Shackleton’s Bookshelf
The following is a list of the books that were found in Shackleton’s library:
- Reference books:
- Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Chamber’s Dictionary
- Roget’s Thesaurus
- Whitaker’s Almanack
- Popular fiction:
- The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
- Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Classic novels and poems:
- The Odyssey by Homer
- The Iliad by Homer
- The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
- Paradise Lost by John Milton
- The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
- Books about exploration:
- Journal of HMS Enterprise by Sir James Clark Ross
- The Narrative of the Voyages of HMS Adventure and Beagle by Charles Darwin
- The South Pole by Roald Amundsen
- Scott’s Last Expedition by Robert Falcon Scott
Conclusion
Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic library was a source of inspiration and endurance for him and his crew. The books that he brought with him provided them with knowledge, hope, and motivation during their perilous journey.