Book Review: Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World (Module 4)

1. Bibliography

Armstrong, Jennifer. SHIPWRECK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD: THE EXTRAORDINARY TRUE STORY OF SHACKLETON AND THE ENDURANCE. New York: Crown Publishers, 1998. ISBN 0517800144.

2. Plot Summary

Antarctica was a mysterious frozen continent which had not been sighted prior to the 19th century. This is one of the facts we learn in Armstrong’s account of Shackleton’s expedition to Antarctica in 1915. At the turn of the 20th century, numerous attempts were made by various adventurers to reach it, explore it, and literally “put it on the map.” One such adventurer was Englishman Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, who made several attempts in competition with others to walk on the ice of Antarctica’s interior and document what was found there. Shackleton took meticulous care in choosing his crew, filling his ship with necessary food and supplies, and relying upon the Norwegian craftsmanship and knowledge of icy water conditions that built his ship for the journey, The Endurance. Endurance in its psychological sense was certainly needed by the crew when the ship collapsed from the pressure exerted upon it by the frozen waters. Thereafter, the story shifts to the hardships suffered by the crew, and ultimately, the miracle that all crew members survived.


3. Critical Analysis


Captions under original photos, a wealth of information from the trivial to the essential within the text, and the bibliographical sources included in the back of the book give evidence of much research and discovery in the preparation for writing this account of Shackleton’s expedition to Antarctica on the Endurance. The subject matter was compelling. Stating facts without emotion as a continuous narrative style through a book of more than 128 pages can seem a little dry – unfortunately, that was true of this book. Still, there was much to learn about what happened, and much to absorb in reading this book, at any age.

Although this book is intended for young adults, as with the expedition it documents, it is not for the faint of heart. There are disturbing revelations, such as on page 27. The necessity of hunting seals and penguins for supplemental food is as described as follows: “It was pitifully easy to kill the seals: they had no fear of anything on land, and the men could ski or walk up to the trusting animals and club them to death.” This may be more graphic description than is required, especially for young adults. Page 11 shows a photo taken of a ship’s stowaway (who became the ship’s steward) with a cat named Mrs. Chippy perched upon his right shoulder. Later in the book, after the shipwreck, we learn, “In the meantime, there was much to get ready. Mrs. Chippy, the carpenter’s cat, had to be shot, because without the protection of the ship the dogs would have eaten him.” A mercy killing of sorts is described, and desperate times are said to call for desperate measures. Still, the unemotional statement of these and other facts have the potential to depress the reader with brutality as much as to inform.

This book shows that exploring and documenting our world, even to recent centuries, has not been an easy task. It shows how wild and unforgiving our world can be, and yet how resilient and persevering mankind can be in trying to make the unknown the known.

4. Review Excerpts

Booklist review:
"Using text filled with details about daily life, quotes (unfortunately not sourced), fascinating archival photos by one of the members of the expedition, and insight into elements of science with important bearing on the story (navigation techniques, different kinds of ice), Armstrong paints a vivid picture of the ordeal."

School Library Journal review:
"...Utilizing Shackleton's memoirs and original expedition photographs, Kimmel re-creates events in exciting detail. She puts the story in historical perspective by comparing the exploration of Antarctica to the exploration of space, which plays a part in making this an accessible but not oversimplified account."

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books review:
"...The author uses her sources well for provision of evocative details, such as the impact, a year after getting stuck in the ice and four months after abandoning the ship, of the discovery of a twig and the homesickness engendered by the smell of its burning. Nor does she shrink from harder truths about the fate of the ship's sled dogs and cat mascot, but the overwhelming impression is of the skill and luck that enabled Shackleton to bring all his men back alive."

Connections:
This book could be used in conjunction with a unit on exploration in history.