Retelling of the 1908 Shackleton expedition. From the publisher's announcement: `A masterful balance of true drama and first-rate scholarship. The narrative moves with the speed of a novel, while the author's unerring eye for historical detail captures the essence of polar exploration and explorers' Sir Ranulph Fiennes On New Year's Day, 1908, a tiny overladen ship called Nimrod set out on the last stage of its journey to the Antarctic. The leader of the expedition was Ernest Shackleton who was determined to find fame and fortune by becoming the first man to reach the South Pole. On this expedition, Shackleton would record the greatest achievements of his career and make some of his most momentous decisions. It was to be an epic and dangerous adventure. While one team battled hundreds of miles to plant the Union Jack at the South Magnetic Pole, Shackleton led another team toward the geographic South Pole. Despite being plagued by hunger, cruel weather and unseen crevasses, they persevered to within ninety-seven miles of the Pole.