Product Description

Writer and media personality George Plimpton not only tells Shackleton's story, but recounts his own recent adventure following Shackleton's footsteps through the bleak, beautiful seas, and islands at the bottom of the world.

A groundbreaking series of illustrated biographies, A & E Biographies combines the smart, concise approach of the hugely popular A&E Biography television series with the illuminating visual approach of DK Publishing to present the lives of history's most colorful figures.

Television's longest running, single-topic documentary series Biography on A&E Network is not only one of the most successful shows -- it is one of the most popular. Biography has profiled more than 900 people in its fifteen years.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1754565 in Books
• Published on: 2003-04-14
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 160 pages

From Booklist
In the latest volume in this publisher's series of illustrated biographies, Plimpton tells the story of Shackleton's life and his four Antarctic expeditions. In what Plimpton calls "a voyage considered one of the great exploits of the heroic age of exploration," he recounts how Shackleton and five shipmates sailed 800 miles from Elephant Island to South Georgia in a small boat to rescue 28 of his men after their ship was crushed in pack ice in 1915. The author, a critic, novelist, essayist, and cofounder of The Paris Review, chronicles his own trip to Antarctica in 2002 and interweaves the story of his trip with that of Shackleton's as he follows in the explorer's footsteps. There are 136 photographs and illustrations; many of the black-and-white photos were taken by Frank Hurley, a member of the crew of the Endurance. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
In a multifaceted career spanning nearly a half-century, George Plimpton has made his mark as a cofounder of The Paris Review, a critic, essayist, humorist, novelist, and biographer.

Customer Reviews

Great Photos But Tainted Text
My high opinion of the TV show "Biography" and of DK books dropped after I read this annoying book. As the book's promotion says, George Plimpton chronicles his 2002 trip to Antarctica and interweaves personal comments with text about Shackleton's incredible story. The problem is Plimpton's comments and photos of himself refect self-absorption and often are irrelevant to Shackleton's amazing story. In a bizarre move, Plimpton fails to mention the book "Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage" by Alfred Lansing -- which is the "bible" of the Shackleton story -- but he mentions lesser works. The excellent photos in this book prompted me to give it two stars instead of one.