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In Shackleton's Footsteps
  • Published: 1 November 2026
  • ISBN: 9780753562970
  • Imprint: Virgin Books
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 272
Categories:

In Shackleton's Footsteps

A Return to the Heart of the Antarctic

Formats & editions
Paperback
1 Nov 2026
EBook
1 Apr 2011
Paperback
1 Apr 2012
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An anniversary edition of the modern classic of adventure writing, in which Shackleton's descendants take on the expedition that defeated him in the most extreme Antarctic challenge known to man, now with a new introduction by Bear Grylls.

A MODERN CLASSIC WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION FROM BEAR GRYLLS

'Courage and spirit oozes from these pages' Bear Grylls

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, 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 tells the story of the original expedition and its failure, while also capturing the meticulous planning, fundraising and training for the new expedition.

An unforgettable and unique story of adventure, pioneering spirit and man's triumph over nature, In Shackleton's Footsteps is a modern classic of adventure writing.
  • Published: 1 November 2026
  • ISBN: 9780753562970
  • Imprint: Virgin Books
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 272
Categories:

About the author

Henry Worsley

Lieutenant Colonel Henry Worsley, MBE (4 October 1960 – 24 January 2016) was a British explorer and British Army officer. Descended from Ernest Shackleton, he was part of a 2009 expedition that retraced Shackleton's footsteps in the Antarctic. Worsley died in 2016 while attempting to complete the first solo and unaided crossing of the Antarctic. www.shackletonfoundation.org www.shackletoncentenary.org
HW

Praise for In Shackleton's Footsteps

Thrillingly detailed

The Guardian

In an era where most of the world is explored and adventurous journeys have become more commonplace, it still takes a certain type of person to walk the 900 miles over 66 days, in Antarctic weather conditions, to fulfil a genetic ambition

Independent

A century after the pioneering Anglo-Irish explorer was forced to turn back just 97 miles from his goal, the modern-day adventurers achieved what he could not

Telegraph

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