Inspired by Penguin's innovative Great Ideas series, our new Great Journeys series presents the most incredible tours, voyages, treks, expeditions, and travels ever written- from Isabella Bird's exaltation in the dangers of grizzlies, rattlesnakes, and cowboys in the Rocky Mountains to Marco Polo's mystified reports of a giant bird that eats elephants during his voyage along the coasts of India. Each beautifully packaged volume offers a way to see the world anew, to rediscover great civilizations and legends, vast deserts and unspoiled mountain ranges, unusual flora and strange new creatures, and much more.

Although Shackleton's (1874-1922) epic expedition (which began in 1914) to reach the South Pole was a complete disaster when their ship, The Endurance, was crushed by ice and the crew was marooned, it was rescued from absurdity by his heroic, terrifying crossing of the Southern Ocean in a small boat to a whaling station on South Georgia. Through one of the greatest recorded feats of navigation and of leadership, he overcame almost impossible odds and rescued every one of his men from otherwise certain death.

South! tells one of the most thrilling tales of exploration and survival against the odds which has ever been written. It details the experiences of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition which set off in 1914 to make an attempt to cross the Antarctic continent. Under the direction of Sir Ernest Shackleton, the expedition comprised two components: one party sailing on the Endurance into the Weddell Sea, which was to attempt the actual crossing; and another party on board the Aurora, under the direction of Aeneas Mackintosh, sailing into the Ross Sea on the other side of the continent and tasked with establishing depots of stores as far south as possible for the use of the party attempting the crossing. Shackleton gives a highly readable account of the fate of both parties of the Expedition. Both fell victim to the severe environmental conditions of the region, and it was never possible to attempt the crossing. The Endurance was trapped in pack-ice in the Weddell Sea and the ship was eventually crushed by the pressure of the ice, leaving Shackleton’s men stranded on ice floes, far from solid land. Shackleton’s account of their extraordinary struggles to survive is as gripping as any novel. This book is part of the Standard Ebooks project, which produces free public domain ebooks.

DIVTrapped in Antarctic ice, Jack Winslow and his sons fight to get home /divDIV/divDIVIt has been nearly a year since Jack Winslow and his two sons, Colin and Andrew, set out to conquer Antarctica. While Colin and most of the crew stayed behind on the ship, Andrew made a dash for the South Pole, nearly dying in the process. When he returns to the Mystery, frostbitten and frail, the ship has become wedged between two ice floes. As the crew hacks at the ice with pick-axes, trying desperately to free the ship, the ice shifts, shattering the hull and giving the Winslows and their team just enough time to gather provisions before the Mystery plummets into the frigid water./divDIV /divDIVHundreds of miles of ice and sea stand between the Winslows and safety. As food becomes scarce, the crew begins grumbling of mutiny. Colin and Andrew are tired, hungry, and freezing cold—but their struggle for survival has only just begun./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Peter Lerangis including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection./div

“A sinister version of The Perfect Storm. Thrilling.”—Sunday Times (UK) For readers of The Perfect Storm, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, and Into the Wild There’s nothing that armchair adventure lovers relish more than a gripping true story of disaster and heroism, and Last Man Off delivers all that against a breathtaking backdrop of icebergs and killer whales. On June 6, 1998, twenty-three-year-old Matt Lewis had just started his dream job as a scientific observer aboard a deep-sea fishing boat in the waters off Antarctica. As the crew haul in the line for the day, a storm begins to brew. When the captain vanishes and they are forced to abandon ship, Lewis leads the escape onto three life rafts, where the battle for survival begins.

Though his ship was trapped in the ice of Antarctica and sank, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew managed to survive nearly two years of freezing weather, danger, and hunger before they returned home. Original.

Adrift on the Antarctic pack ice with no means of escape and no hope of rescue, Ernest Shackleton and his men are surely doomed. In August 1914, Ernest Shackleton and his men set sail for Antarctica, where they plan to cross the last uncharted continent on foot. In January 1915, his ship, the Endurance, becomes locked in pack ice. Later, it sinks without a trace. To survive, Shackleton and his crew of twenty-seven men must undertake a trial even more extreme than their planned crossing of the frozen continent. Their aim is to make it home against tremendous odds, with only lifeboats to cross the heavy seas of the South Atlantic - and the life-saving power of Shackleton's extraordinary leadership skills. 'An incredible true story brought to life in a highly readable style.'- Michael Smith, author of Shackleton: By Endurance We Conquer Praise for AMUNDSEN'S WAY & INTO THE WHITE 'Joanna Grochowicz's narrative non-fiction brings to life characters and events without skimping on historical fact. While the extensive research underpinning the book is apparent, it is the narrative voice that carries us forward.' - New Zealand Review of Books 'Amundsen's Way is a thoroughly enjoyable and readable story about some very brave people coping with horrific challenges. It is ideal for making young readers aware of the pleasures of long-form non-fiction books.' - Magpies 'For thrill-seeking middle school students who love nonfiction adventure stories...the adventures of Scott and his crew don't disappoint.' - School Library Journal