Shackleton's South with James Cracknell

Overview

Shackleton's South is film-maker Frank Hurley's astonishing documentary of Sir Ernest Shackleton's heroic but ill-starred two-year voyage and epic struggle for survival. In July 1914, Shackleton and his crew - including Hurley - sailed from England for Antarctica, hoping to be the first explorers to cross the continent. However, 80 miles from land, the Endurance became locked in impenetrable pack ice. For the next nine months, the crew desperately tried to batter their way back to open water. In 1915, the crew and their sleigh dogs were forced to abandon the Endurance as the pressure of the ice began crushing the ship. The crew was able to row to Elephant Island, where 22 remained, while Shackleton and five others attempted the desperate 800-mile voyage to inhabited South Georgia Island. This incredible historical document is hosted by James Cracknell to help explain and highlight the plight and struggle faced by Shackleton and his crew and the significance it still holds today.