Excellent, readable, written by a historian, gave me much more insight into Shakleton and the 1908 expedition. I was very impressed by the way Mr Riffenburgh sets the scene and gives the reader the cultural background that shaped the thinking and attitudes of the men and the expedition. Too many modern writers damn Anarctic explorers for not knowing things that hadn't been discovered and for not having attitudes that coincide with the author's. This book is not one of those - here we get a good look at what it was like then and at the remarkable achievements of the expedition. Not only did they pioneer travel on the Antarctic plateau, they achieved remarkable scientific work and, as noted in the epilogue, laid the groundwork for the future of Antarctic science especially through the work of such people as David, Mawson and Priestly. Highly recommended. ( )