From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-One of several recent titles about the explorer and his ill-fated expedition to Antarctica, this generously illustrated volume focuses on the man rather than the expedition. Shackleton's life is traced from his early childhood to his death en route to another Antarctic voyage. Readers learn how he went to sea at an early age, and how his hunger for adventure and interest in exploring developed. It is not surprising that the author devotes a great deal of attention to Shackleton's Endurance expedition. Unfortunately, that amazing story has already been told several times in more compelling narratives, most notably in Jennifer Armstrong's Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World (Crown, 1998). The stunning, archival black-and-white photographs are this book's strength, but there is little new information here. Libraries already owning other books on Shackleton and the Endurance may also want to have this one as a starting place for readers. It tells enough about the man and his adventures to whet the appetite for deeper reading on the subject.Edward Sullivan, New York Public Library Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Kirkus Reviews
Kostyal has written a tight, bracing biography of the renowned Antarctic explorer, illustrated with dramatic black-and-white photographs. Shackleton, a man whose sense of romance and adventure repeatedly drew him from conventional British society to Antarctica (``that lonely, windswept desert of ice and snow at the bottom of the world''), succeeded neither in reaching the South Pole nor traversing the continent, but he exhibited such remarkable valor that, according to the author, his name has become ``synonymous with bravery and endurance.'' As usual, there is more about his expeditions than the man, but Kostyal renders the tale in vivid prose that is enhanced by maps, quotes, a timeline and some remarkable photographs. This quality book will be a useful addition in both home and school libraries. (map, chronology, index) (Biography. 8-10) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


Book Description
During an expedition to Antarctica in 1915, Ernest Shackleton's ship, Endurance, became trapped in the ice. Shackleton and his men set out on a desperate journey to save themselves. One of the greatest survival stories of all time is captured in a thrilling illustrated account for young readers.

ANNOTATION

Traces the adventurous life of the South Pole explorer whose ship, the Endurance, was frozen in ice and crushed, leaving the captain and crew to fight for survival.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Some 60 photographs--many from actual expeditions--traces the thrilling and adventurous life of South Pole explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. His ship, "Endurance, " was frozen in ice in 1915 and crushed, leaving the captain and crew to fight for survival. Photobiography coincides with the publication of "Shackleton: The Antarctic Challenge."

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature - Carol Lynch

For most of us, Antarctica will always be a place that's not quite real because of its distance and unwelcoming environment. But for those who have made the long journey and experienced the amazing mysteries of life there, it is a different story. Kostyal relates the story of Ernest Shackleton, one of the earliest explorers of Antarctica just after the turn of the century. After briefly covering Shackleton's early life in Ireland and England, readers follow his first excursion south as a member of the team led by Captain Robert Scott in 1901. The team suffered many hardships--illness, near-starvation, and disagreement among the members. In the end, they turned back with 450 miles separating them from their goal. Shackleton could not be contented by the series of jobs he held upon returning to England: "... life in Britain never quite suited the adventuresome Anglo-Irishman. Ernest was simply bored by routine. And that lonely, windswept desert of ice and snow at the bottom of the world always called to him." A second expedition, one he himself led this time, brought him within 97 miles of the South Pole before he had to return to safety. Three years later, the race for the Pole ended when a Norwegian team planted their flag in the ice of the South Pole. A third attempt left Shackleton's team stranded on the ice as their ship sank in the frigid waters, but the months of struggling to stay alive did not dissuade him from making a fourth attempt in 1921. He died on the ship before reaching the South Pole, and was buried by his team in the frozen lands. This detailed biography tells an interesting story. The text is accompanied by authentic black and white photographs taken on each expedition.

School Library Journal