This book was created and published on StoryJumper™

©2014 StoryJumper, Inc.   All rights reserved.

Publish your own children's book: 

www.storyjumper.com

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton was an Irish-born British 

explorer who was a principal figure of the period 

known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.Sir 

Ernest Henry Shackleton was a British explorer who in 

1901 joined an expedition to the Antarctic.

He was sent home early due to bad health. Devoted to 

creating a legacy, he led the Trans-Antarctic 

Expedition. Disaster struck when his ship, the 

Endurance, was crushed by ice. He and his crew 

drifted on sheets of ice for months until they reached 

Elephant Island. Shackleton eventually rescued his 

crew, all of whom survived the ordeal. He later died 

while setting out on another Antarctic expedition.

Early Career

Explorer. Ernest Henry Shackleton was born 

February 15, 1874, in County Kildare, Ireland. 

The second of 10 children and oldest son, he 

was raised in London, where his family moved 

when Shackleton was a young boy. 

Early Career Continued

Despite the urging of his father that he follow 

in his footsteps and go to medical school, the 

16-year-old Shackleton joined the merchant 

navy, achieving the rank of first mate by the 

age of 18, and becoming a certified master 

mariner six years later. 

Early Career Cont...

Those early years in the merchant navy saw 

Shackleton travel extensively. In 1901 he 

joined noted British naval officer and explorer 

Robert Falcon Scott on a difficult trek to the 

South Pole that placed the two men, plus one 

other, closer to the pole than anyone else 

previously. The trip, however, ended poorly 

for Shackleton, who fell seriously ill and had 

to return home. 

Early Career Cont...

Upon his return to England Shackleton 

pursued a career in journalism. Later he was 

tapped to be secretary to the Scottish 

Geographical Society. He also made an 

unsuccessful attempt at becoming a member 

of Parliament.

The Endurance

Shackleton's South Pole expedition with Scott 

sparked within the young explorer an 

obsession to reach the Antarctic. In 1907 he 

made another attempt at achieving his goal, 

but again he fell short, coming within 97 miles 

of the pole before brutal conditions forced him 

to turn back. 

You've previewed 9 of 15 pages.

To read more: