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The Grip of the Ice
- Author
- Ed Armston-Sheret
- Narrator
- Ed Armston-Sheret
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date
- 30 July 2026
- Run Time
- 9 hours 50 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
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What to expect
'An Antarctic odyssey; Shackleton and Scott star in this rip-roaring account' The Telegraph
'Delivered with pace, style and infectious enthusiasm, The Grip of the Ice sometimes chills you to the bone… stirring, suspenseful and panoramic.' Irish Independent
The gripping untold story of Britain’s first Antarctic expedition — a daring journey that launched the legendary careers of Scott and Shackleton.
Before Robert Falcon Scott’s tragic race to the South Pole and Ernest Shackleton’s legendary Endurance, there was Discovery, the expedition that began it all. Discovery was Britain’s first Antarctic expedition, where Scott, Shackleton and their crew battled scurvy, starvation and the brutal Antarctic wilderness in an audacious push further south than any human had gone before. But this is more than a tale of adventure.
Through the lives of twelve expedition members, historian Ed Armston-Sheret unearths a forgotten story of heroism, science, imperial ambition and the harsh realities of survival. With fresh insights drawn from diaries, letters and archival materials, The Grip of the Ice sheds new light on how this little-known expedition shaped British culture and Antarctic exploration for generations to come.
Timed for the 125th anniversary of the voyage, this is history at its most exhilarating – an essential read for lovers of adventure and exploration.
Critics Review
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'An excellent account of the 1901-4 Discovery Expedition, the first British Antarctic voyage of the heroic age of Polar exploration' The Telegraph
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'A thrilling tale of bravery and determination against the odds' The Field
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'The expedition has indeed ‘seldom attracted the attention it deserves’, and in these pages the author makes it his own.' Literary Review
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'Stirring, suspenseful and panoramic.' Irish Independent
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'The stories of the crew of the Dundee-built ship the Discovery that launched Britain’s heroic age of Antarctic learning are finally told in a book marking the expedition’s 125th anniversary.' Scottish Sunday Mail
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'Historian Ed Armston-Sheret, shines a light on this collective epic, revealing its lesser-known figures, forgotten stories, and the mission that laid the foundations for everything that followed.' Galileo
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'Ed Armston-Sheret, an 'historian of exploration', became captivated by the spectacular misadventures of Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton during the Discovery expedition and recounts them in abundant and meticulous detail.' Books Actualité
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Ed Armston-Sheret
- Narrator
- Ed Armston-Sheret
- Duration
- 9 hours 50 minutes
- Release Date
- 30 July 2026
- ISBN
- 9780008774547
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Genre
- Geographical discovery and exploration, Biography: adventurers and explorers, True stories of heroism, endurance and survival, True stories of discovery, Narrative theme: journeys and voyages
Synopsis
'An Antarctic odyssey; Shackleton and Scott star in this rip-roaring account' The Telegraph 'Delivered with pace, style and infectious enthusiasm, The Grip of the Ice sometimes chills you to the bone… stirring, suspenseful and panoramic.' Irish Independent The gripping untold story of Britain’s first Antarctic expedition — a daring journey that launched the legendary careers of Scott and Shackleton. Before Robert Falcon Scott’s tragic race to the South Pole and Ernest Shackleton’s legendary Endurance, there was Discovery, the expedition that began it all. Discovery was Britain’s first Antarctic expedition, where Scott, Shackleton and their crew battled scurvy, starvation and the brutal Antarctic wilderness in an audacious push further south than any human had gone before. But this is more than a tale of adventure. Through the lives of twelve expedition members, historian Ed Armston-Sheret unearths a forgotten story of heroism, science, imperial ambition and the harsh realities of survival. With fresh insights drawn from diaries, letters and archival materials, The Grip of the Ice sheds new light on how this little-known expedition shaped British culture and Antarctic exploration for generations to come. Timed for the 125th anniversary of the voyage, this is history at its most exhilarating – an essential read for lovers of adventure and exploration.
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