The White Darkness by David Grann is a nonfiction work about Henry Worsley, an explorer of Antarctica. Worsely had a lifelong fascination with the exploration of Antarctica, especially the efforts of Ernest Shakleton in the first decade of the 20th century. When an opportunity arose for Worsley to join one such expedition, he jumped at the opportunity. Remarkably, his wife always supported those wishes. The book details the hardships that were faced by the explorers. Then, Worsley led a second expedition of three men who were able to cross the continent. Finally, in 2015, he chose to attempt a solo crossing.
I recall the news about Worsley’s solo journey. It lasted for 77 days, and like Shakleton whose team had gotten within 97 miles of the South Pole before they turned back due to a shortage of supplies, Worsley abandoned the effort not long before it would have been completed. He knew he was done and used his satellite phone to call for his evacuation. However, in the process of the rescue, it was determined that he had contracted peritonitis. He was flown to Puerto Arenas and was hospitalized, but his body was so badly deteriorated, he did not survive.
This was a great story. It was a rather short audiobook, only about three hours. If real life adventures catch your interest, the work of David Grann is for you.
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