Tom Crean - An Illustrated Life: Unsung Hero of the Scott & Shackleton Expeditions - Softcover

Michael Smith

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1848891199 ISBN 13: 9781848891197

Publisher: The Collins Press, 2011

This revised pictorial biography celebrates the life of Tom Crean, a great Irish hero of Antarctic exploration in an age of epics of endurance and survival against the odds. Tom ran away from his Kerry farm at 15 to play an outstanding role in three expeditions with the legendary Shackleton and Captain Scott. His incredible story was largely forgotten until the publication of the best-selling An Unsung Hero in 2000. Only then was the modest, unassuming Irishman given due recognition. The extraordinary highlights of his adventures in the ice were captured in exceptional photographs taken under extreme conditions. Assembled here they present a photographic record of a truly astonishing man, with other rare and previously unseen pictures. These photographs illustrate his early life, the incredible feats in the Antarctic and a peaceful retirement in Kerry. Supported by complementary text, diary extracts and maps plus new information on Tom Crean s life, this is a lasting celebration of a true hero.

Review:

'A remarkable book about a remarkable man' Sunday Tribune 'One of the most inspiring books - compulsive reading' The Irish Times 'Creates a fascinating word picture' Irish Examiner 'Painstaking research - a gifted storyteller' Arctic Book Review 'Michael Smith has written a splendid biography' The Nautical Magazine 'A must for anyone interested in polar exploration' County Examiner 'Wonderful' --Irish Independent

About the Author:

Michael Smith, a former journalist, is an established authority on Polar exploration. His other books are An Unsung Hero: Tom Crean - Antarctic Survivor (2000, 2009), I Am Just Going Outside, a biography of Captain Oates (2202), Polar Crusader about Sir James Wordie (2004), Tom Crean - An Illustrated Life (2006, 2013), Captain Francis Crozier (2006, 2014), Great Endeavour - Ireland s Antarctic Explorers (2010) and Shackleton - By Endurance We Conquer (2014). An Unsung Hero was shortlisted for the Banff Mountain Book Festival and Tom Crean - An Illustrated Life was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards 2007. Michael contributes to TV and radio documentaries and lectures on polar history at venues such as Buckingham Palace, Royal Geographical Society and National Museum of Ireland. Before becoming a full-time writer Michael was a business and political journalist with The Guardian and The Observer. He lives in East Sussex.

• Publisher: The Collins Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1848891199
• ISBN 13: 9781848891197
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224