"The White Darkness" by David Grann. Short Review


Recently I heard David Grann speak about another book he authored, Killers of the Flower Moon. While at the presentation, I picked up a copy of "The White Darkness" at the book table. After perusing it I thought it would be worthwhile, purchased it, and received the author's autograph.

It's a slender, glossy-paged hardback, that chronicles the three treks of Henry Worsley (4 October 1960 - 24 January 2016) as he pursued the trail of his ancestral relation, Frank Worsley. But more, as he followed the path of his hero, Ernest Shackleton in leadership and in obsessing on the Antarctica and the South Pole. Though the volume is slightly overpriced, it was a gripping read. Grann masterfully draws in several layers of narrative that cover family, history, and sheer stamina in the face of insurmountable odds, braids them together, and secures the reader's interest. The manuscript also includes photographs that give a good sense of the austere and spartan environment. I was pleased to read the book, and gladly recommend it.

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