Antarctic Days - James Murray and George Marston

⭐ 9.0/10

(Originally written by Rebecca)

The real reason I read the last two books about the Nimrod Expedition were because I wanted to read THIS one, which bears the subtitle "Sketches of the homely side of polar life, by two of Shackleton's men." It's essentially a companion book to the official record of the expedition, centred around all the little stories and jokes and events that wouldn't make it into the official narrative, from two of the guys who lived at the hut on Antarctica but didn't join any of the major sledging trips to the poles. Murray was the biologist, and Marston the expedition artist. One of my main interests in polar exploration has always been the everyday daily life bits, which is why I voraciously consume diaries, and this was a PERFECT addition. Murray did most of the writing and is VERY funny, and Marston contributed a bunch of great illustrations. They go over the whole expedition, telling "yarns" and talking about life in the hut and on the ship. It was a really fun read, and I wish there were more books like it from other expeditions.