The White Darkness

Name: The White Darkness
SKU: 113974
Availability: InStock

4.4 | 1,802 ratings

Price: 11.81

Last update: 12-25-2024

About this item

By the number one New York Times best-selling author of Killers of the Flower Moon, a powerful true story of adventure and obsession in the Antarctic

Henry Worsley was a devoted husband and father and a decorated British special forces officer who believed in honor and sacrifice. He was also a man obsessed. He spent his life idolizing Ernest Shackleton, the 19th-century polar explorer, who tried to become the first person to reach the South Pole, and later sought to cross Antarctica on foot. Shackleton never completed his journeys, but he repeatedly rescued his men from certain death, and emerged as one of the greatest leaders in history.

Worsley felt an overpowering connection to those expeditions. He was related to one of Shackleton's men, Frank Worsley, and spent a fortune collecting artifacts from their epic treks across the continent. He modeled his military command on Shackleton's legendary skills and was determined to measure his own powers of endurance against them. He would succeed where Shackleton had failed, in the most brutal landscape in the world.

In 2008, Worsley set out across Antarctica with two other descendants of Shackleton's crew, battling the freezing, desolate landscape, life-threatening physical exhaustion, and hidden crevasses. Yet when he returned home, he felt compelled to go back. On November 13, 2015, at age 55, Worsley bid farewell to his family and embarked on his most perilous quest: to walk across Antarctica alone.

David Grann tells Worsley's remarkable story with the intensity and power that have led him to be called "simply the best narrative nonfiction writer working today." The White Darkness is both a gorgeous keepsake volume and a spellbinding story of courage, love, and a man pushing himself to the extremes of human capacity.

Precise Disarray

immersive experience, I found it worthwhile read

Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2019

I love reading this in printed form. For this piece of non fiction, I prefer to have the hard copy in hand, with pictures to look at. I don't recall what I spent on the book (@$10), but I already know how many pages I was buying (160 pages from description, though 146 in book in hand).

Sometimes price is a deciding factor, sometimes not. when I really want to read something, I'll pay whatever. I really wanted to read this, so I bought it. I see a lot of negative reviews stating that readers should save their money and just read it out of the magazine (k, where am I going to get this copy?, also if it is just a reprinted mag piece, I am glad it is offered in a format I can enjoy), or figure out a way to get around buying it and read it electronically (hmm, really?). Positive reviews are looked at as though they are part of something scandalous, which undermines an authentic read with genuine enjoyment of this book. Although I initially considered backing away, I actually ultimately decided to -take a chance- purchase my book based on these negative reviews, so thank you!

One person's 1 star, is another person's 5 star :)

I am already familiar with Grann's writing, so I knew to expect some solid writing. I was not disappointed (phew!). I did not gobble it up in a short sitting (savored it), I don't feel like I am being taken for my money with having spent $10 to read someones work. I've spent more money on less worthwhile reads. And I do understand that value is based on ones perspective. So *I* find value in this read, and because I do so, it does not mean that my review is not genuine.

Also, now there are used copies available. That being said, and price aside..

The information shared in this book is clear, concise, well described, and gives me a sense of being there in Antarctica. I was initially drawn to this book, well first because I wanted to see what else Grann has written (KIllers of the Flower Moon is amazing in particular) that I may not have read yet. Secondly, the premise of adventurers in Antarctica- something about long arduous treks really appeal to me, even if only from the comfort of my lazy girl recliner. I knew Grann would lead me as close as I could ever get to being there, with these brave, courageous, risk takers- without my having to leave the house. Not only that, but it spurred an interest in me to seek out even more information about the area and other explorers, their stories, and so on. They may be a bit crazy and selfish, but I can still be a voyeur into that world. Grann helps with that. And THAT absolutely makes this a worthwhile experience, to me. I think it is a gem of a book, and I appreciate this non fiction story. Looking forward to more of his work.

Tom Weikert

"Who Dares Wins"

Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2024

“To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

- Ulysses

Henry Worsley lost his life at 56, pursuing what some may call an "obsession." Determined to fulfill his dream to cross Antarctica on foot alone and therefore achieve what his hero, Ernest Shackleton, failed to achieve a century earlier, Worsley took his last breath after 71 days traversing the treacherous ice in subzero temperatures. A veritable Renaissance man – husband, father, soldier, explorer, published author, artist, and conqueror of that inner voice – Worsley's strength finally gave out on a solo expedition.

When considering his insatiable appetite for pushing the limits of human endurance, many readers may wonder, had Worsley survived, would the solo crossing of Antarctica have been his final achievement? Would this unreformed overachiever retire from extreme exploration?

In “The White Darkness,” David Grann does it again. A master of vivid, descriptive narrative nonfiction, the author brilliantly captures Henry Worsley's essence. By recounting the experience as Worsley, the relentless adventurer, details it in his journal and incorporating interviews with those who adventured with him, Grann entertains and enlightens. He documents the boundless determination Worsley displays as he seeks to measure his powers of endurance against Shackleton’s. Additionally, Grann complements his outstanding reporting with exquisite photographs of the forbidding continent of Antarctica. They bring the icy stillness into sharp relief.

A relatively short book at 160 pages, in "The White Darkness," we witness as if we are there ourselves how the human body adapts or fails to adapt to extreme cold and how the human mind, for days on end, endures such bleak surroundings. Grann enables the reader to experience the same frigid temperatures, the same muscle fatigue, the same fetid air in the nylon sleeping tent, the same loneliness, and the same windswept vastness and desolation Worsley experiences on his trek.

Remarkably, Worsley had already triumphed over Antarctica's "white darkness" on previous expeditions while leading a team of explorers. Learning of this man's extraordinary life consisting of one endurance challenge after another, including completing the grueling United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) Special Air Service (SAS) selection course, serving in combat in Southern Afghanistan, and performing peacekeeping duty in Northern Ireland, among others, readers also might wonder why Worsley pushed himself one final time. To some, his propensity for punishing his body in pursuit of achievement appears incomprehensible.

Although a committed family man, Worsley's rugged body contained a restless soul. If a monumental challenge, particularly in Antarctica, remained within his grasp, he would not rest. Almost as if to surmount the accomplishments of his idol, Shackleton, Worsley sought to conquer the unconquerable. While Shackleton distinguished himself as a peerless explorer and leader seemingly incapable of surrendering to hardship, Worsley's determination and perseverance in “The White Darkness” appear otherworldly.

In the context of Worsley's death pursuing one last first, a solo retracing of Shackleton's steps across Antarctica, it is perhaps instructive to consider the Facebook post of Nancy F. Koehn, author of the book "Ernest Shackleton, Exploring Leadership." She writes, "Worsley considered Shackleton his hero, and now we see Worsley as one of ours." Indeed, Worsley died a hero.

Yet, we suspect it was not heroism nor crass immortalization Worsley sought in completing his nearly inconceivable solo trek across Antarctica. No, with superhuman mental and physical toughness, he submits to his unrelenting drive to achieve what eluded his idol. Further, after already embodying Shackleton's surpassing leadership, Worsley exceeds Shackleton's powers of endurance. In his quest to prove to himself that he possessed the mettle to measure up to his idol, he bested him. Unquestionably, Worsley’s exploits leave an indelible legacy of stamina, perseverance, and courage.

Given Worsley's extraordinary accomplishments across a lifetime, one seeks a deeper understanding of what drove this man. It was not "obsession," as many may believe. And, yes, he likely would have continued pushing himself to the deepest, darkest recesses of that restive soul to ascend yet another mountain or cross another glacier simply because it remained elusive. But, to this reader, it was first and foremost his family and then the British SAS motto, "Who Dares Wins," that Worsley kept closest to his heart. He embraced both as well as any member of The Regiment before him.

“Who Dares Wins.”

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