An Unsung Hero: Tom Crean – Antarctic Survivor

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars | 1,315 ratings

Price: 17.05

Last update: 02-13-2025


About this item

Tom Crean was the farmer’s son from Kerry who sailed on three major expeditions to the unknown Antarctic over a century ago. He served with both Captain Robert Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton, spent longer on the ice than either and outlived them both.

But Tom Crean returned to Ireland and never spoke about his exploits, taking his incredible story to the grave – until the publication of An Unsung Hero, which unearthed his story and saw him rightfully placed amongst the annals of the great explorers.


Top reviews from the United States

  • Elizabeth A Wendling
    5.0 out of 5 stars I didn’t want the book to end
    Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2025
    A beautiful tribute to a hero and a vivid telling of adventure. What a journey for incredibly courageous men. My wife and I have been to Ireland and to the South Pole Inn and will go again to honor Tom Crean
  • garlec
    5.0 out of 5 stars toughest of the tough
    Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2023
    Five antarctic expeditions, narrowly escaping death multiple times. Revered for his nonstop humility and cheerfulness. A fascinating man. I had to search for this book but well worth it. One of the best books about the Shackleton explorers and I've read dozens.
  • jean bower
    4.0 out of 5 stars Such an interesting story!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2019
    I purchased this for my husband for Christmas. Took several weeks to receive (sent from UK), but he has said that it is an excellent book so far - very engaging!
  • jonny blue jay
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, who knew?
    Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2024
    An incredible story about an incredible man. His perseverance is incredible. They don't make men like him anymore. Tough dude for sure.
  • Patrinky
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Read
    Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2020
    I was transported to the South Pole and Antarctica with Tom Crean, polar explorer extraordinaire. While he did not lead any of the expeditions, he was obviously an integral part of any success and survival. This book was well-written, riveting and factual without being tedious, considering that everything took place in a frozen wilderness. Blizzards, crevasses, ice floes and the men’s survival made for a real page turner. But the star of it all was Tom Crean, a Kerryman from Ireland.
  • Jim on Everything
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must read
    Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2021
    After reading Isserman & Weaver, Fallen Giants, you would think the exploits of late 19th and 20th century mountaineers stand at the apex of adventure and sacrifice. But no; I just finished reading Michael Smith's An Unsung Hero.

    The endurance and privations of Antarctic explorers during the turn of the 20th century are second to none. Tom Crean stands alongside the more well-known explorers of that era, but I would argue he stands higher. The 800 mile journey from Elephant Island to South Georgia is, well, unbelievable. And it is but one of Crean's accomplishments.

    This book deserves to be in your library.
  • KNA
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great read.
    Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2013
    Book is plainly but interestingly written. Openly gushing regarding Crean but not inaccurately. Events are described vividly but without excessive flourish. Reads more like good journalism than ambitious literature; that's refreshing for most readers, I think, with an interest in exploration histories. I thoroughly enjoyed!
  • Malcolm F. Fuller
    5.0 out of 5 stars a modest Kerry man
    Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2011
    Tom Crean came to polar exploration almost by accident. Having left the poor Kerry farm where he grew up, he joined the British Navy and, in 1901, his ship was in the New Zealand port of Lyttleton just as Captain Scott's Discovery was preparing to leave for the Antarctic. Crean volunteered to join Discovery to replace a deserter. Over the next 15 years his physical and mental strength, his courage and resourcefulness, and his unfailing good humour made him a key member of both of Scott's expeditions and then of Shackleton's which ended with the famous escape after Endurance was crushed in the ice. Crean was with Shackleton both on the heroic boat journey and for the truly incredible crossing of South Georgia.
    He was a simple, unpretentious man, content to serve faithfully, an unsung hero because he shunned the limelight. Although the three Antarctic expeditions in which Crean served have been written about many times, and although Crean's name and participation have figured in those accounts, it is only when the spotlight is finally shone on him alone that one appreciates the full extent of his contributions. At the end of it all, fittingly, he quietly returned to Kerry and bought a pub.

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