Ice Captain: The Life of J.R. Stenhouse

As Shackleton watched his ship Endurance become trapped in the ice floes of the Weddell Sea, on the other side of Antarctica the expedition’s second ship, Aurora, suffered an equally terrifying fate. Under the command of J.R. Stenhouse, the Aurora was torn from her moorings and driven out to sea, becoming trapped in pack ice. For 10 months the ice sawed at her hull, until, with her rudder smashed and water cascading from her seams, she broke free and embarked upon her own extraordinary voyage to safe harbor. In Ice Captain, Stephen Haddelsey reveals both the story of Stenhouse’s achievements aboard the Aurora, but also his many adventures in later life, from serving as a U-boat hunter in WWI, to digging for pirate gold, and commanding Scott’s Discovery. A captivating book about a fascinating man.