The White Darkness

by David Grann Narrated by Will Patton

Overview

By the #1 New York Times bestselling 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 nineteenth-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.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Grann's prose moves at a brisk pace ... with a style that conveys the immensity of Antarctica and the difficulty of Worsley's journeys."
—Los Angeles Times

"A handsome volume ... Mr. Grann ably conjures the rasp of sled runner on ice and the skin burn of minus-40."
—Wall Street Journal

"Grann weaves tales of historic expeditions into his dimensional portrait of the driven Worsley.... [He] works his narrative magic on Worsley's adventures, their dizzying dangers, and the 'majestic deathscape' of the Antarctic."
—Booklist, starred review

“In straightforward but evocative prose, Grann captures the drama and sheer audacity of his subject’s forays into forbidding places—where one of the many ways to die is simply to get wet.”
—Christian Science Monitor
 
“What makes The White Darkness so compelling is Grann’s gift for memorable detail…. Grann is expert at making readers feel as if they are on the journey with the team.”
—Minneapolis Star Tribune

"[A] rich, tight narrative."
—San Francisco Chronicle

Library Journal - Audio

★ Winter 2018

Grann (The Lost City of Z) chronicles the story of Henry Worsley, a British special forces officer who was obsessed with the adventures of Ernest Shackleton and the exploration of Antarctica. Worsley not only read everything he could find about Shackleton, he collected artifacts and communicated with other individuals with the same interests and who, like Worsley, were related to those who served with Shackleton. Worsley's military career reflected his dedication and devotion to a cause, characteristics that propelled Worsley's own attempt to walk across Antarctica to the South Pole. He and two other descendants of Shackleton's crew successfully completed the journey in 2008. In 2015, at the age of 56, Worsley attempted to walk across Antarctica alone. VERDICT Grann's vivid, descriptive writing together with the passionate reading by Will Patton make this an outstanding listen. A modern-day hero dedicated to a goal is much needed in today's society. ["Solidifies Worsley as one of the great leaders and explorers of the modern age who has pushed the limits of human achievement, while also providing a fresh narrative of Shackleton's accomplishments": LJ 11/15/18 review of the Doubleday hc.]—Patricia Ann Owens, formerly with Illinois Eastern Community Coll., Mt. Carmel

OCTOBER 2018 - AudioFile

Narrator Will Patton’s voice is gruff and raspy—perfect for evoking the isolation and fortitude of Henry Worsley as he carried out a solo expedition across the freezing landscape of Antarctica in 2008, retracing the footsteps of Ernest Shackleton. But Patton’s performance is also suffused with warmth, honesty, and joy, reflecting Worsley’s enduring love for his family and his passion for all things related to Shackleton. Worsley admired Shackleton’s leadership skills, asking himself in difficult situations, “What would Shacks do?” Distantly related to the captain of Shackleton’s ship, Worsley crossed Antarctica on foot with two other descendants of Shackleton’s men. In 2015, he attempted the expedition alone, making regular audio dispatches en route. An audiobook may lack David Grann’s photographs, but Patton makes up for it with his heartbreaking and beautiful narration. A.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169500288
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	10/30/2018
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	362,424

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