By Michael Smith
Collins Press
224 Pages
Paperback

This revised pictorial biography celebrates the life of Tom Crean, a great Irish hero of Antarctic exploration in an age of epics of endurance and survival against the odds. Tom ran away from his Kerry farm at 15 to play an outstanding role in three expeditions with the legendary Shackleton and Captain Scott. His incredible story was largely forgotten until the publication of the best-selling An Unsung Hero in 2000. Only then was the modest, unassuming Irishman given due recognition. The extraordinary highlights of his adventures in the ice were captured in exceptional photographs taken under extreme conditions. Assembled here they present a photographic record of a truly astonishing man, with other rare and previously unseen pictures. These photographs illustrate his early life, the incredible feats in the Antarctic and a peaceful retirement in Kerry. Supported by complementary text, diary extracts and maps plus new information on Tom Crean s life, this is a lasting celebration of a true hero.