IT HAS been described as one of the great books of Antarctic exploration. First published in 1919, South detailed Sir Ernest Shackleton’s story of his legendary attempt to become the first to cross the Antarctic by land from one side to the other.

Now a rare copy of Anglo-Irish polar explorer Shackleton’s account of his ill-fated last expedition, signed by two of his team and given as a gift to another member, will go under the hammer at auction next week.

While bidding for the book will begin at £1000, it is expected to generate a great deal of interest when it is sold by Edinburgh-headquartered auctioneers Lyon & Turnbull on Wednesday as it is considered to be an amazing piece of history.

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During the 1914 to 1917 expedition, Shackleton's ship, the Endurance, was trapped and gradually crushed by sea ice and eventually sank. The 27-strong crew managed to reach the uninhabited Elephant Island in three lifeboats.

The Herald: Sir Ernest Shackleton book South, signed by crew members, to be sold at auctionSir Ernest Shackleton book South, signed by crew members, to be sold at auction

Shackleton then set off for the whaling station on South Georgia Island with five others to get help. This incredible feat, accomplished eventually by only three of the six, took 16 days and involved a treacherous 800-mile open-boat journey across the freezing waters, a climb of nearly 3000 feet and a journey of around 40 miles over mountainous and icy terrain.

This unique copy of the account of the expedition is inscribed by Shackleton’s second-in-command Frank Wild, ‘To Vince, from those who appreciate his worth & villanies,’ and additionally signed below by the trip’s surgeon, James McIlroy.

The recipient is likely to be John Vincent (1884-1931), from Birmingham, bosun on the voyage, though later demoted on account of his aggressive behaviour. A boxer and former trawler hand on fishing boats in the North Sea, Vincent was physically the strongest man aboard but was accused by other crew members of bullying and had to be put in his place by Shackleton.

The Herald: Shackleton's ship, the Endurance, was trapped and gradually crushed by sea ice and eventually sankShackleton's ship, the Endurance, was trapped and gradually crushed by sea ice and eventually sank

One of the signatures of the book was that of Wild, known as Shackleton's right hand man, was left in charge of 21 men on desolate Elephant Island as Shackleton and a crew of five undertook an epic open-ocean voyage to South Georgia aboard the lifeboat James Caird in order to seek rescue. For more than four months, from April to August 1916, during the Antarctic winter, Wild and his crew waited on Elephant Island, surviving on a diet of seal, penguin and seaweed.

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In 1914, McIlroy, along with Alexander Macklin, were the two physicians assigned under Shackleton on Endurance for the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, despite suffering from malaria.

McIlroy was in charge of a sled-dog team when the expedition was cast away on the Weddell Sea. After the castaways found a refuge on Elephant Island, McIlroy was the surgeon performing the amputation of Perce Blackborow's gangrenous toes, with Macklin serving as anaesthetist, carefully administering a tiny quantity of salvaged chloroform as anaesthesia.

In 1921 he signed up as a surgeon with Shackleton on another polar expedition, 'Quest', the Shackleton-Rowett Expedition. Shackleton died on board ship off South Georgia Island, however, and the mission was completed by Wild.

The Herald: 100 years after Shackleton's death Endurance was found in the Weddell Sea100 years after Shackleton's death Endurance was found in the Weddell Sea

In March this year Shackleton’s lost wooden vessel, the Endurance, was found largely intact in The Weddell Sea, part of the Southern Ocean, 100 years after Shackleton’s funeral. Footage of this incredible discovery made headlines across the globe.

Lyon & Turnbull’s Rare Books, Manuscripts & Maps Specialist, Dominic Somerville-Brown, said: “This particular copy of Shackleton’s book is an amazing piece of history. Although his Antarctic crossing was unsuccessful, his ability to ensure he and his crew survived made him a national hero. As well the physical fortitude required, he had to deal with challenging relationship dynamics.

"The fact that the book is inscribed to John Vincent makes it particularly interesting. Shackleton’s strained relationship with Vincent is evidenced by the fact that on the return to England he was one of only four expedition members not to be recommended by Shackleton for the Polar Medal.

"The sinking of Endurance and the crew’s survival has attained an almost mythical status. I anticipate that this copy of the expedition w