This book was written and published over an Antarctic winter during the Nimrod Expedition of 1908–1909 when Ernest Shackleton encouraged the project to stave off despair and ennui. It is unknown whether Shackleton intended to sell the estimated 100 copies that the crew produced, but it seems that rather the copies were distributed amongst the crew and given as gifts after their return to New Zealand. The first few pages of this edition include signatures from some of the crew members.