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Not only does it vividly describle the impossible conditions the men were forced to endure, but the author also took the time to humanize the crew.Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage is not some drab assessment of a historical expedition, it is a novel filled with emotions felt by those who lived through the most unbearable circumstances. This novel deserves praise not only because it is an incredible read, but also for bringing to life the heroic men who survived such an ordeal.
In 1914 Ernest Shackleton embarked on an expedition to cross the Antartic by land. It is almost hard to believe that Alfred Lansing's novel is based on actual events.
Lansing meticulously researched this novel by interviewing survivors and reading the memoirs of those who experienced the events firsthand. Unfortunately, the sinking of the ship, Endurance, left the men stranded on a frozen and treacherous ocean.
The Endurance crew battled obstacle after obstacle to return to civilization. I'm impressed by how well this book was put together.
There are many books written on this amazing survival story, but Alfred Lansing's version is worth the read.
Very well written and documented account of one of the world's greatest pioneers and expeditions. "Endurance" was the name of the ship, but the book will forever define the meaning of endurance and the will to survive against impossible odds.
A very good read. Shackleton's leadership qualities are exemplar. The feat remains unequaled.
I thought this book was so incredible and such a testimony to the fortitude of the men on this journey. They were such an inspiration and an unforgettable reading experience.
January 1915 found them stranded in pack ice, with no way to free the ship to continue or escape. Shackleford pushed off, knowing that his own survival chances were slim, much less those of the group that was being left behind on the island. From there, they would use supplies stored by another ship in preparation for the rest of the trip to the other side of the continent. But all those mountain climbing books pale in comparison to the incredible story of Ernest Shackleton's expedition to cross the Antarctic on foot.
Nearly a century later, with technology and gear that would be unthinkable back then, I'm not sure you would be able to put 28 people in the same situation and have them survive. I was even more struck about how far we've come in terms of transportation and communications since then. Books like In Thin Air both fascinate and unnerve me, in that I can't figure out *why* someone would want to go through that potential experience. The ship became their home for the next 10 months as they wintered through the dark Antarctic nights, ever vigilant for potential escape or danger from their ice floe breaking up. But against all odds, they were able to make it to South Georgia, cross a number of inhospitable mountains, and arrive at a whaling station.
No one was lost on a two year ordeal that should have killed them all.I was amazed at what Shackleton and his crew were able to do in order to survive. Tragically, they never even made it to the coast to start their expedition. The extreme pressure of the ice pack finally won out, and the Endurance was crushed and sunk. The fact that you hadn't shown up anywhere in over a year was proof enough that you had been lost at sea, and your story would never be told unless some explorer came across your remains years later.
I have this strange attraction to books that revolve around survival in inclement weather conditions. four very grimy, tired, and left-for-dead individuals. Even more surprising, they were able to secure a ship, head back to their shipmates and rescue *all* of them. What they did could be considered miraculous. But even that didn't go as planned, as the weather and seas conspired to push them away from the more probable points of rescue, finally stranding them on a small sliver of land known as Elephant's Island. This would be a really good book if it were a fictional adventure novel, although we'd say it was a bit over the top and not very realistic. Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing takes you along on a two year journey that captures man's will to survive in conditions that are unimaginable.Shackleton started out from England in August of 1914 with a ship laden with the supplies they'd need to make it to the South Pole.
The fact that it was a *real* story just makes it all the more incredible. This left the 28 men stranded with three smaller boats, dwindling supplies, and little hope of long-term survival.The breaking up of the ice pack forced the group to launch the boats to make an attempt to reach an inhabited portion of land in order to be rescued. Again enduring harsh weather, the decision was made to send a small group out on the last seaworthy boat to make an 800 mile journey to the nearest whaling station. There were no search parties to send out, nor could you radio for help. Great read.
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