Endurance
by Alfred Lansing
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Read in February, 2008
recommended to Patrick by:
Vanessarecommends it for: 5Q Book Group
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Read in January, 2005
Endurance was a truly apt name for this book, and the ship captained by Ernest Shackleton. Sailing in hopes of crossing the Antarctic continent to reach the South Pole, Shackleton, his ship and crew were caught in the ice pack of the Weddell Sea only one day's journey from the Northwest coast of Antarctica. Over an agonizing ten months in the middle of the frozen ocean, the Endurance was ultimately crushed by the ice as its crew and Shackleton looked on helplessly. Undaunted, though caught qu...more
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My father was one of the earliest amateur radio operators to have an American license to use certain portions of the airwaves. His hobby was contacting others like himself - originally by Morse code and later by voice. Without any question this was a loose social network that sounds a lot like today's web. Everybody on the air who contacted a new operator in a new geographical location exchanged confirming postcards. Obviously there was more excitement in reaching a rare and distant station....more
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Read in April, 2000
This book is about the abortive trans-Antarctic expedition led by Ernest Shackleton between 1914-16. Alfred Lansing has written a well-researched account of the journey and the subsequent epic survival of all the men against all odds once the ship sinks deep in the Weddel sea.
Shackeleton shows extraordinary leadership and courage in attempting an impossible 800-mile journey in the roughest oceans on a 22-foot boat to reach South Georgia island with five of his fellow men. In this, he is assis...more
Shackeleton shows extraordinary leadership and courage in attempting an impossible 800-mile journey in the roughest oceans on a 22-foot boat to reach South Georgia island with five of his fellow men. In this, he is assis...more
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Read in June, 2008
recommends it for:
Explorers
This is by far one of the greatest true stories that I have ever read. What I find often incredibly insipid, mundane and downright boring about many historical accounts of past adventures or missions was completely lost in this account. This book is lively and has it in the industry and heart beating tension. Sir Shackleton sets out to to accomplish a landmark feet in Antarctic exploration only to find his ship stuck in an ice flow. We know from the beginning that Sir Shackleton was able to tra...more
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An excellent read!
Jacket
In the summer of 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton set off aboard the Endurance bound for the South Atlantic. The goal of his expedition was to cross the Antarctic overland, but more than a year later, and still half a continent away from the intended base, the Endurance was trapped in ice and eventually was crushed. For five months Shackleton and his crew survived on drifting ice packs in one of the most savage regions of the world before they were finally able to set s...more
Jacket
In the summer of 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton set off aboard the Endurance bound for the South Atlantic. The goal of his expedition was to cross the Antarctic overland, but more than a year later, and still half a continent away from the intended base, the Endurance was trapped in ice and eventually was crushed. For five months Shackleton and his crew survived on drifting ice packs in one of the most savage regions of the world before they were finally able to set s...more
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Read in March, 2008
Part ripping yarn, part social psychology experiment, part metaphor for graduate school -- this is the most IN-CREDIBLE book that I've ever read.
It is insaaaaaannnneeeeee!!!!
But even though the whole time you are reading it, you are thinking to yourself -- #$(*&@$%(*&#waaahhh!!! -- the writing is remarkably restrained and pithy, putting you right in the moment without distracting you from what's going on. You'd almost think you were reading Updike, except the people in the story...more
It is insaaaaaannnneeeeee!!!!
But even though the whole time you are reading it, you are thinking to yourself -- #$(*&@$%(*&#waaahhh!!! -- the writing is remarkably restrained and pithy, putting you right in the moment without distracting you from what's going on. You'd almost think you were reading Updike, except the people in the story...more
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Read in April, 2005
recommends it for:
Those who love tales of real adventure
This book does an excellent job of telling the true story of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 voyage to the South Pole. His goal after reaching the Pole was to cross the Antarctic with dogs and sleds.
!!! SPOILER ALERT !!!
Unfortunately, due to bad weather and merciless ice flows his ship was crushed and he and his 27 men were marooned on ice packs, and later Elephant Island, for over a year, suffering unimaginable pains, and without hope of rescue. However, Shackleton...more
!!! SPOILER ALERT !!!
Unfortunately, due to bad weather and merciless ice flows his ship was crushed and he and his 27 men were marooned on ice packs, and later Elephant Island, for over a year, suffering unimaginable pains, and without hope of rescue. However, Shackleton...more
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Read in September, 2007
Absolutely incredible and inspiring! This amazing Antarctic expedition would be unbelievable if you didn't know it to be true. It covers the 1914 attempt of Ernest Shackleton and his crew of 27 to be the first to cross the Antarctic overland. The goal was interrupted when their ship, the Endurance, became trapped in ice in the Weddell Sea. From there the book describes an exceptional tale of courage, survival, and heroic leadership, with ridiculous odds, brutal conditions, and numerous life thre...more
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recommends it for:
Everyone!
I rarely re-read books, but this was such a gripping, true-life adventure, and well told, that I have read it three times in the last fifteen years. I think it is due for another re-read! It blows my mind to think of what these men went through and how they survived being stuck in Antarctica for years. They way they engineer their own rescue is hardly to be believed. What adds to the appeal of the book is the wonderful color throughout - details of how the men made life bearable during this unbe...more
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Read in June, 2008
The story itself was fascinating. Reading of how Shackleton and his men learned to cope with spending the winter adrift on the ice was intriguing.
This telling of the story, however, was not great. The attempts at building suspense fell flat. And, since the author wanted to present the historical facts as a struggle of man against nature, he tended to give a certain slant to things. The men of the expedition (most of them anyway) came out bigger and more noble than the norm. And nature t...more
This telling of the story, however, was not great. The attempts at building suspense fell flat. And, since the author wanted to present the historical facts as a struggle of man against nature, he tended to give a certain slant to things. The men of the expedition (most of them anyway) came out bigger and more noble than the norm. And nature t...more
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Read in January, 1998
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Read in March, 2008
This is such a great story, and Lansing does it justice. If you're not familiar with the facts of Shackleton's antarctic expedition, read this book.
If you do, you will undoubtedly want to check out Caroline Alexander's "The Endurance : Shackleton's legendary Antarctic expedition" as a companion volume. Lansing's book is excellent on exposition, but skimpy on photos. What makes Alexander's account compelling is the inclusion of ~ 150 photos, taken by the expedition's official photo...more
If you do, you will undoubtedly want to check out Caroline Alexander's "The Endurance : Shackleton's legendary Antarctic expedition" as a companion volume. Lansing's book is excellent on exposition, but skimpy on photos. What makes Alexander's account compelling is the inclusion of ~ 150 photos, taken by the expedition's official photo...more
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Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
All
This is the story of the Sir Ernest Shackleton and the crew of the Endurance during 1914-1916.
Survival in the Antarctic is never easy, but under the conditions the members of the expedition found themselves made their survival even more amazing. This is a story of fortitude, courage, leadership, skill, and sometimes just luck.
Lansing takes accounts from the survivors and weaves a thorough tale. Written in 1959, it is, in my opinion, far superior to the account written by Frank Worsley, ...more
Survival in the Antarctic is never easy, but under the conditions the members of the expedition found themselves made their survival even more amazing. This is a story of fortitude, courage, leadership, skill, and sometimes just luck.
Lansing takes accounts from the survivors and weaves a thorough tale. Written in 1959, it is, in my opinion, far superior to the account written by Frank Worsley, ...more
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Read in April, 1997
My dad told me the story of Shackleton when I was a kid, and I grew up thinking it must be some kind of fairy story. "They did what? How far? No way!" It's so unlikely, you'd think it was impossible.
But it's all true! And it was even worse than what you have heard!
"Endurance" is more about the crazy true story than it is about the writing, which is straight-forward reporting. But who cares? It actually happened! And it's totally nuts! You can see why people get obsess...more
But it's all true! And it was even worse than what you have heard!
"Endurance" is more about the crazy true story than it is about the writing, which is straight-forward reporting. But who cares? It actually happened! And it's totally nuts! You can see why people get obsess...more
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Read in February, 2008
Of all the many survival stories I have read, Shackelton's failed Antarctic story is probably my favorite. I had read Carolina Alexander's excellent account, Endurance, written in and loved it [everything she writes is excellent]. I approached the Lansing account with a bit of trepidation. The Lansing account was written in 1957 when a number of the principles were still alive; also, Lansing was a journalist not a researcher. I was very pleased to find a strong book using many well-integrate...more
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I like rescues and I like long shots and I like well-written books and this book was all of these things. I feel like I should have read this book a long time ago. The book was published in 1959 and is the true account of Shackleton's out-of-control experience in the Antartic from 1914-1916. I wept at the end of the book. The only thing I feel was missing in this account is more reference to God's role in preserving the men. But reading about Shackleton and his men inspired me to want to en...more
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Read in December, 2006
recommends it for:
lusty hearted adventurers
This is the gripping tale of some turn of the century adventurers who found life so absurdly boring that the sailed a little wooden ship to Antarctica. There they froze, thawed, and froze again while drifting for months that became years on various bits of ice and detritus. The story unfolds through diaries and factual accounts and one cannot help but marvel at and aspire to the blockheaded determination of these men who were practically incapable of proper risk assessment. Exciting, human an...more
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Read in January, 1998
This is perhaps my favorite book besides the Bible. I've read it many times, made everyone in my family read it and given it to several friends. As the true story of an arctic expedition gone wrong, the suspense never ends. As the story of one man who made a real difference, it is inspirational. As the record of a team who pulled together under the worst possible circumstances, it is heart-warming. I want to live my daily life with the intensity, creativity and concern for others that these...more
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This is the book that kicked off my interest in Shackleton. What a giant of a man, and how sad that he died at 48. However, as he himself said, all he knew was exploring. It is truly amazing that technology was far enough along that we can get some moving pictures and 120 plus actual photos of the event. The photographer had more than 500, but only the small amount could be brought along as the ship was crushed in the ice, and the men had to seek land.
The PBS video is hard to watch in o...more
The PBS video is hard to watch in o...more
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