The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition
Selected Book Details
- Hardcover
- Edition: 1
- Author: Caroline Alexander
- Publisher: Knopf
- Release Date: November 1998
- ISBN-10: 0375404031
- ISBN-13: 9780375404030
- List Price: $29.95
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Summaries and Customer Reviews provided by Amazon
SummaryMelding superb research and the extraordinary expedition photography of Frank Hurley, The Endurance by Caroline Alexander is a stunning work of history, adventure, and art which chronicles "one of the greatest epics of survival in the annals of exploration." Setting sail as World War I broke out in Europe, the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, led by renowned polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, hoped to become the first to cross the Antarctic continent. But their ship, Endurance, was trapped in the drifting pack ice, eventually to splinter, leaving the expedition stranded on floes--a situation that seemed "not merely desperate but impossible." Most skillfully Alexander constructs the expedition's character through its personalities--the cast of veteran explorers, scientists, and crew--with aid from many previously unavailable journals and documents. We learn, for instance, that carpenter and shipwright Henry McNish, or "Chippy," was "neither sweet-tempered nor tolerant," and that Mrs. Chippy, his cat, was "full of character." Such firsthand descriptions, paired with 170 of Frank Hurley's intimate photographs, which are comprehensively assembled here for the first time, penetrate the hulls of the Endurance and these tough men. The account successfully reveals the seldom-seen domestic world of expedition life--the singsongs, feasts, lectures, camaraderie--so that when the hardships set in, we know these people beyond the stereotypical guise of mere explorers and long for their safety. Alexander reveals Shackleton as an inspiring optimist, "a leader who put his men first." Throughout the grueling ordeal, Shackleton and his men show what endurance and greatness are all about. The Endurance is a most intimate portrait of an expedition and of survival. Readers will possess a newfound respect for these daring souls, know better their unthinkable toil and half-forgotten realm of glory. --Byron Ricks |
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Remarkable Voyage Told in Text and Photos
Rating:
Explorer Ernest Shackleton didn't know when he named his boat "The Endurance" that he would be foreshadowing a survival experience for the ages. The story of his nearly two years of survival in the Antarctic and southern polar areas is one of endurance and fortitude in the face of unimaginable physical hardships.
The text and the photos evoke the many emotions and thoughts that must have occurred to Shackleton and his men: loneliness, fear, raw beauty, untamed nature, comradeship, dirt, exhaustion, hopeless, and triumph. This book, more than any other I can think of, makes the case for having photos accompany non-fiction works whenever possible. The photos are stunning, especially when it's considered that they were done with glass-plate technology that had to survive the incredible journey to safety of Shackleton and his men.
A recap of the tale. Unlike some polar explorers, Shackleton was well-prepared when he went on his fateful journey in 1914. He'd held the record at one time for the overland voyage closest to the South Pole -- and almost perished on the journey -- and so he knew what to do and not to do to overcome the harsh conditions. So when he set out to make the first crossing of the Antarctic ice cap, he was ready for spending a long time on the unforgiving ice. However, due to bad luck of setting sail (yes, sail) in a wood boat during a year when the winter storms came early, he was trapped on the ice with 22 men and their dog teams.
After they wintered on the ice, living in the boat for a while and then on tents when the boat sank, Shackleton and his men truly began to suffer as they tried to find a way home. First, they tried to walk. But the terrain was so rough and they had to carry so much stuff for the long walk that they were averaging 1.5 miles per day. Then they sat on ice floes, waiting for the water to clear so that they could sail their lifeboats through treacherous waters without being crushed. And then in three boats of less than 30 feet length, they sailed several hundred miles through gales and storms over six days, only to land on one of the most isolated, desolate spots of rock in the world. From there, Shackleton set sail again in a single boat with a crew of five, and they went more than 800 miles to a speck of an island, where there was a whaling station. Of course, he landed on the opposite end of the island and had to walk over ice-covered mountains thousands of feet high in order to reach the station and ultimate rescue.
It's simply impossible to imagine living in a tent on an ice floe, with 80-mph gales blowing for days, and eating penguin or seal stakes every day for months on end. It's impossible to imagine not having a hot bath for more than two years, or enduring a ride in a waterlogged boat for in icy waters for six days, especially after already having been worn down by more than year of living in sub-human conditions. But Shackleton and the other men did it -- apparently with mostly good cheer and optimism.
Amazing skill of blending diary detail and pictures
Rating:
The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition (Alfred A. Knopf 2008, original printing in 1998)
The story of the trek of Ernest Shackleton and his crew across Antarctica in 1914-1915 is told in this magnificent biography in a manner so that the reader feels a part of the crew. The trip was undertaken in the wooden ship Endurance with sails billowing and steam engines throbbing on its way into the icy domain of South Georgia and the South Pole. It was not the first mission to the frozen world.
Danger vested immediately as the ship was consumed by the icy forces of raw nature and the crew, including 69 sledging dogs and a cat named Mrs. Chippy, was on its won with no means of escape. The adventure was captured with the artistic photography of Frank Hurley, with many previously unpublished photos prominent in this story.
Endurance was entombed by ice in the early months of 1915. The story touches on the lives and feelings of the crew, as well as the amazing leadership of Shackleton. He seemed to prize optimism in his men, which he referred to as "true moral courage." The reader is there with these brave souls, anticipating each step in the process with the enduring question of whether they will survive to return to England (and World War I) -- boiling whale blubber, catching penguins for food, tending to the parasite infested dogs, addressing the aches and fears of the crew, giggling at the antics of the dogs, or the seeing the natural beauty of the icescape.
By August of 1915, the blocks of young ice were grinding on Endurance, eventually breaking it up and sending crew and dogs on their way, even teams of men pulling the life boats. In April 1916, the team finally came to land at Elephant Island ending their trek across thin ice. The n Shackleton led a crew across 800 miles of ocean and ice back to South Georgia. Rescue of the men and dogs on Elephant Island finally occurred in August 1916.
Caroline Alexander has an amazing skill of blending diary detail and pictures to allow us readers to enjoy the optimism of the beginning, the agony of the shipwreck, the leadership of Shackleton, and the strength of character to endure the way forward. I felt as if I was on the journey, relieved at last to be on my way home with not a life lost! Simply Amazing!
Unexpected pleasure
Rating:
This was a book that I thought would be an interesting adventure, but what I got was so much more! It was the story of a Captain, who you can only grow to respect, that led his men through the toughest of situations with the fairness and heroicism of a true leader. Written in textbook style, it is a book that, surprisingly, you will not be able to put down.
A remarkable account that takes you with the explorers
Rating:
This expedition was a failure in that Shackleton and his fellow explorers never accomplished the intended exploration. But this is a monumental story of survival I haven't read anything like this since, I believe, I was in my teens and engrossed in the arctic and antarctic explorations.The ship which carried the men to the South polar region was aptly named although the ship itself was ultimately lost in the wastes. Personal journal accounts and photographs taken during the ordeal are liberally used to tell us this story which is as enthralling as any fiction and yet is totally true. The fact that no human lives were lost during the months these men were trapped in the ice is of course incredible. This would be a great gift book for those armchair adventurers on your list.
Inspiring and Beautiful
Rating:
A dear friend gave me this book when it was released and I became hooked on all things "Polar". The Frank Hurley photos alone are worth the price of the book. If you really want a treat, check out the photos under a magnifying glass---there are many interesting details missed with a casual glance. This is Ms. Alexander's best work (I read The Bounty a few years ago, and while a nice read, it pales in comparison to this gem.) I've given at least a half-dozen copies of this book to friends and family. And, while it may have the dimensions of a coffee table book, please read it if you have it; the prose is tight---and the Hurley photos. This book would be an excellent gift to a young person, as the photos are spectacular, but more importantly, the example of leadership of Sir Earnest Shackleton (a true leader) is inspiring to say the least.
Very highly recommended.
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