Alfred Lansing

Endurance

Discover one of the greatest adventure stories of the modern age: the harrowing tale of British explorer Ernest Shackleton's 1914 attempt to reach the South Pole. In August 1914, polar explorer Ernest Shackleton boarded the Endurance and set sail for Antarctica, where he planned to cross the last uncharted continent on foot. In January 1915, after battling its way through a thousand miles of pack ice and only a day's sail short of its destination, the Endurance became locked in an island of ice. Thus began the legendary ordeal of Shackleton and his crew of twenty-seven men. When their ship was finally crushed between two ice floes, they attempted a near-impossible journey over 850 miles of the South Atlantic's heaviest seas to the closest outpost of civilization. In Endurance, the definitive account of Ernest Shackleton's fateful trip, Alfred Lansing brilliantly narrates the harrowing and miraculous voyage that has defined heroism for the modern age.

Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

Mat Connor

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage is usually my answer when someone asks me for my favorite book. 

Ernest Shackleton is a personal hero. I guarantee you will learn more practical tips about leadership and team-building in this than you would in a thousands business and self-help books. Shackleton understood that leaders need to be optimistic, adaptable, and able to communicate a shared vision. None of that is groundbreaking when it comes to leadership.

What separated Shackleton from other leaders of his time was that he was attuned to the importance of morale and mental health. When times were tough and his crew started to despair at their situation, he would find a reason to celebrate something, someone's birthday, a holiday, an achievement. He would spontaneously find a reason to hold a competition, football game, or sing-a-long. He was empathetic, often sharing some of his own food and drink rations when he noticed someone needed a boost. One of the most moving anecdotes of the expedition was when a member of the crew spilled his powdered milk and seemed on the verge of tears, one by one each member of the crew came over and poured a little bit of their own milk into his mug. Shackleton created that culture.

He was also aware of the impact that toxic and negative individuals can have on a group. He kept two of the most toxic members of the crew close to him, to the point where he would share a tent with them because he didn't want their negative energy bringing down the rest of the crew. 

Years later when members of the crew were asked to describe Shackleton, his sense of humour was often one of the first qualities they brought up. He was quick to crack jokes and keep things light. The tough authoritarian polar explorers of their time were often noted for their scientific brilliance and bravery, but not for their sense of humour. I think humour is an underrated aspect of leadership.

Carter Rabasa

Gripping account of an unbelievable story

This book chronicles an attempted expedition to Antarctica in 1914 and the events that transpire when the ship is caught and then crushed in the ice of the Weddle Sea. 

I was completely transfixed by this book and read it in a week. The story is written in sober, journalistic prose and paints a picture of unbelievable grit and determination in the face of impossible odds. Highly recommend it.

Ĉeňdoł

What a voyage! The author does an absolutely wonderful job at showing the loves and the pains the crew went through to survive, all down to details of nature calls.

It is something unfathomable to a normal person, to be in that situation. And although the book does an excellent job putting you in their shoes, I can't really imagine the ups and downs they went through.

It is truly a story of perseverance and the will to survive with a bold captain who put his entire crew before his own life.

Tuago

One of the most fascinating adventure stories that must have ever been told. A must read if you’re looking for some thrill and to witness how much the human spirit can endure.

Simon Lund Larsen

One of the best books I've read in a very very long time

Ellie Vanderlip

One of those “if you think you have it hard, think again” books. And a very fine at it.

Stefano Zorzi

Kevin Werme

“Endurance” does what few non-fiction books are able to do: create a thrilling, thought-provoking narrative that contains lessons in leadership, camaraderie, and the importance of tenacious perseverance in the face of insurmountable odds. 

Omar

It's an incredible story and excellent for our book club discussion, but I must admit that at times I found it hard to keep reading. It's not that long of a book, but I kept putting off reading it since it just wasn't very pleasant. I guess that's the point, it was a rough journey and the book did a great job at portraying the difficulties. In the end, I'm glad that I read it and feel amazed by the fact that this is a true story. It was all the more exciting that the ship talked about in the book was JUST found this year, 2022, so many years after this expedition. 

Melody Izard

** spoiler alert **
           Oh man. When I'm running my long runs and think I'm about to die I'm drawing strength from these men who sailed back in 1914 to try to cross Antarctica from sea to sea.

These guys not only survived, they survived while cracking jokes, playing pranks, playing bridge, playing the banjo, singing songs, performing plays; all while floating away from their sinking ship (aptly named the Endurance) on an ice floe in sub-zero temperatures. And after the ice broke up and they had to leave their icy camp ground they sailed/rowed in their salvaged tiny boats through rough seas toward uninhabited islands where they barely were able to land without bashing themselves to death on the inhospitable cliffs. All the men were frostbitten to some degree. They all had chapped faces and butts with chucks of skin missing. Their faces were black from blubber smoke. Their sleeping bags and clothes were constantly wet. But somehow they managed to write in their journals nearly every night and keep them preserved to share their story. Then their captain decides to take a small party to the closest inhabited place to arrange for their rescue and these guys have to climb unclimbable cliffs once they finally arrive and land in treacherous conditions. It’s amazing. And they had a photographer aboard and they somehow saved the negatives so there are actual photos of this amazing feat.

Lukas Gräf

Probably in the top 3 best books I have ever read in my life! This one is an absolute beauty of a story and survival of a group of men in the most alien place on earth. I you want to know how 28 men managed to survive for 17 months in temperatures around -40 while never being on proper land (only ice shelves and open water), go and get this book!

Jeremy Anderberg

Kimberly

Fast-paced, thriller like adventure story. Lansing did a wonderful job creating the scene and weaving in journal accounts with facts of the voyage. I will say due to the nature of survival in the Antarctic, some of the events and actions can be hard to stomach so this is not for everyone. However, minus the parts that made me squirm I would re-read this again.

Endurance

Reviews