Rating: 
Summary: Not very good
Review: After reading this book you'll never complain about being too cold, too tired, too hungry, too bored - again. I think the story itself deserves 5,000 stars. I'll only give the writing 4 stars - it got the job done, but I wasn't blown away enough by the writing to give 5 stars. But now, back to that story - AMAZING!!! - all the more so for being true. I'm really just writing this review so I can tell the reviewer who said it's a boring story because all it does is talk about the crash that he/she is an idiot. First of all, it's not a crash, and second of all, that's not all the book talks about, and third of all, even if that WAS all it talked about - so what? - isn't that what this story is all about? If he/she wants romance or mystery, they picked the wrong book. But if they want solid edge-of-the-seat courage and adventure, this is the place.
Rating: 
Summary: Required Reading for the cynical and jaded
Review: I first became interested in Shackleton's incredible story after seeing photos and a short version of Caroline Alexander's book in the National Geographic a couple of years ago. Since then, I've read and reread Lansing's account, as well as Alexander's, and twice seen the new Butler documentary which incorporates the photos and early film of the expedition's photographer, Frank Hurley.This is quite simply one of the most amazing stories I've ever read. Survival in the face of incredible hardship. Astonishing bravery, persistence, and resourcefulness, all in the face of unimaginable bad luck. This story should have ended in death at least five times. Instead, after 16 (or 20, depending on who you're counting for) months marooned in the antarctic circle, not a single member of Shackleton's crew was lost. Lansing's account is creditable and more interesting than Alexander's, though her book has the better pictures. I'd suggest buying both.
Rating:
Summary: Even knowing the ending, it's a page turner
Review: I'm a fan of survivalist accounts such as "Seven Years in Tibet," and "In the Heart of the Sea." And I loved this true account of the voyage/survival of Shackleton's crew in the Antarctic. Asking friends and relatives if they've read it, I've heard, "I started it, but I didn't want to see everyone die!" So here's the *spoiler...nobody dies! * The capacity of the human body to survive and of the human brain to figure out how to do it never ceases to amaze me. Lansing's account ingeniously pieces together journals of the men involved and includes riveting details without ever being too gory. Even knowing the ending, it's a page turner. I've heard that this is the most involving of all the accounts published...coming across more like a story and less a documentary. The images of the men on the ice have completely captivated me...the sounds and the movement. Be prepared to grab a blanket and a snack as you read (something not made of penguin)...you'll feel like you're there.
Rating:
Summary: One of the 100
Review: In my library, I have "The 100 books my son must read." I will have a tough choice ahead as this book needs to be added. Enough said.
Rating:
Summary: There is no other word for it, but INCREDIBLE
Review: Not only was the ship named Endurance but the human spirit is defined here by that very word. Over a year on a floating piece of ice would drive anyone mad. These 28 just endured the most terrifying thing anyone could ever experience - being alone in the antarctic with no contact with the rest of the world. How would it be to be so isolated that no one knows where you are and if you died wouldn't know it for years. Shackleton is the pillar of optimism to be optimistic in circumstances that would have broke even some of the best men today. This author has done a great job deriving the story from the surviving documents and journals of those that survived it. It is truly a story that will endure many generations of us.
Rating:
Summary: The greatest human leader of men
Review: Shackleton failed to reach the South Pole in 1902 and stopped 460 miles from the Pole; six years later Shackleton turned back 97 miles from the Pole after realizing it would be certain death by starvation if he continued. King Edward VII recognized as a hero Shackleton and knighted him.
1914-1916 Endurance expediation lead Shackleton and his men 1200 miles from civilization and in one of the worst situations possible. Pack ice had trapped, dragged the ship for ten months, and eventually crushed the ship. The men had to rely on life boats salvaged from the ship. The men endure temperature far below zero, four months of darkness, survived on a diet of penguin, seal, and sometimes dog. Once the ice began to melt the men moved to the life boats and spent week fighting for their lives before hitting land, Elphant Island and at Elephant Island the men spent most of their time huddle under overturn boats. The men suffered extreme boredom, starvation, extreme discomfort, and lost of hope. Shackleton offer his men hope. Shackleton was charming both a poet and adventure. His men never doubt Shackleton's discipline and Shackleton's brotherhood with his men help overcome intense boredom as they sang songs, played games, and wrote of their experiences.
Shackleton decided to take five men and sailed 800 miles in the most sever weather and oceanic conditions to South Georgia and return and rescue his men. The interesting fact about the journey was Shackleton planned to succeed by sailing to South Georgia using Star navigation, and if, the navigation was any degree imprecise their deaths were sealed. The Altantic has some of the harshess waves, it is amazingly cold, and no modern expediation has successfully completed the Shackleton crossing to Georgia. The Altantic ocean was too much.
Upon reaching South Georgia, Shackleton realizes they are on the wrong side and proceeded to accomplish another amazing feat, the crossing over of the South Georgia Mountain, at the only time of the year possible for the crossing. The whalers were in awe of Shackelton and his partners as they walked down the mountain. They seemed invincible. Shackleton turns right around and launches a rescue mission for his trapped men on Elphant Island. Not one man was lost in the expedition and his men shout for joy in seeing their captain Shackleton approach to rescue them.
"I love the fight and when things are easy, I hate it".
British explorer Apsley Cherry-Garrard, "For a join scientific and geographical piece of organization, give me Scott; for a winter journey, give me Wilson, for a dash to the Pole and nothing else, Amundsen; and if I am in the devil of a hole and want to get out of it, give me Shackleton every time."
"By endurance we conquer". Shackleton replaced the War Hero of World War I with the exploration hero. Shackleton gave hope to the world. Men died for honour, instead of fearing death. Europe and America were invigorated with Shackleton's courage.
"He had a quick brain, and he could visualize things a head, and as far as he could he safeguarded any eventuality that was likely to occur" - Lionel Greenstreet
"His method of discipline was very fair. He did not believe in unnecessary discipline." - William Bakewell
"No matter what turns up, he is always ready to alter his plans and make fresh ones, and in the meantime laughs, jokes, and enjoys a joke with everyone, and in this way keeps everyone's spirits up" - Frank Worsley.
Rating:
Summary: A True Story of Survival
Review: There have been some amazing personalities in the roll call of great explorers, and Ernest Shackleton is near the top of the list.
A traveler with Robert Falcon Scott in the first quest for the South Pole in 1902, Shackleton's expedition with the "Endurance" was a terrible story that may have ended in failure to make the pole, but a success in survival.
The writings of Shackleton and a number of his shipmates make for an intriguing and insightful narrative; how Endurance was caught in the polar ice, spending more than a year on an ice floe, marooned on a lonely rock of an island and the amazing journey in a life boat to a whaling station...it's all too incredible, yet it happened.
Shackleton was a real swashbuckler, not always the best judge in talent for his expeditions and the best planner, but as many have said, when adversity arose, he and his people rose to the occasion again and again.
A great read for anyone interested about the "Heroic Age."
Rating:
Summary: The Reason why failure beats success
Review: This book is spellbinding, and I'm trying to figure out why so many people like it (myself included). Yes, the endurance; yes, the determination; but still. . . Plenty of other stories like that. It reminds me of another astonishing book which Amazon.com also discovered, about several canoe journeys across Labrador about the same time ("Great Heart" by James Davidson and John Rugge). I think that's because both books start with failure rather than success. Shackleton never gets close to accomplishing his original goal; Hubbard (an adventurer who attempts to cross Labrador by canoe) starves to death. Yet by choosing stories with failure at the center, I think each resonates with so many who read them. We all make miscalculations, get in over our heads; so the story becomes how individuals cope with adversity. Hubbard starves, but in failure he utterly transforms the lives of the people closest to him. Shackleton is trapped by the ice, but leads his men on a mission that defines the human spirit.
Rating: 
Summary: WORST BOOK EVER DO NOT BUY
Review: this book is terrible the first 40 pages of it they describe the crash and then they describe the crash again the next 200 pages
Rating:
Summary: Just simply incredible.......
Review: This is a story anyone evenly remotely interested in high adventure should make time to read. And you think you have troubles? You need to read this amazing story. It is full of incredible events and stars some of the most interesting and powerful characters. Ernest Shackleton has got to be rated one of the top five leaders in all history. His concern and dedication toward his crew astounds. Just when you think that things are getting better for the crew of Endurance.......wham, another major hurtle. You can barely put this book down. It is unreal how strong and durable these men were during the most adverse of conditions. The story is well written by the author and what a story it is. He makes you feel like you are the 29th crew member with his phrasing and with his descriptions of Antarctic exploration. "Endurance" is the perfect word for it's title. I hope you will not miss this epic adventure. These were men like no others I know of, during a time when they didn't have the modern adventurer's high tech systems of communication and rescue. Their bravery and their physical powers are off the scale. I can't recommend this book more highly to you. If you even half-like adventure, this one's for you. It pales our modern day adventurers. I think it is the Adventure of the Millenium, bar none. Read it.
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