Endurance

Rating:
Summary: A triumph in adventure storytelling
Review: This is one of the most fascinating adventure stories I've ever read.

Expeditions to Antarctica in the 20th century did not always turn out well. And this is one of many that did not achieve its objectives. The idea was to cross the Antarctic continent. And I do recommend the book by Vivian Fuchs and Edmund Hillary on the first successful crossing of Antarctica, which was completed only in 1958.

This book is about the 1914-1916 Shackleton expedition, which attempted to start by reaching Vahsel Bay in Antarctica using a strong 144-foot, 350 horsepower wooden ship named the Endurance.

But the Endurance never quite reached Vahsel Bay. Instead, it became stuck in the ice near the Antarctic coast and eventually had to be abandoned. That left the crew having to find a way to reach land, survive on that land, and find a way to send for help so that it could be rescued. Even for a crew that had been prepared for being in cold weather and difficult circumstances, this turned out to be tricky. It makes one amazed at how able people are to survive in extreme environments. And, of course, this book is a testament to the leadership of Ernest Shackleton.

Not only is the book very well-written and suspenseful, it also includes some terrific photos about the expedition. It's a great work of non-fiction, and I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: A truly great read
Review: Trust me...buy this book, light the fire, pour yourself a cup of tea...and sit back for one heck of a tale.

Rating:
Summary: Truly riveting
Review: Warning: your life may seem dull after reading this book! This is a story that cannot be forgotten, I would put it on the same level as Mallory and Irvine's attempt to conquer Everest. Inspirational.

Rating:
Summary: amazing
Review: Yes, I know I'm just another one, continuing the string of raving reviews, but I couldn't resist putting my two cents in. This truly is an incredible adventure story. Growing up in the comfort of the late 20th century, it was nearly impossible for me to even try to place myself in the situation described in the book: a man and his crew, struggling for their lives in one of the harshest environments on earth, with the knowledge that no help from the outside is coming, the outside world not even being aware of the predicament. I imagine it would be hard for a great deal of us to understand the feeling of having one's very life in their own hands, having to survive solely on one's own mental and physical strength, and that of the few companions that become one's entire world. At times the whole thing feels like too much; I had to remind myself that this really happened, people really survived this, otherwise I would have started to assume it was straight out of Hollywood.
The book is well researched and well written by Lansing, and the use of journal entries and interviews makes the crew become real people, rather than just names. The story of Ernest Shackleton and his crew is one of the greatest adventure stories I know of, in book, film, or any other form.