Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing retells a truly remarkable and unforgettable story about a shipwreck and their miraculous survival in the mid-1910s. I’m no stranger to shipwrecked stories and the crew’s relentless battle with nature. Having read The Wager, In the Heart of the Sea and Madhouse At the End of the Earth, I can now proudly add Ernest Shackleton’s journey along the Endurance to the mix. While it is true that major shipwrecks in the early 20th century and before were harsh and could test a man’s ultimate constitution and physical prowess, I doubt those men would care to wager on who among them had it the worst and survived to tell about it. It’s hardly a competition. But if I had to guess, Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance shipwreck, along with 28 of his crew members, would likely, in my opinion, be one of the worst of the bunch.
The truth was that he felt rather out of his element. He had proved himself on land. He had demonstrated there beyond all doubt his ability to pit his matchless tenacity against the elements–and win. But the sea is a different sort of enemy. Unlike the land, where courage and the simple will to endure can often see a man through, the struggle against the sea is an act of physical combat, and there is no escape. It is a battle against a tireless enemy in which man never actually wins; the most that he can hope for is not to be defeated.
Author on Ernest Shackleton
The story starts out with a quick introduction of the fearless leader of the Endurance, Ernest Shackleton. From there, another quick introduction to the other main crew members, along with the usual tasks of acquiring funding for the voyage and procuring the ship, and there they go. As always, it’s a good idea to search for an image to see all the different labels and terminology used to describe a ship if you want to really follow along on how and where they were getting hit in regard to their near constant struggle with the wind and other elements of nature. Regardless, there will likely still be many events surrounding their ship that will go over your head.
“Really, this sort of life has its attractions. I read somewhere that all a man needs to be happy is a full stomach and warmth, and I begin to think it is nearly true. No worries, no trains, no letters to answer, no collars to wear–but I wonder which of us would not jump at the chance to change it all tomorrow!”
Alexander Macklin
Miracle. No other word fits the description of how all the crew members were able to survive this shipwreck while enduring what they had to go through. In a way, the Endurance was a fitting name for their ship. While it ultimately got destroyed, the crew carried on its legacy by having to endure nature’s worst elements for nearly two years. It’s a shame the story quickly ended the way it did, as most of the readers, I’d assume, would want to have learned about what happened to the crew after their rescue. It likely could be that the information just wasn’t available or recorded at the time, but I find that hard to believe. Nonetheless, the story was well told. It could be mundane at times once the crew was stuck in a particular area, but that is to be expected. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll have to learn how to use a sextant for navigation.
The Mindless Catalog 
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