Endurance

After  finishing Lansing’s book, Endurance, about Shackleton’s expedition to cross the Antarctic

Continent from the east to the west coast, I cannot get this story out of my head.  The story of

Endurance is an absolutely amazing feat.  Even though the expedition did not meet its goal,

the expedition was an unbelievable accomplishment that shows the power of endurance.  It’s

unbelievable how persistent the 27 crew members were from the beginning to the end of

the expedition.  After watching their ship trapped in ice and eventually crushed, they

continued to persevere.  They kept their spirits up when they were trapped on ice floes for

months while they drifted.   The journey that Shackleton took with his five crew members in a

small boat for an 800-mile voyage across the treacherous Drake Passage to South Georgia

Island was exciting to read.  It’s hard to believe that the 27 men survived for almost two years

in the wet and freezing the Antarctic.  Their diaries showed their persistence and drive throughout

the endless days of boredom, despair, and threat of starvation. It’s amazing that no one died

on this expedition. I have to say that this was the most exciting non-fiction book that I have

ever read and I can’t believe no one has made a movie of it.  Check out this footage from the

expedition that was filmed over 100 years ago: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj0fAYiY09A