Endurance

After finishing the book Endurance, by Alfred Lansing, I feel as though anything can be possible. They were against all odds to make it as far as they did and survive the living situations they had. I am very shocked that the entire crew survived without any life threatening injuries. I especially liked how Shackleton was consistently calm and confident given their situation. Even when they lost their ship and had to sleep directly on the ice floor, the crew didn't really complain. They all were very obedient and listened to Shackleton because they trusted him. He was a very great leader and most of the crewmen said that repeatedly. He knew what to say and what to do to get his team of men to their destination and keep them all wanting to persevere forward.  The author stated on page 129, "the indomitable self-confidence of Shackleton's took the form of optimism and it worked in two ways. It set men's souls on fire; as Macklin said, just to be in his presence was an experience. It was what made Shackleton so a great leader". I truly believe that if it wasn't for Shackleton's great leadership skills that kept the crew going throughout the entire expedition, they would not have made it home. This book is a great example of what it takes to lead a large group of men to success!