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Endurance
You seriously mean to tell me that the ship is doomed?" asked Frank Worsley, commander of the Endurance, stuck impassably in Antarctic ice packs. "What the ice gets," replied Sir Ernest Shackleton, the expedition's unflappable leader, "the ice keeps." It did not, however, get the ship's twenty-five crew members, all of whom survived an eight-hundred-mile voyage across sea, land, and ice to South Georgia, the nearest inhabited island. First published in 1931, Endurance tells the full story of that doomed 1914-16 expedition and incredible rescue, as well as relating Worsley's further adventures fighting U-boats in the Great War, sailing the equally treacherous waters of the Arctic, and making one final (and successful) assault on the South Pole with Shackleton. It is a tale of unrelenting high adventure and a tribute to one of the most inspiring and courageous leaders of men in the history of exploration.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1931
About the author
Frank A. Worsley
6 books27 followersFrank Arthur Worsley (1872-1943) was a New Zealand sailor and explorer who served on Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–1916, as captain of Endurance. He also served in the Royal Navy Reserve during the First World War.
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August 24, 2023
I liked this Endurance better than the other Endurance book, just because it answers all of the questions I wondered about when the other book wrapped up pretty fast. (I'd actually recommend reading Lansing's book first and then this book to pick up where he left off.) For instance, I wanted more details about their rescue. Also what happened to the men after they got back home? And what about the Ross party, that was supposed to meet up with Shackleton on the other side of Antarctica? What did they do when Shackleton never showed up, with no way to contact each other? This book finished the story better.
Also, it was written in first person by the ship's navigator, who kept a diary throughout. In one of my favorite bits, he wrote that soon after they had made it through their mountain crossing "a blizzard came blowing down from the mountain range we had just crossed. It could blow as hard as it liked up there--now. Incidentally I learnt afterwards that we had crossed the island during the only interval of fine weather that occurred that winter. There was no doubt that Providence had been with us. There was indeed one curious thing about our crossing of South Georgia, a thing that has given me much food for thought, and which I have never been able to explain. Whenever I reviewed the incidents of that march I had the sub-conscious feeling that there were four of us instead of three. Moreover, this impression was shared by both Shackleton and Crean." (pg 164)
Also, it was written in first person by the ship's navigator, who kept a diary throughout. In one of my favorite bits, he wrote that soon after they had made it through their mountain crossing "a blizzard came blowing down from the mountain range we had just crossed. It could blow as hard as it liked up there--now. Incidentally I learnt afterwards that we had crossed the island during the only interval of fine weather that occurred that winter. There was no doubt that Providence had been with us. There was indeed one curious thing about our crossing of South Georgia, a thing that has given me much food for thought, and which I have never been able to explain. Whenever I reviewed the incidents of that march I had the sub-conscious feeling that there were four of us instead of three. Moreover, this impression was shared by both Shackleton and Crean." (pg 164)
July 14, 2014
The third book this month on Shackleton's famous 1914 voyage to Antarctica. I first read the "other" Endurance by Alfred Lansing, which was a reportage page-turner and relied on some interviews with survivors. I found Tyler-Lewis' The Lost Men to provide valuable historical context, and so it was a fitting pleasure to have a story in the skipper's voice. While I enjoyed the book for its unique voice and singular viewpoint, it was quite dated in tone and a bit hero-worshippy. While these qualities were understandable (and something that only Worsley could have written) it made for a less engrossing reader experience than the other two books. I don't hesitate recommending it to anyone who wants to "go deeper" on the subject, and for that it was quite satisfying.
Frank Worsley was the navigator and skipper aboard the Endurance. He was hired on as captain after having a dream about Shackelton's upcoming expedition and went to meet Sir Ernest. Shackleton liked to hire on based on gut feelings and intuition, and some have criticized his choice of Worsley as he was captaining a ship on a major polar expedition with no polar experience. It's understandable that Worsley felt a real debt of gratitude to Shackleton for launching his exploration career and for saving his life. Obviously Shackleton is the idol of Worsley's life, and so Sir Ernest is painted in only the most flattering light. Worsley is able to recount quite a few private conversations with Shackleton and provides a lot of examples of Shackleton's mental and physical devotion to his men's well-being.
A nice feature that makes this a great companion to Lansing's book is that Lansing's book ends abruptly when Shackleton and Worsley show up at South Georgia Island, scaring the living tar out of the Viking whalers that long thought the Endurance to be lost with all hands. Worsley instead goes through the rescue of the remaining members of Shackleton's party. That rescue is quite a story in an of itself, and basically is a testament to the generosity of various South American governments at the height of the First World War when the British Admiralty couldn't give two craps for bailing out a bunch of stranded polar explorers when five of nine Commonwealth soldiers were casualties in places like Passchendale and Jutland. Worsley and Shackleton manage to rescue the Endurance party and then learn that the Ross Sea Party aboard the Aurora has met a similar fate. So, while there is a world war going on these two manage to hopscotch from Chile to Uruguay to Panama to New Orleans to San Francisco to New Zealand (real question...how did they not get mined or sunk on THAT trip?) to start the rescue of the party that was heading across Antarctica from the other side of the world. There was a lot of local drama and Shackleton was deposed from command of the Ross Sea rescue by those in charge of the purse strings. Worsley doesn't mince words about that fine kettle of fish THAT was; a lot of the remainder of the book is defending Shackleton's legacy. Shackleton of course positioned himself well to do that as well; one of the interesting interludes in the book was that regardless of all they jettisoned, the diaries, records, photos and movies that were created on the expedition he cared for jealously as they were the ticket to book deals to pay the back debts of the expedition.
A perspective that Worsely consistently brings to the work is his excellence in navigation. With something like 5% of the navigational tools they started with, in sunless, unimaginably hellish conditions, Worsley's navigation, reckoning and measurements undoubtedly saved the lives of all the men on the expedition. His technical descriptions of the tools and their uses as well as the constant physical peril he was in to deploy them accurately are among some of the greatest heroics of the expedition. Worsley is quite modest about himself and saves the praise for Shackleton, but it's evident to me that he's a deserving hero.
Two items from the latter third of Worsley's work really stood out: 1)in his subsequent explorations he heads to the Arctic and is able to give a detailed comparison/contrast between the two polar regions. It's fascinating, and he's one of the few men from the Heroic Age of Polar Exploration who is positioned to give such an account (especially in English.) 2)The preponderance of the men enlisted in the War effort as soon as they were able. They'd left England the day WWI was declared and believed it long over; they departed England on the last day of the British Age of Exploration and Conquest and returned to a world where men wore wristwatches, died by the tens of thousands in trenches, poisoned one another with gas, and dropped bombs from airplanes. The Endurance didn't even have a wireless and they came back to a world entirely in the thrall of a thoroughly modern war, the British hierarchical culture in its death throes. Worsley does a commendable job relating this culture shock.
Frank Worsley was the navigator and skipper aboard the Endurance. He was hired on as captain after having a dream about Shackelton's upcoming expedition and went to meet Sir Ernest. Shackleton liked to hire on based on gut feelings and intuition, and some have criticized his choice of Worsley as he was captaining a ship on a major polar expedition with no polar experience. It's understandable that Worsley felt a real debt of gratitude to Shackleton for launching his exploration career and for saving his life. Obviously Shackleton is the idol of Worsley's life, and so Sir Ernest is painted in only the most flattering light. Worsley is able to recount quite a few private conversations with Shackleton and provides a lot of examples of Shackleton's mental and physical devotion to his men's well-being.
A nice feature that makes this a great companion to Lansing's book is that Lansing's book ends abruptly when Shackleton and Worsley show up at South Georgia Island, scaring the living tar out of the Viking whalers that long thought the Endurance to be lost with all hands. Worsley instead goes through the rescue of the remaining members of Shackleton's party. That rescue is quite a story in an of itself, and basically is a testament to the generosity of various South American governments at the height of the First World War when the British Admiralty couldn't give two craps for bailing out a bunch of stranded polar explorers when five of nine Commonwealth soldiers were casualties in places like Passchendale and Jutland. Worsley and Shackleton manage to rescue the Endurance party and then learn that the Ross Sea Party aboard the Aurora has met a similar fate. So, while there is a world war going on these two manage to hopscotch from Chile to Uruguay to Panama to New Orleans to San Francisco to New Zealand (real question...how did they not get mined or sunk on THAT trip?) to start the rescue of the party that was heading across Antarctica from the other side of the world. There was a lot of local drama and Shackleton was deposed from command of the Ross Sea rescue by those in charge of the purse strings. Worsley doesn't mince words about that fine kettle of fish THAT was; a lot of the remainder of the book is defending Shackleton's legacy. Shackleton of course positioned himself well to do that as well; one of the interesting interludes in the book was that regardless of all they jettisoned, the diaries, records, photos and movies that were created on the expedition he cared for jealously as they were the ticket to book deals to pay the back debts of the expedition.
A perspective that Worsely consistently brings to the work is his excellence in navigation. With something like 5% of the navigational tools they started with, in sunless, unimaginably hellish conditions, Worsley's navigation, reckoning and measurements undoubtedly saved the lives of all the men on the expedition. His technical descriptions of the tools and their uses as well as the constant physical peril he was in to deploy them accurately are among some of the greatest heroics of the expedition. Worsley is quite modest about himself and saves the praise for Shackleton, but it's evident to me that he's a deserving hero.
Two items from the latter third of Worsley's work really stood out: 1)in his subsequent explorations he heads to the Arctic and is able to give a detailed comparison/contrast between the two polar regions. It's fascinating, and he's one of the few men from the Heroic Age of Polar Exploration who is positioned to give such an account (especially in English.) 2)The preponderance of the men enlisted in the War effort as soon as they were able. They'd left England the day WWI was declared and believed it long over; they departed England on the last day of the British Age of Exploration and Conquest and returned to a world where men wore wristwatches, died by the tens of thousands in trenches, poisoned one another with gas, and dropped bombs from airplanes. The Endurance didn't even have a wireless and they came back to a world entirely in the thrall of a thoroughly modern war, the British hierarchical culture in its death throes. Worsley does a commendable job relating this culture shock.
August 19, 2024
On a recent voyage to South Georgia that included a stop to raise a toast to Ernest Shackleton at his Grytviken grave on the site of a former whaling community that now serves as center for scientific research, I read F.A. Worsley's Endurance: An Epic of Polar Adventure.
It is an account that is focused on the life of Shackleton who died on January 5th, 1922, having spent the previous night reminiscing with Worsley, who served as ship's captain on the Endurance during their memorable journey to the Weddell Sea area of Antarctica. Though the ship ended up caught in pack-ice & eventually pulverized by the forces of strong winds above and swift currents below, it's remnants have recently been located (image=just below) more than a century after it sank.
Frank Worsley idolized Shackleton & their bond was one of instant friendship, enduring even after Shackleton's death. A major difference between the account by Worsley and the book of the same name by Edgar Lansing is that the latter is cumulative, relaying the thoughts of many survivors of the Endurance, while the former seems driven by a kind of hero-worship on the part of Shackleton's captain, Frank Worsley.
Worsley's account is very well-phrased & full of scientific data not present in Lansing's book, some of the terminology being rather obscure for most non-seafarers. With the wooden ship encased in ice in the midst of a particularly harsh Antarctic winter, Shackleton tells Worsley early on that the Endurance is doomed, as it drifts along with the pack-ice, 130 miles away from the mainland of Antarctica and a thousand miles from the nearest whaling station.
It seems that Shackleton, eager to reach farther & farther into the Weddell Sea area, hoping then to cross the Antarctic continent on foot, had passed up places that might have offered a safer haven for his men. With the men & dogs marooned on an ever-shifting bed of ice, their lives imperiled, Shackleton remained upbeat, never showing regret, encouraging his men with the words "You've damned well got to be optimistic."
Shackleton's knowledge of his men was extraordinary, as was his executive ability. While very definitely in command, he always insisted that his men be fed before he would sit down to eat and listened carefully to their concerns. His sense of personal equality with his men seemed without precedent, especially in Victorian times, perhaps because he'd risen through the ranks as a Merchant Marine & not via the Royal Navy with its deep legacy of tradition & strict, class-driven code of behavior.
When the Endurance began to be crushed by countervailing sources of pressure, the men sensed that their beloved ship was "gasping for air, making human sounds" as she slowly perished. But while biding their time on the ice-flow, the men appeared to see within the desert of ice...
What follows in Worsley's version of Endurance is a rather odd add-on of his post-Antarctica, WWI exploits, including the killing of Russians at Murmansk, sinking a German submarine & unsuccessfully attempting to make money by chartering a vessel & ferrying coal. However, there is some interesting detail about differences between the Arctic & Antarctica.
While there are some B&W photos embedded in Frank Worsley's version of Endurance, the book lacks the wonderfully embracing images of the ship taken by Frank Hurley that are a memorable part of Edgar Lansing's book.
At the Grytviken, South Georgia burial site of Ernest Shackleton, while wearing Shackleton-label coats, presented to us while on board the M.S. Seaventure, we raised a wee cup of Scotch to the spirit of Ernest Shackleton, which just happened to be from a bottle of blended, single malt scotch whisky that bears Shackleton's name.
*Other images within my review include: the dogs brought on board the Endurance, serving to boost the morale of the men in difficult times; a map detailing the route of the ship that Frank Worsley captained for Ernest Shackleton.
It is an account that is focused on the life of Shackleton who died on January 5th, 1922, having spent the previous night reminiscing with Worsley, who served as ship's captain on the Endurance during their memorable journey to the Weddell Sea area of Antarctica. Though the ship ended up caught in pack-ice & eventually pulverized by the forces of strong winds above and swift currents below, it's remnants have recently been located (image=just below) more than a century after it sank.
Frank Worsley idolized Shackleton & their bond was one of instant friendship, enduring even after Shackleton's death. A major difference between the account by Worsley and the book of the same name by Edgar Lansing is that the latter is cumulative, relaying the thoughts of many survivors of the Endurance, while the former seems driven by a kind of hero-worship on the part of Shackleton's captain, Frank Worsley.
Worsley's account is very well-phrased & full of scientific data not present in Lansing's book, some of the terminology being rather obscure for most non-seafarers. With the wooden ship encased in ice in the midst of a particularly harsh Antarctic winter, Shackleton tells Worsley early on that the Endurance is doomed, as it drifts along with the pack-ice, 130 miles away from the mainland of Antarctica and a thousand miles from the nearest whaling station.
It seems that Shackleton, eager to reach farther & farther into the Weddell Sea area, hoping then to cross the Antarctic continent on foot, had passed up places that might have offered a safer haven for his men. With the men & dogs marooned on an ever-shifting bed of ice, their lives imperiled, Shackleton remained upbeat, never showing regret, encouraging his men with the words "You've damned well got to be optimistic."
Shackleton's knowledge of his men was extraordinary, as was his executive ability. While very definitely in command, he always insisted that his men be fed before he would sit down to eat and listened carefully to their concerns. His sense of personal equality with his men seemed without precedent, especially in Victorian times, perhaps because he'd risen through the ranks as a Merchant Marine & not via the Royal Navy with its deep legacy of tradition & strict, class-driven code of behavior.
When the Endurance began to be crushed by countervailing sources of pressure, the men sensed that their beloved ship was "gasping for air, making human sounds" as she slowly perished. But while biding their time on the ice-flow, the men appeared to see within the desert of ice...
mirages, a continual rainbow-like variety of color and strong parhelia (mock suns), resembling a beautiful, dazzling city of cathedral spires, domes & minarets.When the men haul their 3 salvaged lifeboats out to sea & somehow manage, against long odds to reach a more secure space, Elephant Island, Ernest Shackleton declares: "Thank God I haven't killed anyone!"
His idea was that we had trusted him, that we had placed ourselves in his hands and that should anything happen to any one of us, he was morally responsible. His attitude was almost patriarchal & this may have accounted for the men's unquestioning devotion to him, like sons to a singularly noble father. But it always seemed that Shackleton bore a burden heavier than any man should be called upon to bear.Later, leaving most of the men behind, Shackleton & 4 others (including Worsley & Tom Crean) embark on a truly heroic quest for South Georgia on one of the boats, a journey that involved a perilous sail across hostile seas & then an overland jaunt up & over mountainous peaks before reaching the whaling station at Stromness, appearing like other-worldly figures when they wandered into the whalers' encampment, after 2 years of estrangement from the outside world, knowing nothing about WWI.
What follows in Worsley's version of Endurance is a rather odd add-on of his post-Antarctica, WWI exploits, including the killing of Russians at Murmansk, sinking a German submarine & unsuccessfully attempting to make money by chartering a vessel & ferrying coal. However, there is some interesting detail about differences between the Arctic & Antarctica.
While there are some B&W photos embedded in Frank Worsley's version of Endurance, the book lacks the wonderfully embracing images of the ship taken by Frank Hurley that are a memorable part of Edgar Lansing's book.
At the Grytviken, South Georgia burial site of Ernest Shackleton, while wearing Shackleton-label coats, presented to us while on board the M.S. Seaventure, we raised a wee cup of Scotch to the spirit of Ernest Shackleton, which just happened to be from a bottle of blended, single malt scotch whisky that bears Shackleton's name.
*Other images within my review include: the dogs brought on board the Endurance, serving to boost the morale of the men in difficult times; a map detailing the route of the ship that Frank Worsley captained for Ernest Shackleton.
March 19, 2011
I'm not always able to finish the non-fiction that I pick up, no matter how "worthy" the book or "fascinating" the topic, so I approach with trepidation. I needn't have worried about Worsley's _Endurance_, though. The first three quarters is absolutely, breathlessly riveting. The physical feats of the men are one thing, but I had just as much admiration for their mental toughness. It's hard to imagine being stuck on an ice floe for months (and months!) after your ship has sunk, with an appreciably small chance of survival, and to not only persevere in the most extreme conditions, but to never lose the pluck and good humor Worsley attributes to one and all.
Worsley's mindset is that of the the late Victorian English gentleman explorer. On one hand, it's *very* (unintentionally) funny because it hews to every stereotype you can think of. On the other hand (the "noble savage" stuff hand), it's less so. Of course, the voyage took place in 1914-16, so Worsley was the real deal. If you can appreciate the Victorian silliness (and I can), it only makes it better. If I ever went back to school, I would totally write an examination of the construction of the male Victorian character using Worsley's narrative - fascinating! (I bet someone already has.)
The other thing (probably another facet of the paper topic above!) is Worsley's devotion to Shackleton. As Patrick O'Brian points out in his introduction, Worsley could really care less about everyone else. It would be interesting to read an account less focused on Shackleton and more on the entire crew. I found the last quarter of the book a big yawn. It deals with Worsley's life after the polar expedition and it seems like even he's not that interested since he's not with Shackleton.
In a side note, I would like a few more maps! It only had one overall map in the very front of the book — completely inadequate! If I read it again, I'll keep an atlas by me.
Worsley's mindset is that of the the late Victorian English gentleman explorer. On one hand, it's *very* (unintentionally) funny because it hews to every stereotype you can think of. On the other hand (the "noble savage" stuff hand), it's less so. Of course, the voyage took place in 1914-16, so Worsley was the real deal. If you can appreciate the Victorian silliness (and I can), it only makes it better. If I ever went back to school, I would totally write an examination of the construction of the male Victorian character using Worsley's narrative - fascinating! (I bet someone already has.)
The other thing (probably another facet of the paper topic above!) is Worsley's devotion to Shackleton. As Patrick O'Brian points out in his introduction, Worsley could really care less about everyone else. It would be interesting to read an account less focused on Shackleton and more on the entire crew. I found the last quarter of the book a big yawn. It deals with Worsley's life after the polar expedition and it seems like even he's not that interested since he's not with Shackleton.
In a side note, I would like a few more maps! It only had one overall map in the very front of the book — completely inadequate! If I read it again, I'll keep an atlas by me.
March 7, 2017
Loved this! I have always been fascinated by Ernest Shackleton, especially since he lived for a stint in the house I lived in in London. SO interesting.
November 15, 2010
A good supplement to the Lansing book. He adds more details regarding the environment and animals as well as recounting Shackleton’s death.
March 30, 2022
Upon learning that researchers had discovered, this month, the wreck of Ernest Shackleton's Endurance below the ice of Antarctica, I became curious about what brought it to that frozen death. I found this book in the library and was enthralled by the adventure depicted. The book is not fine literature by any means. F. A. Worsley was not a writer, a journalist, or even like today’s bloggers; he was a sailor, a sea captain, a scientist, a hydrographer (proud to be called that by Shackleton), above all, an adventurer and explorer. Endurance is more than a memoir or biography – It is a eulogy for the author’s companion for years, his friend, mentor, leader, hero, idol – Shackleton was almost a god to him.
Worsley described Shackleton thus:
“Endurance, courage, determination, imagination, love of adventure and of leading a man’s life, self-abnegation, the power to command, presence of mind in facing danger, humour [sic], optimism and kindliness – such were his characteristics.”
When telling of the emotions felt after Shackleton’s death, Worsley said, “For seven and a half years we had been the closest of friends...We had passed together through many valleys of shadow, and each time we had won through the bonds which united us had been strengthened. I know that I should never look upon his like again.”
For adventure-minded people like myself, this book puts you in the action and makes one hope that there are still intrepid adventures like this to be had in our world.
Worsley described Shackleton thus:
“Endurance, courage, determination, imagination, love of adventure and of leading a man’s life, self-abnegation, the power to command, presence of mind in facing danger, humour [sic], optimism and kindliness – such were his characteristics.”
When telling of the emotions felt after Shackleton’s death, Worsley said, “For seven and a half years we had been the closest of friends...We had passed together through many valleys of shadow, and each time we had won through the bonds which united us had been strengthened. I know that I should never look upon his like again.”
For adventure-minded people like myself, this book puts you in the action and makes one hope that there are still intrepid adventures like this to be had in our world.
August 26, 2012
Fantastic. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I wish I'd read it 10 years ago... hell, 20 years ago even, just to give single-digits me something to think about. Incredible details, charming vignettes, and most of all a sense of camaraderie and respect for one's peers that I feel is just as worth reading about as all the adventure. The end broke my heart, but in a way where I know I'll never forget how reading this book made me feel.
December 3, 2019
I think I would like to be one of these men; especially perhaps the author and Captain of the Endurance, Frank Worsley with his impeccable navigating skills, writing ability and love for his fellow man.
In everything that is described in this book, with the chance encounter at the onset of the exploration by Worsley strolling though London after dreaming about the Antarctic ice, the exploration itself and the mammoth hardships all of the men had to encounter, what struck me most and was obvious to me from Worsley’s documentation and piecing together of this book was his indelible respect he had for the leader of their group; Ernest Shackleton. And he wasn’t the only one.
Shackleton was circumspect to the extreme. It appears he always put his men before himself or any ambition of his own. He made one want to work at whatever it was that was in front of him and saw it as his duty to attend to whatever was asked of him also. To inspire this sort of loyalty and devotion I can only imagine as I have never encountered it but it’s wonderful to even hear of it existing.
It seems to me to be, by some degree, the most important factor in the eventual survival of all the men who left that day 1st August 1914. So after reading of the failed attempts at recovery from Elephant Island, the despair Shackleton felt for his stranded men and the duty of care he took upon himself, I feel completely reverential.
In everything that is described in this book, with the chance encounter at the onset of the exploration by Worsley strolling though London after dreaming about the Antarctic ice, the exploration itself and the mammoth hardships all of the men had to encounter, what struck me most and was obvious to me from Worsley’s documentation and piecing together of this book was his indelible respect he had for the leader of their group; Ernest Shackleton. And he wasn’t the only one.
Shackleton was circumspect to the extreme. It appears he always put his men before himself or any ambition of his own. He made one want to work at whatever it was that was in front of him and saw it as his duty to attend to whatever was asked of him also. To inspire this sort of loyalty and devotion I can only imagine as I have never encountered it but it’s wonderful to even hear of it existing.
It seems to me to be, by some degree, the most important factor in the eventual survival of all the men who left that day 1st August 1914. So after reading of the failed attempts at recovery from Elephant Island, the despair Shackleton felt for his stranded men and the duty of care he took upon himself, I feel completely reverential.
May 4, 2021
This book is about Ernest Shackleton written by his best friend Frank Worsley. Worsley admired and almost worshipped Shackleton and accompanied him on several explorations including the one where they were trapped on the ice for many months until the ice crushed and sank the ship Endurance. Amazingly all 28 men on this exploration survived. I want to quote from the end of the book what Worsley says about Shackleton:
"I recalled his constant anxiety for his men, his nobleness in always insisting that he himself should be the first to suffer any hardship that had to be undergone...He was loyal and patriotic. Endurance, courage, determination, imagination, love of adventure and of leading a man's life, self-abnegation, the power to command, presence of mind in facing danger, humor, optimism and kindliness - such were his characteristics."
These words mean a lot to me, having just gone through a tornado, losing my car and probably my RV, not knowing what is ahead. It straightens my spine, keeps me calm, knowing this too shall pass. Worsley ends the book with this quote
'The rules of the service are but three,
When you sail with Admiral Death,
Steady your hand in time of squalls,
Stand to the last by him who falls,
And answer clear to the voice that calls,
Aye, aye, Admiral Death
I hope I can live up to this
"I recalled his constant anxiety for his men, his nobleness in always insisting that he himself should be the first to suffer any hardship that had to be undergone...He was loyal and patriotic. Endurance, courage, determination, imagination, love of adventure and of leading a man's life, self-abnegation, the power to command, presence of mind in facing danger, humor, optimism and kindliness - such were his characteristics."
These words mean a lot to me, having just gone through a tornado, losing my car and probably my RV, not knowing what is ahead. It straightens my spine, keeps me calm, knowing this too shall pass. Worsley ends the book with this quote
'The rules of the service are but three,
When you sail with Admiral Death,
Steady your hand in time of squalls,
Stand to the last by him who falls,
And answer clear to the voice that calls,
Aye, aye, Admiral Death
I hope I can live up to this
November 13, 2013
Told in the words of the Endurance's captain this is a tale one won't soon forget. Filled with interesting little details - sometimes humorous - New Zealander Frank Worsley narrates the story of the famous Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
I found this book a great source in researching the Endurance Expedition. Reading contemporary works regarding historical events is good, no doubt about that, but to read a book by someone who was there, who experienced everything firsthand and was a witness to the momentous events is just downright fascinating. And now I must read Ernest Shackleton's account!
I found this book a great source in researching the Endurance Expedition. Reading contemporary works regarding historical events is good, no doubt about that, but to read a book by someone who was there, who experienced everything firsthand and was a witness to the momentous events is just downright fascinating. And now I must read Ernest Shackleton's account!
April 5, 2012
A book I've reread many times. I remember a certain administrator who compared herself to Shackleton as she laid off a bunch of people. To which I wanted to yell, "Um, Shackleton didn't throw anyone off the boat."
Anyhow, great adventure and a very lesson in endurance.
Anyhow, great adventure and a very lesson in endurance.
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May 11, 2023300 page long eulogy. awesome
February 26, 2015
An amazing story of leadership!! Sir Earnest Shackleton was a man who had high goals but would never take unnecessary risk of putting his men in danger just to accomplish his goals of exploration. He was loved by all his men, he had the respect of kings and the lowliest sailor, and he always took the brunt of the hardship on himself. He didn't think that as the leader he had the luxury of letting his men do the hard work he knew that as the leader he had the responsibility for doing the hard work as well as for the lives of his men. A testament to his ability and care was that he never lost a man while he was in command. The book is wonderfully well written it gets a bit descriptive at some points but the information is very good.
March 31, 2022
I listened to Endurance on audiobook on my Mom’s recommendation. The narrator was great. And the story was astounding. Additionally, she claimed that Captain Shackleton was “one of the great and imperfect leaders in History.” Listening with that in mind, the story of the Endurance and its crew did not disappoint. Captured by the ship’s navigator, Wolsey, in his diary, the reader get’s an intimate look at the day-to-day experience of surviving in the Antarctica from 1914-1916. The details are masterfully woven together to tell a seamless and compelling tail. Not only did I learn a lot about leadership, I also learned a few new words.
This was one of my first foray’s into non-fiction, and i loved it. Definitely more to come. Send me recommendations of people’s stories I can learn from.
This was one of my first foray’s into non-fiction, and i loved it. Definitely more to come. Send me recommendations of people’s stories I can learn from.
August 12, 2014
This was an amazing story, but the writing was a bit clunky for me. It was written by the actual captain of the ship back in the 30's, so I didn't expect it to be the best writing ever, which is why I'm giving it 4 stars. The story of their adventure (the plan was to cross the Antarctic continent), their struggles and the fact that they were able to survive was nothing short of miraculous. I also loved that they seemed to keep great attitudes despite being basically wet and cold for two years. I'm glad I read this, it was something I knew absolutely nothing about. I see there are a few other great polar exploration books that I need to read now.
October 3, 2011
I like sea stories and hate ice and snow. I had mixed feelings about reading someone's Antarctica story. "It was cold, it was wet, the snow was white." But this is also a story about being stranded, having to build shelters and wait weeks for a rescue in the days before air travel or two way radio. Above all, its a story about the men who went for help, traveling hundreds of miles in an open boat. Then they had to find a ship to make the return trip, locate the camp they left behind, and hope at least some of their friends were still alive. I'm glad I didn't pass it up.
May 10, 2011
easy to read and quickly paced. The drama of the adventure is somewhat curtailed by Worsley's tone of voice, but on the other hand, it sort of feels like we've sat down next to him at some ex-pat bar and he's telling us the story in person. The downplaying of the hardships just make it all the more amazing and very much endearing. Loved this book, even after the narrative turned from the initial expedition into tales of the war, past trips, and Shackleton's final voyage.
May 27, 2023
A book of thrilling adventures and daring escapades. But more than that, at least in my opinion, a book on friendship. The love, support, and companionship of the author towards Shackleton makes this more than a biographical sketch or a bland narrative, it brings to life the adventure and the spirit of discovery and exploration within an amazing man.
September 7, 2009
My favourite account of the Endurance expedition - the photos contained within this book are amazing - written by Shackleton's captain. His navigational abilities are amazing, especially as you read about the harrowing journey in a lifeboat from Elephant Island to South Georgia.
March 17, 2020
An amazing true story about a 1915 expedition to Antarctica. Not a spoiler to say they had to abandon the boat and try to make their way to a whaling station to be rescued. Unbelievable what these guys endured to get there.
September 27, 2011
I have read almost every book written on the Endurance expedition, and quite a number of books about polar exploration.
This is my favorite one.
This is my favorite one.
January 31, 2015
Read this a couple years back and enjoyed it. So amazing what these men endured. Makes me cold just thinking about it!
October 4, 2017
One of the very best adventure stories of all time.
October 5, 2017
One of the best books I’ve ever read.
May 8, 2018
Excellent true adventure of Antartic exploration in the early 1900's.
October 21, 2018
It push back the idea how far can we go. What a man can endure.
May 18, 2020
Simply the best!
December 5, 2023
This is a fascinating, almost unbelievable, account of an Antarctica expedition by Sir Earnest Shackleton in the early 1900s, written by his ship captain, Frank Worsley. The book begins as their ship, the Endurance, is slowly being crushed by ice during the Antarctica winter. The crew abandons ship with some small rescue boats and as many provisions as they can save. They make their way, over many days, through ice floes and blizzard, sub-zero conditions, to small Elephant Island, off the coast of Antarctica. The conditions are horrible. For example, with nothing to put beneath their sleeping bags, their body heat melts the ice and they wake in a puddle of icy water each morning. And no one knows they’re there; no one is going to come looking for them. So Shackleton takes Worsley and a few others in one of the tiny life boats ACROSS THE OCEAN to South America - South Georgia Island. They know there is a whaling village there. The trip takes weeks. They are constantly wet from waves crashing over the boat, constantly hand pumping out the icy water, sleeping in shifts in wet sleeping bags, all in sub zero temperature and constant storms. I’m not even doing justice to how awful the conditions were. When they reach the island, they must then hike to the other side, over a mountain range, to reach the whaling village. Then the Herculean task of rescuing the rest of the crew begins.
Worsley is not a professional writer, but his description of events is gripping. This book is a page turner on the order of Into Thin Air.
Once Worsley wraps up the Endurance expedition, he gives a rambling (but interesting) account of his WWI exploits in the British Navy, then backs up to describe Shackleton’s earlier explorations, and ends with an account of the two men’s final voyage.
The hand of a good editor wouldn’t have hurt, but I’ll recommend this book highly regardless.
Worsley is not a professional writer, but his description of events is gripping. This book is a page turner on the order of Into Thin Air.
Once Worsley wraps up the Endurance expedition, he gives a rambling (but interesting) account of his WWI exploits in the British Navy, then backs up to describe Shackleton’s earlier explorations, and ends with an account of the two men’s final voyage.
The hand of a good editor wouldn’t have hurt, but I’ll recommend this book highly regardless.
October 19, 2024
I love the way Worsley speaks but had no idea what he was actually saying most of the time. His laughably poor judgement of which topics require elaboration was perhaps the sole source of comedic relief; dozens of technical nautical terms and bits of sailor slang are used with zero clarification, but he'll feel it necessary to explain that penguins are large flightless birds or that Iceland is an island in the North Atlantic. I'd like to think this is revealing of the collective consciousness of 1930s Britain.
Idiolect aside, this story is nuts. That said, I don't think the 13 hour audibook was worth the handful of anecdotes that I couldn't have found in the Wikipedia article. The chapter in which Worsley enlists in the navy seemed particularly irrelevant. It was objectively fun that the ship cook was named Tom Crean--I envisioned the awkward college basketball of the same name undertaking all these feats.
Idiolect aside, this story is nuts. That said, I don't think the 13 hour audibook was worth the handful of anecdotes that I couldn't have found in the Wikipedia article. The chapter in which Worsley enlists in the navy seemed particularly irrelevant. It was objectively fun that the ship cook was named Tom Crean--I envisioned the awkward college basketball of the same name undertaking all these feats.
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