Rating: 
Summary: A Gripping and Beautiful Tale of Leadership
Review: This is a truly gripping and beautiful book. The story of the voyage and survival of the Endurance, Sir Ernest Shackleton's 1914 expedition to traverse the Antarctic continent on foot, is truly awe-inspiring. The photographs of Frank Hurley, the expedition's photographer, are sublime and powerful. I can't recapture the magnitude or beauty of the book in a few words, but two things struck me as particularly moving. At one point, Shackleton and five men sailed 800 miles in a 22-foot boat through the tempestuous South Atlantic Ocean to reach help. I doubt that even Alexander's account of the voyage does justice to the courage, skill and fortitude exhibited by these men.Two comments put this one piece of the survival struggle into perspective. Alexander comments, "They would later learn that a 500-ton steamer had foundered with all hands in the same hurricane they had just weathered." And upon reaching civilization for the first time, the captain of the Endurance, Frank Worsley records the reaction of some of the hardiest seamen in the world: Three or four white-haired veterans of the sea came forward. One spoke in Norse, and the Manager translated. He said he had been at sea over 40 years; that he knew this stormy Southern Ocean intimately, from South Georgia to Cape Horn, from Elephant Island to the South Orkneys, and that never had he heard of such a wonderful feat of daring seamanship as bringing the 22-foot open boat from Elephant Island to South Georgia.... All the seamen present then came forward and solemnly shook hands with us in turn. Coming from brother seamen, men of our own cloth and members of a great seafaring race like the Norwegians, this was a wonderful tribute. (The Endurance, pages 166-167). The second thing I found so moving about Alexander's account was the skillful and authentic way she weaves Hurley's unbelievably stark and beautiful photographs into the fabric of this story. Most moving of all, though, is the absence of photographs during the voyage described above. Shackleton, who lived and led for his men, left them to bring help, and it is somehow fitting that we have the same sense of solitude and lack the tangibility of a photograph to reassure us about the well-being of the 22 men left behind. Shackleton ("the Boss") to his men, was a true leader. In her conclusion, Alexander writes of him, "He would be remembered not so much for his own accomplishment -- the 1909 expedition that attained the farthest South -- as for what he was capable of drawing out of others." She goes on to quote Worsley: Shackleton's popularity among those he led was due to the fact that he was not the sort of man who could do only big and spectacular things. When occasion demanded he would attend personally to the smallest details.... Sometimes it would appear to the thoughtless that his care amounted almost to fussiness, and it was only afterwards that we understood the supreme importance of his ceaseless watchfulness. (The Endurance, pages 193-194). Alexander goes on to say, "Behind every calculated word and gesture lay the single-minded determination to do what was best for his men. At the core of Shackleton's gift for leadership in crisis was...the fact that he elicited from his men strength and endurance they had never imagined they possessed; he ennobled them." I think the most interesting passages with respect to his leadership are those that deal with the obvious INCREASED strain that Shackleton experienced after HE was safe but 22 of his men remained stranded on Elephant Island, even after 2 attempts to reach them. Again, Worsley's insight is revealing: "The wear and tear of this period was dreadful. To Shackleton it was little less than maddening. Lines scored themselves on his face more deeply day by day; his thick, dark, wavy hair was becoming silver. He had not had a grey hair when we started out to rescue our men the first time. Now on the third journey, he was grey-haired." When Shackleton finally reached Elephant Island and realized that all his men had survived, Worsley writes, "He put his glasses back in their case and turned to me, his face showing more emotion than I had ever known it show before...we were all unable to speak. It sounds trite, but years literally seemed to drop from him as he stood before us." In my estimation, this is the true quality of a leader: he leads his people, but more than anything, he leads FOR his people.
Rating:
Summary: Last Great Adventure of the Heroic Age
Review: There's lots of books written on the subject of Shackleton's extraordinary journey to the Antarctic. None really captures all the vividness and resilience of Caroline Alexander's, 'The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition.' She presents the astonishing work of Australian photographer Frank Hurley whose never-before-published visual record of the adventure recreates the terrible beauty of the Antarctic, the destruction of the ship Endurance and the heroic crew's daily struggle to stay alive with the miraculous, inspiring leadership of Sir Ernest Shackleton. The survival of Hurley's awesome images are scarcely less miraculous. The original glass plate negatives are excellently reproduced. They were stored in sealed canisters that survived months of ice floes, in open boat of the polar seas and buried in the snows of a rocky outcrop called Elephant Island. In the final footage of the expedition Hurley had to abandon his professional equipment and with a pocket camera and three rolls of Kodak film captured some of the most unforgettable images of the thrilling struggle. The expedition began in August 1914 before the outbreak of the first World War. Renowned explorer Ernest Shackleton and a crew of twenty-seven set sail on thier ship the "ENDURANCE" for the South Atlantic from England in quest for the last unclaimed prize in history: the first crossing on foot of the Antarctic interior.
It was by 1915 the men sailed into the frozen waters of the Weddell Sea where the Endurance became trapped in the icy floes and further ice conditions brought the Endurance to a halt. With no dangerous beasts or indigenous natives to tackle the harsh conditions of a savage Antarctic would put to the test the limits of these heroic men for a long, grueling 22 months. Beginning in 1914 and ending in 1917 the Endurance expedition is said to be the last in the Heroic Age of polar expedition. Most is owed to Shackleton's greatness in leadership and insane suffering of his earlier Antarctic experiences. Shackleton was the son of a physician, born near Ballitore, Co. Kildare, Ireland, lived briefly in Dublin as a child before his family moved permanently to England. At age sixteen soon began his life in the navy with romantic ambition took to exploration that appealed to his aspiration. Leading up to the fateful expedition, Shackleton had acquired the use of sixty-nine Canadian sledging dogs to aid in the journey. The dogs were not huskies but mixed collection of big dogs. These tough, brave animals helped the men across the icy terrain to their goal-the South Pole. Hurley writes of them in his book, 'Argonauts of the South.' Sadly, as the years of the expediton grew harsh the toll not only weaken the men but their canine companions. When food was scarce the men had to make grisly accommodations for their survival. Some of the members kept diaries of these unpleasant experiences. Every page you will hold your breathe to what will happen next to the end of the successful rescue by the "Yelcho"-not a life lost and yet been through Hell. This was an excellent and thrilling story that will probably never happen again in our lifetime as one of the last greatest adventures.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Pass this one up!
Review: A REAL story told REALLY well.
I listened to it on tape. One of my top five favorite books of all time. I would not have found it if my librarian hadn't suggested it. Couldn't put it down - If you are a man (or woman) in search of true adventure from days gone by then this is the book for you. This insanely difficult journey reveals the true character and spirit of these men in their effort just to stay alive. It feels like you are almost there with them, but glad that you aren't.
A true vision quest.
Buy it-
Read it -
Then give it to a friend - It's that GOOD!
Rating:
Summary: Thank you, Ms. Alexander.
Review: I have read several of the first-hand accounts of the Endurance expedition (Shackleton, Worsley, Hurley) as well as some of the modern re-tellings of this marvelous tale (Alexander, Huntford, Lansing). Every one is enjoyable and each has its own peculiar charms. I feel that Ms. Alexander's book surpasses the others in two specific areas. First, of course, is its presentation of the Hurley photographs: no words can do justice to these images, and none are necessary. Second is its inclusion of biographical material on the later lives of the expedition members. As I read the accounts that preceded Ms. Alexander's, I often wondered what became of these men after their return to civilization, but only a few fragments were offered. Now, thanks to Ms. Alexander's research, much more of this information is easily accessible.
Rating: 
Summary: Enduring photographs bring epic adventure into focus
Review: Caroline Alexander brings a wealth of information into this "last of heroic Antarctic adventures". What sets this book apart from the several others written on this subject is the broad scope of details provided. Each of the 28 characters are individually described in the beginning although for the most part the majority have a collective role in the success of the expedition. Yes success, as in 28 start, 28 survive. It really is hard to go wrong with such a great story. By focusing on the ship's cat Caroline comes dangerously close. The collection of the thoughts from members diaries brings the gravity of their situation to a level the reader can feel and fear. The book itself is beautifully printed, the numerous photographs hit the highlights the trip and are captioned in detail. Where Alfred Lansing's book ends on a romanticized high note, Caroline Alexander goes on to detail the fates of the mates after the expedition. Needless to say such a journey is the high water mark for displaying character in the most oppressive of situations. My advice is to buy it for your coffee table, for it is a beautiful book, but read Alfred Lansing's' Endurance accompanied by the Nov. 1998 National Geographic article (by Ms. Alexander) which includes the Frank Hurley photographs.
Rating:
Summary: Enduring photographs bring epic adventure into focus
Review: Caroline Alexander brings a wealth of information into this "last of heroic Antarctic adventures". What sets this book apart from the several others written on this subject is the broad scope of details provided. Each of the 28 characters are individually described in the beginning although for the most part the majority have a collective role in the success of the expedition. Yes success, as in 28 start, 28 survive. It really is hard to go wrong with such a great story. By focusing on the ship's cat Caroline comes dangerously close. The collection of the thoughts from members diaries brings the gravity of their situation to a level the reader can feel and fear. The book itself is beautifully printed, the numerous photographs hit the highlights the trip and are captioned in detail. Where Alfred Lansing's book ends on a romanticized high note, Caroline Alexander goes on to detail the fates of the mates after the expedition. Needless to say such a journey is the high water mark for displaying character in the most oppressive of situations. My advice is to buy it for your coffee table, for it is a beautiful book, but read Alfred Lansing's' Endurance accompanied by the Nov. 1998 National Geographic article (by Ms. Alexander) which includes the Frank Hurley photographs.
Rating:
Summary: First-rate
Review: This book is a first-rate telling of the Endurance story. Even better, the B&W photos are gorgeously reproduced, and Alexander tells some details of how they were taken and preserved.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent large format photos and introduction to Sir Ernest
Review: A great book to get if you have never read any others of this amazing adventure. The book is worth getting and provides all the basic information on the journey. But let me add a note about seeing the author at National Geographic Explorers Hall some years ago. I read that the author would be giving a lecture. Not knowing much at all about Shackelton, I marked my schedule and planned to attend. I figured I might be one of a handful of people there like most history book lectures in DC. When I showed up, the line to pick up tickets was going out the door. Worse, it was sold out. Hundreds and hundreds of seats sold out to see the author of this book. I was gracefully given an extra ticket from someone who saw my distress and happily discovered a lifelong historical passion. Perhaps a bit of that "Old Provdy" was at play as the ramifications of this adventure go far beyond 28 men in a boat. I had the fortune to touch the James Caird at the travelling exhibit and there is a magic in the oak that defies explanation. If you want to discover a world of providence, human endurance, unreasonable chance and amazing survival, let this be the first step. As the author of this book said at her lecture, she was once walking in Manhattan with a Shackleton book tucked under her arm when a man approached her on the sidewalk after seeing the book. Wide eyed and smiling, he looked at her and said a single word that meant, he too, was part of the faternity of the moved - "Shackelton!" he said, and walked on. It said all there was to say.
Rating:
Summary: Best book on Shackleton's Voyage
Review: Unlike the original manuscripts by S and his men, this compilation draws on a variety of sources and provides a balanced picture. A compelling story.
Rating:
Summary: Correction of other reviews
Review: To start with let me say I found this book more interesting than any other book I have read.
Why I think some of the other reviewers are off target:
This isn't a story of Shackleton, it's the story of the whole crew and the voyage. Also this isn't a story of a life or death struggle of people hanging on for dear life. What is so facinating is that the men live their lives for a couple of years. The crew celebrated holidays, entertained themselves, made friendships... They continued to live their lives, even though they were in a very extreme situation. This is demonstrated by the fact that Shackleton and a couple of his men tried to go back to Antartica years later, wanting to recreate the adventure. They looked back on the trip with happy memories, not heartbreak. I would bet for many of the crew, the years on the voyage were the best years of their lives (strange as it sounds). I would have loved to meet any of the men. I hope I am fortunate enough to make a friend or two in my life with the same attitudes and character of the men of the Endurance.
| 
