Trip Fiction: Endurance by Alfred Lansing

What a gift it was to read this story on a ship sitting in the exact waters where this adventure played out. If you have an interest in Antarctica you already know the broad brushstrokes of story of the Endurance. In 1914 Shackleton, 27 crew members and 68 dogs set out for Antarctica onboard the Endurance. Their plan was to traverse the frozen continent. En route the ship was trapped in pack ice and ultimately crushed and sunk. The story follows Shackleton and his men as they struggle to survive. They are trapped, first on the ice and then on an island, for years.

There are several books of course on this expedition, and I’m glad I picked this one. Lansing brings these men to life in such a cinematic way. I loved the diary and Ship Log excerpts he includes. It’s a true story I think very accurately told, but it reads 100% like a great adventure novel. I listened to the audio version, and spent hours looking out at the icebergs, whales and penguins as I was absorbing this tale of bravery and perseverance. If you’re looking for a real life hero of leadership and adventure, Shackleton is your man, and Lansing is your storyteller.

Side note, 15 years after this book was published, the wreck of the Endurance was located in pretty much exactly where they thought it’d gone down. Wild

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Have you read this book? Love it/hated it? Read other good books set in Ecuador or have fun travel/fiction stories from there? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below