It was 100 years ago that an extraordinary story
of survival took place. Ernest Shackleton led an
expedition in an attempt to be the first to cross
the Antarctic Continent. Before they could reach
the continent itself, their ship, Endurance, was
crushed by the ice in the Weddell Sea. With no
means to tell the world of their danger,
Shackleton led his men to safety with no loss of
life. First published in 1959, Alfred Lansing’s
Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage,
gives a highly readable account of perhaps the
greatest story of human survival in modern times.
Lansing was able to interview surviving members
of the expedition which gives his book a degree
of intimacy. Endpapers, maps and photographs
taken on the expedition add to the pleasure of
reading the book. Be sure to wear your long
underwear!
–Jay Platt, owner, West Side Book Shop