general

Yes, I know I'm just another one, continuing the string of raving reviews, but I couldn't resist putting my two cents in. This truly is an incredible adventure story. Growing up in the comfort of the late 20th century, it was nearly impossible for me to even try to place myself in the situation described in the book: a man and his crew, struggling for their lives in one of the harshest environments on earth, with the knowledge that no help from the outside is coming, the outside world not even being aware of the predicament. I imagine it would be hard for a great deal of us to understand the feeling of having one's very life in their own hands, having to survive solely on one's own mental and physical strength, and that of the few companions that become one's entire world. At times the whole thing feels like too much; I had to remind myself that this really happened, people really survived this, otherwise I would have started to assume it was straight out of Hollywood.
The book is well researched and well written by Lansing, and the use of journal entries and interviews makes the crew become real people, rather than just names. The story of Ernest Shackleton and his crew is one of the greatest adventure stories I know of, in book, film, or any other form.

Lansing's tale will grab you and never let go, as it did for me 25 years ago in my first reading and every re-reading since. While other accounts of this heroic journey are also compelling, Lansing's version is easily the best. Beyond the gripping descriptions of incessant danger and threats to the human psyche, Lansing lays out the foundation for a Shackleton theory of management:

Prepare for contingencies and then prepare again; Value attitude over technical competence in selecting people for work; Emphasize role over rank (the CEO takes the soggiest sleeping bag); Don't be afraid to do nothing, for you can lose your head (and those of your crew) by forcing action to conquer boredom; And (shades of Apollo 13) Failure is not an option.

This book alone was enough to launch a decades-long fascination with Shackleton. This book alone inspired me to travel 2,700 miles from Boise to New York just to see the fabulous Endurance exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History. For anyone with an interest in survival sagas, psychology, or management theory and practice, this book should be in anyone's top ten.

I'm a fan of survivalist accounts such as "Seven Years in Tibet," and "In the Heart of the Sea." And I loved this true account of the voyage/survival of Shackleton's crew in the Antarctic.

Asking friends and relatives if they've read it, I've heard, "I started it, but I didn't want to see everyone die!" So here's the *spoiler...nobody dies! *

The capacity of the human body to survive and of the human brain to figure out how to do it never ceases to amaze me.

Lansing's account ingeniously pieces together journals of the men involved and includes riveting details without ever being too gory. Even knowing the ending, it's a page turner. I've heard that this is the most involving of all the accounts published...coming across more like a story and less a documentary.

The images of the men on the ice have completely captivated me...the sounds and the movement. Be prepared to grab a blanket and a snack as you read (something not made of penguin)...you'll feel like you're there.