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  • Endurance

  • Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
  • Written by: Alfred Lansing
  • Narrated by: Simon Prebble
  • Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (716 ratings)

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Endurance

Written by: Alfred Lansing
Narrated by: Simon Prebble
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Publisher's Summary

This is a new reading of the thrilling account of one of the most astonishing feats of exploration and human courage ever recorded.

In August of 1914, the British ship Endurance set sail for the South Atlantic. In October 1915, still half a continent away from its intended base, the ship was trapped, then crushed in the ice. For five months, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men, drifting on ice packs, were castaways in one of the most savage regions of the world.

Lansing describes how the men survived a 1,000-mile voyage in an open boat across the stormiest ocean on the globe and an overland trek through forbidding glaciers and mountains. The book recounts a harrowing adventure, but ultimately it is the nobility of these men and their indefatigable will that shines through.

©1959 Alfred Lansing (P)2007 Blackstone Audo, Inc.
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What the critics say

Nominee, 2008 Audie Award, Nonfiction, Unabridged

"[O]ne of the most extraordinary tales of heroism and determination in the history of exploration.... Prebble's narration will bring to life the despair, elation, and sheer will of these men to survive, and to triumph, together." (AudioFile

What listeners say about Endurance

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  • Ben
  • 2018-01-31

One of the best stories ever, plus great narrator

By far one of the best books I've ever read, and one of the best narrations I've ever listened to. What more could you want from a book experience than Simon Prebble's amazing voice painting a picture of the most amazing survival and travel story of all time?!

Shackleton's story is one I thought I knew: great leader strikes bad luck in sea ice, ship gets crushed, brings men through harrowing months-long survival and journey from sea ice through the world's worst ocean to a small island, leaves them there to fend for themselves and sets off in the same small boat with a small crew across even worst waters for hundreds of miles, then hikes across the most inhospitable occupied island in the world to get to civilization only to go back out and rescue each and every man of the crew. Amazing, right? Well Alfred Lansing does a much, much better job than I do of telling it!

Lansing's story is surprisingly able to stay with the men and not bring in outside contextualizations - I say surprising because most histories would be attempting to frame the adventure in centuries of back story and social commentary. There were of course obvious connections to the outside world, but when the men are on the ice the story stays with them and does not get overwhelmed in the sameness of ice, ice, and more ice. It is the story of the men, and the writing does this so much justice you are completely captivated by it.

Prebble's narration in a gem. The classic British narrator does all the accents well, keeps the myriad of characters separate and each engaging, but also doesn't overwhelm the adventure story with over the top inflections. Instead, Prebble narrates the book with suspense, continuity, and an aura of isolation that perfectly fits the gentleman explorer faced with his greatest challenge yet. Only when Shackleton nears death on the cross-island trek does Prebbles voice get a bit louder and a bit more excited - but it's like the 19th near-death experience and 13th major voyage for the character so why not get a bit carried away?!

I would highly recommend this book to anyone. If you don't like history, the unbelievable adventure story will keep you entertained. If you don't like survival stories, the history and characters will captivate you. If you don't like penguins, well you'll get a lot of descriptions of how they die... Definitely one I will re-read and re-listen to!

I would listen to anything Simon Prebble narrates. Except maybe David Downing's John Russell series since I did listen to that and didn't like it...

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7 people found this helpful

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Gripping tale of adventure and perseverance

this book was riveting from start to finish. I constantly wondered what would happen next and sometimes delayed whatever I was doing to finish a chapter. the narrator conveys the energy and adventure of the story brilliantly. I would recommend this book to anyone.

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Great read!

Surely one of the great adventures of all time. It is told with simplicity and passion.

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3 people found this helpful

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Fantastic!

This narrative is one of the best I've ever heard. It's so easy to imagine and visualise the drama and scenery! The unbelieveable bravery that the human spirit is capable of and can endure, but it's a true story!
I am on my third go-round listening.

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  • Max
  • 2019-02-25

Compelling adventure story, albeit slow in places

You will never look at a cold winter night the same again after listening to this book. The author paints a harrowing picture of survival for Shackleton and his men on the Antarctic ice, and one can only marvel that humans were able to survive such an ordeal of unimaginable hardship.

Listened to it with my kids and they did, admittedly, lose interest and bail on it. The middle hours of the book entail long, repetitive descriptions of ice and toil. Stay with it, though, as the epilogue is worth it. I would appreciate knowing what happened after the story in this book ended. I’ll have to look it up now online.

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Excellent and inspirational account

Excellent and inspirational account of Shackleton and his crew. So many great lessons on endurance, resilience, leadership, and teamwork. Really enjoyed the steady and solid narration. I would definitely recommend.

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best. story ever

hands down the best book I've ever listened to from audible. 10/10! history, survival and an all around amazing true story.

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  • Max
  • 2020-04-25

AWESOME ADVENTURE!

Listened to it straight through while driving on my own adventure. The ending brought me to tears.

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Really great, worth a listen.

A really well delivered story. I can't imagine how the author created such a cohesive narrative from diaries, but it turned out really great.

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Easily the best survival story I’ve ever heard

An unimaginable journey of survival in the face of abject psychological darkness. I’ll never forget it.

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  • Thomas Allen
  • 2008-09-17

The best book I've had

I just walked into the house after sitting in my Jeep in the driveway to finish off the last half-hour or so of this incredible book. Strangely enough, I couldn't wait for the book to be over, not because the book wasn't outstanding, but because I just wanted the trials and ordeals of these unfortunate but heroic men to be over. And as the story came into the last chapter and epilogue, I found myself almost brought to tears several times. At the risk of sounding ridiculously sentimental, this book brought into sharp contrast many of my own shortcomings and made me want to work to become a stronger and better person. I wonder if I would have survived.

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287 people found this helpful

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  • David
  • 2014-01-19

Superb in so many ways

This is unquestionably the most amazing tale of men against the elements that I have ever read or heard, and it is told remarkably well by Lansing who draws artfully from the actual diary entries of the participants without ever reducing the narrative to a dry progression of quotes. His ability to bring the harrowing conditions and landscape, the fascinating array of characters, and the grueling sequence of challenges and hairsbreadth escapes into sharp and riveting focus is quite extraordinary. Simon Prebble is a perfect match for the fine writing. He audibly sorts out the personalities involved and presents the whole with an understated but charged clarity which keeps the narrative moving even through what could seem like a never ending and tedious progression of disasters in the voice of a lesser reader.

Of course the real stars here are Shackleton and the men under his command who prove themselves capable of feats of courage, endurance and simple, stubborn determination which almost surpass belief. Ordinary and flawed in so many ways, they come together to become much more than the sum of their individual qualities.

In the end, the most fascinating part of this story is the long and torturous series of life and death choices involved. Time after time Shackleton's decisions are crucial to the party's survival, whether the question is when to abandon the pack ice for the boats, when to kill the dogs, when to allow the party to split, or how to get to the bottom of a nearly vertical snowbound precipice in order to avoid freezing at high altitude (think Butch Cassidy and Sundance). Nature is an implacable adversary for these men, marshaling countless terrifying storms, thirst, cold, hunger, completely unpredictable ice and long weeks of winter darkness against them and time after time crushing hope just as it seems most justified. Perhaps the most extraordinary decision of all, under the circumstances, was the choice each of them made to simply keep on keeping on when it seemed to make no sense

Finally, while this tale is exhausting in some ways, it is also deeply inspiring and satisfying. And Lansing and Prebble have given us the wonderful opportunity to "experience" it all while sitting in comfort and safety. Almost doesn't seem fair, but I strongly urge you to take advantage of the offer.

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181 people found this helpful

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  • russell
  • 2008-12-09

Endurance

I usually never write a review but because this book was so good I had to say something about it. From the beginning to the end the story was very interesting and more because it was true. I think Hollywood should read this book and make a movie out of it instead of the garbage that they make today in Hollywood. You cannot imagine the hardships that these men suffered and the courage that they had don't miss this one you won't be sorry

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108 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Jennie
  • 2008-12-12

Unbelievably riveting!

I could not stop listening to this absolutely amazing story- I listened to the whole 13 hours and 59 minutes in the course of 2 days! It is intense, well written, and Simon Prebble is, in my opinion, the best narrator on earth. I highly recommend this audiobook!!

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74 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Jane
  • 2010-01-27

Inspiration

A magnificent book and well read. An extraordinary adventure which reveals the range of human capacities for endurance, teamwork, innovation, care for others, compassion and bravery. Bravery, bravery, bravery. It is almost impossible to comprehend the level of persistence shown by these stranded Antarctic explorers as they sought to escape from their immensely dangerous, if not impossible, predicament.

By way of tragic contrast, on the other side of the world, World War I raged where thousands upon thousands of humans killed each other for reasons they were not sure of.

Endurance is an accessible glimpse into a side of human nature that might inspire people who are feeling directionless and lost.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Don Lance
  • 2008-09-11

Great comprehensive narrative

While there are other books that cover this famous expedition, this one seems to be very comprehensive and doesn't skip over a lot of details. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Kept my attention throughout the narrative, and I kept wondering how everyone in the expedition would survive such adversity.

I would give it 5 stars except I think the ending left me "hanging" a bit. I expected an epilogue or some type of follow-up with how the expedition members integrated back into society. (Or how society responded to their harrowing tale in the months/years that followed.) But it was not there.

I recommend it anyway for anyone who loves a great adventure story!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Angela
  • 2010-01-16

Amazing Adventure!

I read this book several years ago and was looking for a good book to listen to.

(The Help was so excellent it has raised my standards for audiobooks. I am finding it very difficult to listen to other books.)

Although I know the beginning, end and middle of the story, I am still anxious to finish it. I'm not sure how a book that has been already read can be suspenseful but it is.

The hardships that the men had to endure and how they faced it are amazing. The detail that the author included in the book is perfect - enough to understand the hardships and the backgrounds but not so much that it is boring and slow.

The narrator does an excellent job with pacing and with the different voices.

Excellent book!

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  • Gillian
  • 2014-01-27

Now THIS is Edge-Of-Your-Seat Storytelling!

Where does Endurance rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Endurance is, quite possibly, the best of all my audiobooks. You know how the story's going to turn out, but it's still a breathless journey through a nightmare of a situation. I kept finding myself shouting, "Shackleton!" throughout my day, much to my husband's dismay. But you're so immersed, you can't help but drag it through your current existence. Recently on PBS, they've shown "Chasing Shackleton," but the journey of those men is as nothing to Shackleton and his men's situation. And the show has swelling background music that the audiobook doesn't need to convey drama or severity. Extraordinary. And Simon Prebble's narration is flawless in his delivery. Who else could deliver subtle variations in voice, tone, pacing that the story hinges on, like he can here?

What did you like best about this story?

I liked that, though I knew about the history of their quest and their plight, I certainly didn't know the specifics of their ordeal. This audiobook flows like only the best literature can. It's an edge-of-your-seat read/listen and you will find yourself blown away by the tenacity of the men, and by their resourcefulness.

Which scene was your favorite?

I particularly enjoyed the way the men kept a semblance of "normalcy" in horrific circumstances. Who else, but Shackleton, would encourage cheer and playfulness on Christmas. And there's one part, during the daring voyage to St. George, where, after brutal, bitter conditions, the men are so relieved by the minor, minor lifting of terrifying weather, that they're joyful, and they seem like they're out for a jaunt, picnickers on a spring day. I stopped all my sniveling about cold weather after I got through that scene.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Oh, I had extreme reactions all over the place. THIS is what a five-star audiobook is! Utter transportation to somewhere I had no idea ever existed. You feel the joy of the men, their resignation. You feel their fear, and you come to love some of them so much, you feel fear for them. Exhilarating, I tell you!

Any additional comments?

Spend your credit on this book, buy it outright, whatever! Just give yourself the gift to this wonderful journey and enjoy! You'll be thinking of it long after you're finished listening.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Carpe Diem
  • 2009-12-09

Enthralling

A thrill ride to hell and back. Excitingly written and narrated. I almost felt like I was there. Just when you think their situation can't get any more desperate, it does.

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  • Jim "The Impatient"
  • 2014-04-05

Cold

Wherever you are, before listening, put on a heavy coat, it is going to get cold. I don't listen to many history books, preferring to listen to historical fiction. This has enough drama and adventure to not need any fiction. This is a true story written so well, that you will feel you are there. Dan Simmons wrote a similar historical fantasy fiction about a ship trapped in the artic for over two years. It was good, but not as good as this. This was written in 1959 and will be just as good 100 years from now.

I would like to say this was adventure when adventure meant something, but I was never convinced that crossing the continent of Antarctica was important and it seems they were mainly doing it to be famous and to not have the work the rest of their lives.

Mr. Prebble is the gentleman narrator and no one else good have been picked to read this.

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  • Damn
  • 2020-07-27

wow! "unpausable" even though I knew the ending

Epic story of survival beautifully written in 1959 with excellent narration. Warning: emotionally draining! I'm so relieved to have finished it

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