Endurance

An Epic of Polar Adventure

By: F.A. Worsley, Patrick O’Brian - preface

Narrated by: Michael Page

The legendary tale of Ernest Shackleton's grueling Antarctic expedition, recounted in riveting first-person detail by the captain of HMS Endurance.

"You seriously mean to tell me that the ship is doomed?" asked Frank Worsley, commander of the Endurance, stuck impassably in Antarctic ice packs. "What the ice gets," replied Sir Ernest Shackleton, the expedition's unflappable leader, "the ice keeps." It did not, however, get the ship's twenty-five crew members, all of whom survived an eight-hundred-mile voyage across sea, land, and ice to South Georgia, the nearest inhabited island.

First published in 1931, Endurance tells the full story of that doomed 1914-1916 expedition and incredible rescue, as well as relating Worsley's further adventures fighting U-boats in the Great War, sailing the equally treacherous waters of the Arctic, and making one final (and successful) assault on the South Pole with Shackleton. It is a tale of unrelenting high adventure and a tribute to one of the most inspiring and courageous leaders of men in the history of exploration.

©1931 The Estate of F.A. Worsley; Introduction copyright 1999 by Patrick O’Brian (P)2023 Tantor

The skipper

Beginning a little slow. Best parts were about Worsley’s perspective and the kinship of sailors.

Captivating

This personal account of the Endurance expedition and those who engaged in this endeavor is among the best accounts I have ever read. The activities of some of the participants of the expedition after their return to England and their participation in WWI and after are inspiring. Highly recommend.

Best narration possible for this

Engaging, almost all the way through. A bit of a lul compared to the rest of the account toward the end, but none the less an impressive account of - dare I say it - endurance. A fun and inspiring read.

Incredible story!

I loved the subtle humor and the stories of suffering and perseverance made me appreciate how easy my life has been - even if I previously thought otherwise.