Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage
Book by Alfred Lansing
Book Review by Syed Nasir Ali Naqvi (B.S. Physics from SNS, NUST. Class of 2024)
March 5th, 2022, a research expedition initiated by the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust (FMHT) accomplished its objective when the researchers at SA Agulhas II used submersible cameras to identify a shipwreck 3008m under the Weddell Sea. The polar geographer in charge of the expedition claimed; “We have successfully completed the world’s most difficult shipwreck search, battling constantly shifting sea ice, blizzards, and temperatures dropping down to -18C. We have achieved what many people said was impossible.” Meticulously preserved by the cold Antarctic waters, the cameras clearly displayed the hull of the ship teeming with marine life, one could distinguish the sea anemones, sponges, and urchins infesting the wooden craftsmanship all the while the name ENDURANCE remained prominent & intact. But the question arises, what made this 107-year-old shipwreck so special?
Tales of human suffering and sacrifice for a cause greater than oneself, are as old as time itself. The sacrificial legends from mythologies, the heroics of folklore, or the triumphs in national conflicts are all too common. However, the story of Ernest Shackleton and his crew of 27 men stands out from the rest for two major reasons. Firstly, the Endurance expedition was a survival story of 28 men surviving, for up to 2 years, the most hostile environment our planet had to offer. Secondly, the crew at Endurance’s primal motive for embarking on such a perilous voyage was their commitment to scientific exploration, meanwhile, their ultimate resolve for survival was the opportunity to live and tell the story.
The original goal that Ernest Shackleton intended was the circumnavigation of the Antarctic continent, however, the mission failed in October 1915 when the Endurance became trapped in ice which wrapped around the vessel and crushed it over a period of ten months before it finally sank. The expedition was abandoned and Shackleton’s goal became to ensure the safe exit of his crew members, little did he know, this was about to become possibly the greatest story of human endurance ever recorded, whilst Shackleton was to become a timeless model for leadership in challenging times. Enduring six-month polar nights, camping on delicate ice floes, crossing the turbulent polar seas on lifeboats, and traversing a mountainous island for the first and only time, all might be remarkable achievements on their own, but they all happened on one such odyssey, with that being just the tip of the iceberg. An account like this could very well be considered too absurd for fiction, which it was, as much as it was real, impeccably recorded by the men whose unwavering scientific spirit could not be shaken despite what nature threw at them.
Now, Alfred Lansing, in his book recollects from the diaries and logbooks of the crew and immaculately stitches their individual narratives to present an objective overview of the expeditions’ development. The diverse backgrounds of the numerous sailors on the Endurance provide Lansing the facility to cover all essential aspects needed to compose a rigorous scientific history, a promise which he delivers flawlessly. At times this may lead to a rather monotonic prose which may put off the average reader accustomed to fiction. Nonetheless, this offers the story a flavor of ‘real-ness’ which makes it a unique experience for the reader, consequently enhancing the tension and risk associated with the story at all times.
Having said that, the domain where Alfred Lansing’s portrayal of the journey shines out is the human aspect of the story. The ad-verbatim quotations of crew members and their day-to-day episodes create a sense of optimism throughout the book despite the pessimistic nature of their ordeal. This apparent conundrum has been silently attributed to the leadership skills of Shackleton, that is, while never stated clearly amongst dialogues, the message is conveyed without the need to read between the lines. With regard to all that, Lansing’s writing helps create an attachment to the characters involved, which is quite alien to the genres of nonfiction as a whole. Accustomed to traditional media, I was always expecting a casualty to happen at any given moment, fortunately (and astoundingly), this wasn’t the case, a delightful relief.
By the time one finishes the book, he/she is guaranteed to feel a cogent sense of ecstasy, one which accompanies those who finish a life-changing piece of fiction. In a sense, the sentiment is stronger for those already invested in the pursuit of science (or knowledge generally), for in our society, there is a financial opportunity cost attributed to striving for careers in science which puts a lot of young minds in a dilemma skewed against the thrill of science and learning. To that end, Shackleton & his crew stand as exemplars for aspirants of science, as the struggles they encountered for the sake of learning are far greater than what an average person can grasp, let alone overcome.