Setting sail as World War I broke out in Europe, the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, led by renowned polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, hoped to become the first to cross the Antarctic continent. Weaving a treacherous path through the freezing Weddell Sea, the Endurance was trapped fast in the drifting ice pack. Soon the ship was crushed like matchwood, leaving the crew stranded on the floes – a desperate and impossible situation. Their ordeal would last for twenty months, and they would make two near-fatal attempts to escape by open boat before their final rescue. Caroline Alexander constructs the expedition’s character through its personalities – the cast of veteran explorers, scientists, and crew. Melding superb research and the extraordinary expedition photography of Hurley, The Endurance is a stunning work of history, adventure, and art that chronicles “one of the greatest epics of survival in the annals of exploration.” The crew’s heroic struggle to stay alive was a miracle achieved largely through Shackleton’s inspiring leadership, “a leader who put his men first.” Throughout the grueling ordeal, Shackleton and his men show what endurance and greatness are all about. The Endurance is a most intimate portrait of an expedition and of survival.