How long does it take to read Endurance?

The reading time for Endurance varies depending on the reader's pace. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

Who is the author of Endurance?

Alfred Lansing is the author of Endurance.

Management & Leadership

Endurance Book Summary - Endurance Book explained in key points

Listen to the Intro

00:00

Endurance summary

Name: Endurance
Rating: 4.7 (283 reviews)
Author: Alfred Lansing

Alfred Lansing

Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

4.7 (283 ratings)

22 mins

Brief summary

Endurance by Alfred Lansing is a true story about Ernest Shackleton’s expedition to Antarctica. The book highlights the team’s incredible resilience and courage in the face of extreme conditions and provides lessons in leadership and teamwork.

Topics

Leadership Biographies European History Adventure

Table of Contents

Endurance
Summary of 7 key ideas

Audio & text in the Blinkist app

Key idea 1 of 7

What’s in it for me? Discover the resilience of the human spirit in a story all the more unbelievable for being true.

There are few true tales more astonishing than the one of Ernest Shackleton, his legendary leadership, and his courage in the face of overwhelming odds to bring his expedition crew back to civilization. It’s a nail-biting story about a race against time – and the limits of human endurance just to make it out alive.

In this Blink to Alfred Lansing’s Endurance, you’ll discover why a failed expedition has become a hallowed tale of brilliant leadership and astounding courage.

Into the ice world

Before embarking upon the Endurance voyage, Sir Ernest Shackleton was already famous for attempting to be the first person to reach the South Pole for the British Empire. With just three companions in his team, they had to turn back a mere 100 miles from their destination when a lack of food became life-threatening. Their return journey became a race against death itself.

Beating the odds, Shackleton’s return to England met with a hero’s welcome. He wrote a book and went on popular speaking tours. But by 1911 he was already planning a new expedition – this time to cross the Antarctic continent overland on the Endurance.

The plan was as sophisticated as it was audacious. He would set off by ship with a carefully selected crew to the treacherous Weddell Sea, and land a party of six men who would trek overland with sled dog teams. At the same time, a second ship would set off from the Ross Sea almost directly across the continent from Shackleton. This team would lay provisions for the overland team on the far side of the continent, resupplying them for the journey past the pole.

The Endurance set sail from Buenos Aires the morning of October 26, 1914 for its last port of call – a remote whaling station on South Georgia Island off the southern coast of South America. The local whalers were curious about the expedition’s plans, knowing the conditions in the Weddell Sea were the worst they’d seen in years.

They knew that the ice which formed in the sea was held in place by land on three sides: Antarctica itself, the Palmer Peninsula, and South Sandwich Island. Ice floes in the Weddell Sea churned in a circle following the current, endlessly grinding against one another. Sometimes they joined up to create a massive shelf of ice that no ship could navigate. New ice formed even in the summer, and the light but relentless winds weren’t strong enough to break them up.

Despite this bleak news, Shackleton gave the order to sail on the morning of December 5, 1914 – just a few weeks before the start of the Antarctic summer. By December 7, they were passing remote Saunders Island in the South Sandwich group and navigating through large clusters of ice. For nearly two weeks, the Endurance sailed around icebergs a mile wide. At times, the boat crashed right through enormous ice packs, but it managed to remain undamaged.

The plan was to reach the Antarctic shore by the end of December, but in two weeks they’d barely moved. The Endurance averaged just 30 miles a day – not the expected 200 – and some days, the ice was just too thick to move at all. And any progress meant even more churning, swelling, and crushing ice around them.

There was ice everywhere – as far as the eye could see. But instead of a desolate landscape, they found it teeming with life.

Stuck

As summer approached, the sunlight was constant. But they were still more than 200 miles away from actual land. All around them, ice floes made navigation impossible, and the goal became simply to keep the ship from becoming encased in the encroaching ice. The larger bergs provided shelter from the near constant gales that built up and blew from all directions.

As they picked their way from one patch of open water to another, they couldn’t help but be astonished by the life they encountered everywhere. Fin, humpback, and blue whales peeked through the ice floes. Orcas stalked the abundant life on the ice, where seals and penguins frolicked and lounged – and eyed the Endurance with open curiosity as it sailed past. Overhead, countless albatross, petrels, and terns squawked and dove and gobbled up the endless supply of fish below the ice.

Castaways

By 1915, only a few Europeans had attempted to survive the endless darkness of a polar winter. Some had died during the infinite nights, long before they were ever found. Other expeditions had caused madness, with survivors despairing so deeply that they never recovered.

Despite this, members of the Endurance crew showed few signs of depression as Antarctic winter approached. If anything, it brought them closer. A motley crew by anyone’s standards, this diverse band of men had been carefully vetted by Shackleton, who had a sixth sense when it came to character.

Into the water

Life aboard ship had been relatively comfortable, but surviving in tents on exposed ice was another thing entirely. The dogs of the expedition hardly saw a difference, but the crew now split up into tents that were carefully organized on the ice.

The first night, Shackleton didn’t even try to sleep. He paced the floe, listening to the pressure build and wondering how long the Endurance would be visible above the ice. Their home had become a broken shell.

Waiting

As November drew to a close, they’d been living on the ice for about a month. So far, they’d developed self-reliance and endurance beyond their wildest dreams. They’d long ago learned to survive, and their hunting skills were off the charts. All they could do was wait for the ice to split and take their tiny boats to the open sea. But wait as they might, the ice stayed solid.

By December 7, they realized they’d actually drifted backward a bit and had lost the progress they’d made walking. Later in the month, they decided to try and make westward progress on the ice again – so their sturdy campsite was struck, the sleds were loaded, and the men began lugging the small whalers in another slow pilgrimage.

Cracks

While the current had been blowing the crew toward land, it did them no good – they were trapped on the ice. All they could do was track their drift and decide where they might head when they found open water at last. In four months on this ice pack, they drifted past the safety of the Palmer Peninsula and headed dangerously close to the open ocean between South America and Antarctica, the dreaded Drake Passage.

But that was far from the only worry. The ocean waves were breaking up the ice under them. By the morning of April 10, their camp was on a piece of ice that measured just 120 by 90 yards. At noon that day, an enormous crack opened up in the middle. The order came to strike the tents, and the boats were readied. Just 40 minutes later, Shackleton gave the order to launch the boats.

Help

At 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon on May 20, 1916 the figures of three ragged men staggered into Stromness whaling station on South Georgia Island, sending up a cry from local boys and summoning the station foreman. He was puzzled, given this remote outpost never saw strangers and no ships had docked. As they came closer, he saw they were heavily bearded, threadbare and filthy, their faces blackened with soot from open fires. Signs of frostbite from nights spent in the mountainous cold of the island were clear, too.

“Would you please take us to Anton Anderson?” one of the strangers asked.

Want to see all full key ideas from Endurance?

Key ideas in Endurance

More knowledge in less time

Read or listen

Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.

Find your next read

Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.

Shortcasts ^New

We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

What is Endurance about?

Endurance (1959) is the epic saga of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s expedition across the Antarctic continent on foot – a journey that became a race against time, the elements, and the harshest climate on earth to rescue his crew.

Endurance Review

Endurance (1959) recounts the incredible true story of Sir Ernest Shackleton's ill-fated Antarctic expedition. Here's why this book is worth reading:

With remarkable courage and resilience, Shackleton and his crew face unimaginable hardships, making their story both awe-inspiring and humbling.
Through vivid descriptions and personal accounts, the book immerses readers in the harsh Antarctic environment, capturing the sense of both wonder and danger.
The tale of unyielding determination and the human spirit's triumph over adversity ensures that the book is anything but boring, leaving a lasting impact on its readers.

Who should read Endurance?

Leaders longing for real-world examples of extraordinary ability
History buffs craving a front-row seat to the action
Adventure lovers seeking their next armchair thrill ride

About the Author

Alfred Lansing was a Chicago-born journalist and author who is best known for Endurance.

Categories with Endurance

Management & Leadership History Biography & Memoir

Book summaries like Endurance

Into the Wild

Jon Krakauer

An unflinching account of the extraordinary life and death of Christopher McCandless

The Negotiating Tools That the Pros Don't Want You to Know

17 min

3.8

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Robert Pirsig

An Inquiry into Values

11 min

3.8

The Upside of Your Dark Side

Todd Kashdan and Robert Biswas-Diener

Why Being Your Whole Self – Not Just Your “Good” Self – Drives Success and Fulfillment

The Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook

An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

An uncommon guide to rapid fat-loss, incredible sex and becoming superhuman

One Boy’s Desire for Reinvention to Climb the Social Ladder

The Fall of Big Data and the Rise of the Blockchain Economy

The Tactics, Routines and Habits of Billionaires, Icons and World-Class Performers

A trip through time with a leading theoretical physicist

20 min

4.6

This Is Your Brain on Food

Uma Naidoo

A Guide to the Foods that Fight Depression, Anxiety, and More

17 min

Oversubscribed

Daniel Priestley

How to Get People Lining Up to Do Business with You

Explore the Epic Odyssey of This Towering 20th-Century Classic

14 min

4.3

Revenge of the Tipping Point

Malcolm Gladwell

Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering

The Creative’s Guide to Building a Business with Impact

Curiosity, Creativity, and Finding Your Life's Purpose

18 min

Long Walk to Freedom

Nelson Mandela

The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela

The Scientific Approach to Getting Healthier as You Get Older

The Hidden Life of Trees

Peter Wohlleben

What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World

A Practical Guide to Overcome Negativity and Better Manage Your Feelings

17 min

4.4

The Miracle of Mindfulness

Thich Nhat Hanh

An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation

My Life After the White House

19 min

3.6

In a Sunburned Country

Bill Bryson

Discover the delights of “down under”

34 min

4.5

The Eight Master Lessons of Nature

Gary Ferguson

What Nature Teaches Us About Living Well in the World

Transform Your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage

8 Steps to Find Your Awesome

A Guide for Occupants

A Brief History of Tomorrow

A Memoir Of The Cuban Missile Crisis

A Haunting Odyssey Through a Post-Apocalyptic World

The secret methods to getting what you want

Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days

Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

Why You Get More Done When You Work Less

18 min

4.5

Philosophical Investigations

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Explore a Groundbreaking Work in 20th-Century Philosophy

Collected works from the supreme theorist of the conscious

A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible

The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health

What the Rich Teach Their Kids about Money – That the Poor and the Middle Class Do Not!

29 min

4.5

Mastering Leadership

Robert J. Anderson and William A. Adams

An Integrated Framework for Breakthrough Performance and Extraordinary Business Results

Evolution and Consequences of Modern Carnivory

A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World

Self-Acceptance for Self-Critics and Perfectionists

17 min

4.3

Conversational Intelligence

Judith E. Glaser

How Great Leaders Build Trust and Get Extraordinary Results

19 min

4.2

The Kitchen Counter Cooking School

Kathleen Flinn

How a Few Simple Lessons Transformed Nine Culinary Novices into Fearless Home Cooks

30 min

4.3

Heal Your Gut, Save Your Brain

Partha Nandi

Five Pillars for Gut Health and Cognitive Optimization

18 min

4.4

People ❤️ Blinkist

Sven O.

It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

Thi Viet Quynh N.

Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

Jonathan A.

Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

Renee D.

Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.