A few things I liked or thoughts I had about this book:
*When Shackleton bought the boat he christened it"Endurance" after the Shackleton family motto "Fortitudine vincimus" (By endurance we conquer). Great motto. We need a family motto.
*The food: Seal steak, penguin hoosh, dog pemmican, warm milk. So yuck. A blubber stove. Incredible.
Also noticed that food was often used to raise morale and restore health. Of course in our day we have an over abundance of food which is a problem, and in their case they were very near starving on a few occasions, but in both cases, a good meal can raise spirits and help bring people together.
*Journals: This story could never have been told without the journals of the men. Some of the men keep amazing records with great detail. Without them the book could have only been an essay. The story would have still been astounding but the details would have been lost. Reminded me of the value of journal keeping. Also, I am amazing with all the sloshing about in the snow and water that the journals remained intact.
*Exploration: The 1800 and 1900's are replete with stories of expeditions both inspiring and tragic. Entire crews were lost, marooned, killed on numerous expeditions exploring the heights and depths of the globe. There has always been a magnificent race to the top of the mountain, furthest and most desolate locations. Maps have been made, oceans have been explored, and every inch of the plant has been exploited for anything beneficial to humans. As we discussed the book with the kids, they often asked, "Why are they even going to Antarctica? What is the point of this trip?" It is amazing to me, the desire of men to explore the world we live on, and the worlds around us. This desire to explore has moved to the space program in our lifetime. The desire to learn more and travel, and conquer all around us, is a universal trait of civilization.
*Leadership, luck or God's will: With so many expeditions with poor outcomes and loss of life, it is truly remarkable that everyone on this expedition survived. Even though the reason for the expedition, which was to cross Antarctica on foot, was abandoned when the ship got stuck and then crushed in an ice pack, Shakelton was called a hero upon his return home to England because everyone in his party survived. (Contrast that to Scott who completed his mission and then everyone died on the way home). Was it really Shakelton's leadership or courage that made a difference in the outcome? I believe he was an excellent leader, chose his team well, gave it his all. Shakelton did not sugar coat the intensity and danger of the trip. When he advertised to get men on his crew, his add read: "men wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, safe return doubtful, honor and recognition in case of success" That being said, Shakelton was entirely optimistic and had full confidence that they would be successful. Every time a new disaster occurred, Shakelton changed the plan but never gave up. His men all obeyed him and trusted him. It was an amazing study in leadership. I have heard there are leadership courses based on Earnest Shakelton. He took it upon himself to be sure that every man on his crew returned home alive. That was his mission.
However, I do think there was some luck or God's grace that kept them alive. Shakelton crossed the most treacherous stretch of ocean on the globe in a tiny little boat barely fit for sailing, which was nothing short of a miracle. At another point in the book, when completely desperate because they were caught up in a high altitude in the evening, Shakelton and two men sled down a foggy mountain not knowing if there was a cliff, lake, or other hazards waiting for them at the bottom. Lucky for them they crashed into a snow bank instead of something that would kill them. This mixture of daring, leadership, teamwork and luck was something I thought about during the book. There was never mention of God but I wonder what his role in this expedition was.
"difficulties are just things to overcome, that's all" -Shakelton
*Listening with the kids: Since I knew from the get-go that this book was one without cannibalism or other tragic deaths, and I had been telling the kids a lot about the story as it got going, I decided one day to let the kids listen as we drove across town for a Dr. appointment 30 minutes away. Of course, it was my bad luck that it was just then that Shakelton ordered the dogs be killed since they were not needed for the land travel they had originally planned and they could not afford to keep feeding the dogs or they would starve. The kids had to listen as Shakelton ordered the team captain for each dog team (save two) to go a distance away and shoot the dogs one by one. They were shocked and sad. I learned my lesson and didn't let them listen anymore, which is a good thing because they eventually had to eat the remaining dogs. I'm not sure the girls could have endured that.
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