The Earnest Shackleton Expedition

[cbo111]

How did I miss this amazing story of survival? The Earnest Shackleton expedition to navigate the South Pole in the early 1900's. Their ship was crushed by the ice due to early cold temps and what followed was incredible. And they had a photographer on board to capture tons of film. Its about 25 minutes long but well worth the time.

 

[marko]

It is an amazing story! If it wasn't true it would be unbelievable.

 

[Red Badger]

I studied "Mr. Earnest" in my MBA program (leadership course). When he went back to Antarctica, many of the original crew accompanied him. One of a kind for all ages.

 

[Midpack]

A truly incredible story, glad you discovered it.

 

[ohyes]

A few years ago I read a rather dark historical fiction book about Charles Dickens and a young affair partner. He met her during the production of The Frozen Deep, a play about the Shackleton expedition. I was continually Googling truth vs. fiction while reading that book....about Shackleton, his wife, the search for him (as well as Dickens' life)

Truly unbelievable.

 

[travelover]

And they didn't lose a single man.

 

[Scuba]

There was a great exhibit on this at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, CA last year. Very interesting.

 

[Crabby Mike]

I recommend the book "Endurance" about Shackleton's amazing expedition. I read that and "Into Thin Air" (about a tragic Everest expedition) back-to-back a few years ago, and felt like a total wimp for complaining about winter weather in the mid-Atlantic coast. But two of the best, and most engrossing, nonfiction books I've ever read.

 

[Philliefan33]

I recommend the book "Endurance" about Shackleton's amazing expedition. I read that and "Into Thin Air" (about a tragic Everest expedition) back-to-back a few years ago, and felt like a total wimp for complaining about winter weather in the mid-Atlantic coast. But two of the best, and most engrossing, nonfiction books I've ever read.

I agree. Two of my favorites.

 

[Ready2Go]

I agree. Two of my favorites.

Plus1. Excellent books!

 

[Bestwifeever]

Thanks so much for posting this—I sent it to my friend whose two little guys are crazy about Shackleton but had not seen this video, so I got major thanks from them!

 

[Sunset]

In this vein of thought, I recommend reading about:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_voyage_of_the_Karluk

There is a book written by one of the fellows on the actual expedition
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5036428-karluk

 

[imoldernu]

Another fascinating story about a graduate of my school... some years before Shackleton's adventures.

Admiral Peary 1856-1920 First man to reach the North Pole.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Peary

Many museums and individual histories. Here's one from the school:

Polar Pathways: Peary's Arctic Expeditions

It was big part of our lives what with the museum on campus.

 

[athena53]

If you ever get to Scotland...

I was in Edinburgh last year and had selected Dunblane as a day trip but in one of those delightful examples of the joys of independent travel, I noticed the city listed after Dunblane in the guidebook- Dundee. The ship Discovery is there, nicely-refurbished, along with a very good museum. (Discovery was built in Dundee.) It was an easy train ride from Edinburgh. I'd read a history of Antarctic exploration and changed my plans immediately.

I highly recommend it- you pretty much have the run of the ship after you exit the museum; Shackleton's and Scott's staterooms are still intact, with name plates. Wow. Bonus: a branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum opened up that day within walking distance. Lines were long so I didn't try and see that, too.

And, in an example of changing times, I went to Paris a couple of days later and opened a French magazine that had an ad for luxury cruises to Antarctica with the Ponant line. The illustration showed a nicely-dressed couple enjoying a gourmet meal with views of ice from all the windows. The woman was wearing a sleeveless dress. What a contrast from the early exploration, when Shackleton and some crew went on a 95-day sledge expedition without changing clothes.

I had to look up the cost, of course. 10,000 Euros per person, double occupancy excluding airfare to/from Argentina.

 

[candrew]

I recommend the book "Endurance" about Shackleton's amazing expedition. I read that and "Into Thin Air" (about a tragic Everest expedition)

About 20 years ago, I had the privilege of meeting Beck Weathers, one of the climbers on that fateful Everest expedition. The guy was left for dead on the mountain slope several times and his survival is a testament to incredible fortitude.

 

[Koogie]

You should also read about Robert Falcon Scotts Antarctic expedition as well (Captain Oates in particular)

"I am just going outside and may be some time"


Men were made from something different, and harder, in those times.


I have met Sir Ranulph Fiennes, who is probably the closest we come in this day and age (search: "Fiennes & fret saw" to be suitably horrified)

 

[sengsational]

I was immersed in the various historical south polar explorations back in 2002 when I visited Antarctica. I read books, watched documentaries, attended lectures. Fascinating stuff.

 

[TromboneAl]

Great video, thanks!

I'm going to read Endurance again, and I'm currently reading The Worst Journey in the World because my next book will take place in Antarctica (a maguffin is hidden there).

I wanted to have dog teams, but no animals are allowed on the continent.

Google maps is almost unusable, because the map spins when you change zoom.

Here's a new, hi-res map.

This is the journey that will take place in my book (that's the Weddell sea at the top, where Endurance got stuck):

Other related videos:

 

[Trooper]

Thanks for posting, cbo111. Had never head of this journey but now I'm going to look up the book. True fortitude and leadership.

 

[travelover]

I'd just add that the details of the Lewis and Clark expedition are also quite incredible. A great book on that topic is Undaunted Courage.

 

[SecondCor521]

About 20 years ago, I had the privilege of meeting Beck Weathers, one of the climbers on that fateful Everest expedition. The guy was left for dead on the mountain slope several times and his survival is a testament to incredible fortitude.

Agreed. He wrote a book about the experience which I thought was pretty good.

 

[CoastboundPNW]

A subject near and dear to my heart. Loved Endurance and have also read more than a few books on early arctic exploration. Especially interested in the Franklin expedition and the many subsequent explorations which were sent to shed light on the possible fate of the men who served on the HMS Erebus and the HMS Terror. The wood desk in the Oval Office is made from wood claimed from the HMS Resolute, which is one of the ships sent in 1850 to find the Franklin expedition. The Erebus and Terror were both recently found - the story keeps unfolding!

 

[TromboneAl]

I recall reading, in one of those early accounts, that one group would use someone as bait, and then when a leopard seal—they called them sea leopards—came out to attack the person, they'd shoot it.

Others have disputed that.

Anyone know what book has that in it?

 

[braumeister]

A subject near and dear to my heart. Loved Endurance and have also read more than a few books on early arctic exploration. !

Visited the Fram polar ship museum in Oslo last month. Just incredible how sturdy that wooden ship was. Since it made both Arctic and Antarctic expeditions, it had to be. The crew was pretty damn tough too!

 

[travelover]

I recall reading, in one of those early accounts, that one group would use someone as bait, and then when a leopard seal—they called them sea leopards—came out to attack the person, they'd shoot it.

Others have disputed that.

Anyone know what book has that in it?

Dunno, found this:

Perce Blackborow not only stowed away aboard the Endurance, but also was the smallest member of the expedition.

He was so slight in stature that he could be mistaken for an emperor penguin by a cruising leopard seal. So after the Endurance became trapped in the pack ice,whenever meat and blubber ran low, the hunting parties used Perce as live "bait."

He would stand close to the edge of a flow and attract the attention of a leopard seal, by waddling like a penguin, and when the seal shot up onto the ice, the other hunters would quickly dispatch it with their rifles.

It was a risky proposition, as leopard seals grow to a length of 9-10 feet, weigh over 800 pounds, and fear nothing but killer whales.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/30121-stowaway-used-as-bait