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The Ship Beneath the Ice

Sunday Times Bestseller - The Gripping Story of Finding Shackleton's Endurance

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The Ship Beneath the Ice

By: Mensun Bound
Narrated by: Charles Armstrong
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About this listen

SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
BLACKWELL'S NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH


The extraordinary story of how the Endurance, Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship, was found in the most hostile sea on Earth in 2022

On 21 November 1915, Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship, Endurance, finally succumbed to the crushing ice. Its crew watched in silence as the stern rose twenty feet in the air and then, it was gone. The miraculous escape and survival of all twenty-eight men on board have entered legend. And yet, the iconic ship that bore them to the brink of the Antarctic was considered forever lost.

A century later, an audacious plan to locate the ship was hatched. The Ship Beneath the Ice gives a blow-by-blow account of the two epic expeditions to find the Endurance. As with Shackleton’s own story, the voyages were filled with intense drama and teamwork under pressure. In March 2022, the Endurance was finally found to headlines all over the world.

Written by Mensun Bound, the Director of Exploration on both expeditions, this captivating narrative includes countless fascinating stories of Shackleton and his legendary ship. Complete with a selection of Frank Hurley’s photos from Shackleton’s original voyage in 1914–17, as well as from the expeditions in 2019 and 2022, The Ship Beneath the Ice is the perfect tribute to this monumental discovery.

Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Engineering Maritime History & Piracy World Polar Region Discovery

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Critic reviews

As thrilling as any tale from the heroic age of exploration . . . Bound’s account is a triumph. The storytelling is piano-wire taut, the writing saturated with polar moodiness
Bound has a natural flair for storytelling and his narrative cracks along with the pace of a well-crafted thriller . . . Captivating and engrossing (Mail on Sunday)
The story of Shackleton’s Endurance is one of the most extraordinary in the history of exploration. This is more than just an astonishing sequel. It is a tale just as powerful, and one which redefines the meaning of impossible (Sir Michael Palin)
Gloriously written . . . Written with the verve of a thriller, Bound's narrative deftly weaves together his voyages and Shackleton's . . . Bound is blessed with a poet's ear for richly evocative language (Times Literary Supplement)
The juxtaposition of the original Shackleton expedition with the quest to find the wreck of the Endurance is utterly compelling (Professor Alice Roberts, Sunday Times bestseller author of Ancestors and TV Presenter)
Utterly spellbinding and a rollercoaster of a story. This gripping tale of international collaboration at its best oozes the steely resolve of a modern explorer and is a massive accolade to all involved in bringing the Endurance back into our lives (Pippa Wordie, granddaughter of James Wordie, the geologist and chief scientist on the Endurance)
An enthralling tale of an extraordinary venture which brings Shackleton’s epic story bang up to the present day (Camilla Nichol, Chief Executive, UK Antarctic Heritage Trust)
Bound's passion . . . for the most unexplored geography on Earth is evident on every page. His writing blends the required scientific explanations with what touches on poetry . . . Captivating
Mensun Bound tells [his] story with passion and flair . . . Evocative
An acclaimed book (Observer)
Remarkable . . . Bound’s account has a bittersweet intensity (The Australian)
All stars
Most relevant
This is a fabulous account of pursuing a dream, never giving up, and life and discovery in extreme environments. Mensun Bound is a wonderful storyteller and you will feel strangely connected to him, the crew, Shackleton and his party, and amazingly your contemporary humans and our fragile planet, by the time this sadly ends.

One of the very best listens/reads.

Immerse yourself in determination and brilliance

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Fabulous account of an interesting search. Dropped one star for the weird phrasing of the narrator in parts, but didn’t spoil the adventure.

Brilliant storytelling.

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The stories of both Shackleton’s and the author’s expeditions are in themselves,extraordinary. But, for me at least, so is the skill of the author when he conveys not only the physical challenges and the physical power and grandeur of the Antarctic but also the mental challenges of daily life there. His passion for and knowledge of his subject are beautifully communicated throughout. Once started it is a difficult book to put down.

A superb book

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This is an amazing absorbing account of Antarctic archaeology and perseverance, beautifully written and well worth your time. Just undone by a glib and upbeat voice that is sadly unsuited to the content.

It reduces a story that is engaging, and at times harrowing to a 90’s PowerPoint presentation. This author deserves better than this. The publisher should have asked that he read it himself, as the forward is the only part read with any genuine feeling.

Buy, but buy a paper copy and enjoy it.

Stunning book, ruined by terrible narration.

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having already listened to Shackletons endeavour book I was excited about endeavours discovery. very well researched and excellent narration. Two stories in one book.

Shackleton

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