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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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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
Fantastic daily accounts of the events leading up to that historic dain March 2022. You develop a bond with the crew, the ice and indeed Shaklton himself through his thoughts and poetry. Shackleton is an inspiration to us all who endeavour to conquer.

Wonderfully insightful! Loved it!

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The most fantastic book for all those who are fascinated by the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton. Beautifully written and thought provoking. Mensun Bound is an exceptional story teller. Thank you.

A Polar Triumph

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This is a beautifully written and riveting account of discovery. Interlaced with historical fact, poetry, grounded intelligence and research. This book held my attention from beginning to end.

Beautifully written historical and contemporary account

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Having just finished South this is an excellent follow up book and it’s well written and fascinating insight into how a wreck is discovered

Fascinating Story

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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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