Product Description
In August 1914 Sir Ernest Shackleton a renowned explorer set sail with 27 men on his ship THE ENDURANCE. His plan was to be the first expedition to cross the Antarctic continent. His ship was beset in heavy sea ice off the coast of Antarctica and was eventually crushed. Marooned on four feet of ice over 8000 foot deep water Shackleton and his crew survived some 635 days and nights without proper shelter or rations in some of the harshest conditions imaginable. Eventually by small boat and foot Shackleton was able to get to safety and then rescue his entire crew. THE ENDURANCE is considered by many experts to be the greatest of all adventures. Miraculously much of the original story was captured on film and in pictures by the ship's photographer. To make THE ENDURANCE the modern filmmakers went to all original locations to capture this astonishing story in color in one of the most remote motion picture shoots ever recorded.System Requirements:Running Time: 97 Min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. Rating: G UPC: 043396006874 Manufacturer No: 00687

Amazon.com
Several films have documented or dramatized the incredible saga of Ernest Shackleton's ill-fated trans-Antarctic expedition, but The Endurance offers the most comprehensive one-source reference. Originally presented as a PBS Nova special and narrated by Liam Neeson, this excellent film--based on Caroline Alexander's acclaimed book, also titled after the ironic name of Shackleton's doomed ship--chronicles the astonishing events of 1914-16, when Shackleton and 27 crewmen survived against all odds after their ship was crushed in the polar ice floes. This is the only "Shackleton" film to incorporate new footage, expert interviews, dramatic recreations (without dialogue), and expedition photographer Frank Hurley's archival film and photographs. The cumulative effect of this extensive material gives the viewer an almost palpable sense of the expedition's hardship and unlikely survival, made possible in part by a man who had precisely the required experience and leadership skills, and in part by what can only be described as divine intervention. No matter how you interpret it, this is rightly called "the greatest survival story ever told." --Jeff Shannon

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 5.0 based on 47 reviews)

Fantastic True Story on human will

The story of Shakelton's antarctic expedition is a fantastic look at human nature and what can be accomplished with strong teamwork and leadership. In a nutshell, a bad situation turned worse and a expedition to cross the antarctic turns into a battle for survival.

This version of the Shakelton Story starts out a little slow, but is well organized and keeps your interest. The fight for survival is thrilling and just gives me goose bumps just thinking about it. For those interested in human psychology, sociology, and human interaction this would be for you. I consider it a must watch.

The one thing I wish it had more of was information on what the crew did on elephant island. A PBS documentary was stronger in that regard over "The Endurance".

I highly recommend.

March 30, 2008

Shackleton - Still the Story of Stories

In the annals of exploration, there may be no greater story than Shackleton's. It is told with all the detail and none of the embellishment from which other chronicles suffer. You will feel the heartbreak and joy of perhaps the greatest adventure in Antarctic history. A great story superbly told on film!!
February 18, 2008

Excellent Shackleton Resource

This item, along with "Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure", are fantastic multi-media resources for a unit on Shackleton's fatefull expedition. These DVDs pair wonderfully with the book we cover with our seventh graders: "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong. Both are highly recommended for teachers as well as lovers of documentaries. The original photographs and film from expedition photographer Frank Hurley are amazing and really neat for the kids.
February 08, 2008

Some Losses Shine More Brightly Than A Dozen Victories

...to steal a line from Herodotus or some such ancient sage.

An ad appeared in the London Times in 1913:

"Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success. Ernest Shackleton."

5000 men applied. 27 were selected, and thus was born the Antarctic expedition led by one of the great leadership models of any age, Irishman Sir Ernest Shackleton. In fact, the expedition was slated to leave just as the Great War broke out. Shackleton offered himself and his men to the war effort but was instructed to be about his voyage to the south. And so they took off on their ship, The Endurance, skippered by Captain Worsely. This was quite a crew; they turned around to pick up the carpenter's cat when it fell overboard.

Once they arrived in the Antarctic area, they started working their icebreaker ship through the floes, but ended up getting stuck. As the ice locked them in and attempts to free themselves failed, Shackleton simply and calmly told his men that they'd have to winter there. And so they did. Shackleton was well aware of other ships in similar conditions where the crews had descended into madness. He scheduled work projects, periods of reward and entertainment, kept an eye on morale and quickly dealt with behaviors that threatened team integrity. He worked alongside his men, and reminded them that they were more important than the expedition. Despite months of fighting the battering, shifting ice, the crew eventually lost The Endurance. They abandoned ship, and found themselves homeless on the ice. At that point, Shackleton told the men that they were simply now going home.

The rest and best parts of the story are the various scenes as Shackleton manages himself and his men in the efforts to get home.

This documentary benefits from the beautiful narrative skills of actor Liam Neeson in his native Irish accent. The footage, re-enactments and still shots support the story without distracting from it. Numerous experts and survivors' descendants offer their contributions to the film.

Shackleton was a great leader of men, but struggled with things like being a husband. He recognized his inability to submit to a standard family life. He was just wired differently. He sought and - in the end - received public greatness. Shackleton's greatest contribution may be in what he teaches us about managing other people.
February 06, 2008

The Endurance, by Liam Neeson

This book was easy to read and offered great insight on Shakleton's experience. It provided great insight, based on notes kept by the crew, on the reason many decisions were made and how they affected Shackleton. A great book on how the mind of a great leader thinks.
September 01, 2007

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

Shackleton - The Greatest Survival Story of All Time (3-Disc Collector's Edition)
Directed by Charles Sturridge
Starring Kenneth Branagh, John Grillo, Paul Humpoletz, Phoebe Nicholls, Eve Best
A&E Home Video

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
by Alfred Lansing

Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure (Large Format)
Directed by George Butler (II)
Starring Kevin Spacey, Conrad Anker, Ciarán Hinds, Brett Swain, Reinhold Messner
Image Entertainment

The Endurance : Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition
by Caroline Alexander, Michael Tezla, Martin Rubin

Leading at the Edge : Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Saga of Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition
by Dennis N. T. Perkins, Margaret P. Holtman, Paul R. Kessler
by Catherine McCarthy