This book has been published numerous times in numerous forms. It is available in hardcover, paperback, new, used, audio cassette (audio book), audio download, DVD, and audio CD. Prices range from $.35 to $45.43 for the large print hardcover version.
 
"Never for me the lowered banner, never the last endeavor." Sir Ernest Shackleton
 
I am going to Antarctica. When you read this, I will be in Antarctica. It is the fulfillment of a life dream and I am, of course, very excited and anticipate an amazing adventure. This book was recommended reading. It opened up a whole new world to me; somehow I have missed this book and its historical drama all this time.
Sir Ernest Shackleton set off from England on the Endurance on August 8, 1914. The Endurance stopped in Buenos Aires, Argentina to pick up the last of the crew members and 69 Canadian sled dogs; one of the crew members was Frank Hurley, an Australian photographer. There were 27 crew members onboard. After battling through thousands of miles of ice packed seas for six weeks, the Endurance was locked inside an island of ice before it could make landfall on the Antarctica continent.  

A haunting excerpt:

..."The order to abandon ship was given at 5 p.m. For most of the men, however, no order was needed because by then everybody knew that the ship was done and that it was time to give up trying to save her. There was no show of fear or even apprehension. They had fought unceasingly for three days and they had lost. They were simply too tired to care.

"Frank Wild, the second-in-command, made his way forward along the buckling deck to the crew's quarters. There, two seamen, Walter How and William Bakewell, were lying in the lower bunks. Both were very nearly exhausted from almost three days at the pumps; yet they were unable to sleep because of the sounds the ship was making.

"She was being crushed.  Not all at once, but slowly, a little at a time. The pressure of ten million tons of ice was driving in against her sides."...

Shackleton and his crew returned home, to the last man. The story of their survival on ice floes for more than a year and a half, when there were no satellite phones, rescue helicopters or Patagonia boots, is bound to reach the coldest heart. Shackleton proved himself a born leader. The book, written in 1959, is chock full of specific facts because the author had the advantage of talking to survivors, reading actual journals that were kept and the memories of those survivors and their families who heard the stories many times. Some of the obstacles the men faced and overcame are just flat out hard to fathom. The pictures taken mainly by Hurley, will survive forever now.

The author, Alfred Lansing, was a native of Chicago. He served over five years in the Navy and enrolled at Northwestern University to major in journalism. He edited a weekly newspaper in Illinois, joined United Press and in 1952 became a freelance writer. Endurance was his first book. He died in 1975.
My trip will be in a well-outfitted exploration vessel and I am quite sure that I will often remember the struggles Shackleton and his men had, when I get a little irritated at cold feet or fingers. If I should, (and they tell me everyone does at least once), get my feet wet, I will remember what those men endured out in the open with low rations and little shelter. If I slip up on the ice when I go to see the penguins or get splashed when I explore in a kayak, I will not complain

Meanwhile, until I write my own book about Antarctica, I recommend this one - in whatever form you can get. You can read it on the web, free of charge, and hear parts of the audio online. There have been and will continue to be exhibits and celebrations of this amazing journey. Enjoy some part of it. This true story awakens the adventure and tickles the curiosity that rest dormant in most of us.

Lorellei

Thanks to Makk AND ItsyDad for this one!

 

Thanks to Momma for this one!!

REMEMBER THIS AT CHRISTMAS TIME

 
Below are 26 questions; one for each letter of the alphabet. The answer for the first questions begins with the letter A; the second begins with the letter B, etc. Answers can be found in Luke 1-2 and Matthew 1-2.

A What was the name of the Caesar reigning when Jesus was born?  Augustus
B Where was Jesus born?    Bethlehem
C Another name for Jesus is?    Christ
D An angel appeared to Joseph in a ____    Dream
E From where did the wise men come?    East
F Where were the shepherds when this angel appeared to them?    Field
G Tell me the name of the angel who visited Mary    Gabriel
H This man was a bad king wanting to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem  Herod
I After Herod died, an angel told Joseph to back to the land of?    Israel
J Who was the earthly father of Jesus?    Joseph
K The wise men were also called ____    Kings                   
L In this book of the Bible, we read about the birth of Jesus?    Luke
M Who was the mother of Jesus?    Mary
N Jesus lived in this city when He was young    Nazareth
O Each person had to be taxed in whose city?    Own
P The multitude of heavenly hosts were doing this to God    Praising
Q Who was governor over Syria when Jesus was born? Quinines
R  When the wise men saw the star what did they do?    Rejoiced
S  They were the first to visit Jesus    Shepherds
T  Bethlehem was a little _____ in Judea   Town
U Read Luke 2:11(kjv) and fill in the blank. "For ____ you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord    Unto
V   Isaiah prophesized that the mother of Jesus would be this    Virgin 
W  Herod was lying when he said he wanted to give this to Jesus    Worship
X  Receive one "X-tra" point if you know what Immanuel means    God With Us
Y  Jesus was born to save ___ from your sins    You
Z   Name on prophet in the Old Testament who prophesied about Jesus     Zechariah

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Holiday Greetings
 
At this Holiday Season we remember and honor
 those who are no longer with us and
cherish those who are.

Best Wishes during this Holiday Season.

scorp :)