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The Ship Beneath the Ice

By: Mensun Bound
Narrated by: Mensun Bound - preface, Charles Armstrong
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Publisher's summary

"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." ― Sunday Times

The extraordinary story of how the Endurance, Ernest Shackleton's legendary lost ship, was found in the most hostile sea on Earth, told by the expedition's Director of Exploration.

On November 21, 1914, after sailing more than ten thousand miles from Norway to the Antarctic Ocean, the Endurance finally succumbed to the surrounding ice. Ernest Shackleton and his crew had navigated the 144-foot, three-masted wooden vessel to Antarctica to become the first to cross the barren continent, but early season pack ice trapped them in place offshore. They watched in silence as the ship’s stern rose twenty feet in the air and disappeared into the frigid sea, then spent six harrowing months marooned on the ice in its wake. Seal meat was their only sustenance as Shackleton’s expedition to push the limits of human strength took a new form: one of survival against the odds.

As this legendary story entered the annals of polar exploration, it inspired a new global race to find the wrecked Endurance, by all accounts “the world’s most unreachable shipwreck.” Several missions failed, thwarted, as Shackleton was, by the unpredictable Weddell Sea. Finally, a century to the day after Shackleton’s death, renowned marine archeologist Mensun Bound and an elite team of explorers discovered the lost shipwreck. Nearly ten thousand feet below the ice lay a remarkably preserved Endurance, its name still emblazoned on the ship’s stern.

The Ship Beneath the Ice chronicles two dramatic expeditions to what Shackleton called “the most hostile sea on Earth.” Bound experienced failure and despair in his attempts to locate the wreck, and, like Shackleton before him, very nearly found his vessel frozen in ice.

This inspiring modern-day adventure narrative captures the intrepid spirit that joins two mariners across the centuries—both of whom accomplished the impossible.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Mensun Bound (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers
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What listeners say about The Ship Beneath the Ice

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Overcoming environmental obstacles

I enjoyed hearing about the overall experience involved in finding the Endurance. Overlaying the modern day difficulties with those endured by Shackleton’s efforts and tragedies, was enlightening and moving. I’m amazed by the fact that Shackleton didn’t lose any men, although the fact that they had to kill all their animals was incredibly sad for an animal lover like me. Still, the adventure and fortitude shown by both expeditions was fascinating to learn about. I have a BS in Archaeology but never used it. I ended up working in the environmental field. Even so, I love archaeology and was pleased that the author shared the details of this fascinating endeavor. He’s leading a remarkable life.

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  • Overall
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Whopping good listen

Detailed and engaging telling of the two searches for Shackleton’s ship, interwoven with descriptions of a spectacular polar world.

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8 people found this helpful

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If you follow Shackleton's exploration

Excellent narration, epic story, a must listen to follow up if you have read the book Endurance

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11 people found this helpful

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Captivating Story

An incredible story of history intertwined with discovery. Truly a captivating story thoughtfully narrated. You felt as if you were on board the dive expedition.

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7 people found this helpful

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Exploration At Its Finest

What a fantastic read! I enjoyed the adventure of looking for the Endurance.

Mensun Bound takes the reader on a fabulous journey, looking for the wreck of the Endurance, and tracking Shackleton's adventure at the same time. There are ups and downs, as the first expedition hits several snags, leaving the crew dejected and upset over the lack of finding anything concrete. But the next try might yield better results, giving the team what they are looking for.

This book crosses between Shackleton and Bound, giving glimpses of the first journey, which was fraught with danger and unexpected hardships.

Loved this one immensely!

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9 people found this helpful

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Great book

The accent of who reads this book is a little hard to get used to, but loved the book, story and content.

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8 people found this helpful

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Fascinating, draws you in. An homage to history and exploration

Beautifully captures the experience of the search for the Endurance, while honoring the history of the expedition. The author shares the heartbreak and joy of "failure" and achievement. Beautiful narration as well.

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Great story!

This is an amazing story that still shocks me us true. The story and relevant details are provided to paint a great picture of what was going on in each characters perspective. the only slight criticism, is there is some environmental criticism thrown in often in the book. While some might be relevant, it was distracting. Again, only SLIGHT criticism.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Dragged out story

The author could’ve covered the same amount of material in about half of the words. I felt like the story was dragged out, just to meet a minimum amount of pages. A hugely important part of history, and the original book was far more interesting. I’d suggest a cliff note version.

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31 people found this helpful

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Some can't handle truth

Loved it as it tells total truth about climate change.
Love deep diving submersibles in these attempts to find lost vessels

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