At the beginning of the 20th century, an expedition of 28 people embarked on the Endurance to achieve an unprecedented feat: to cross Antarctica on foot. The ship became trapped in the ice, and the crew, led by Ernest Shackleton, had to endure two years of extreme survival before reaching a location connected to civilization. Along the way, part of the group stayed behind while others ventured out in a small lifeboat to seek help.

Shackleton and his companions’ feat is considered the last of the great heroic expeditions to the South Pole. Alfred Lansing constructed this account from the expedition diaries and interviews with most of the survivors.