Product Description

Trapped in the Antarctic ice over 1,000 miles from civilization, polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his 28 brave crewmembers endured nearly 15 harrowing months stranded on the ice pack in a daring and courageous adventure that became the greatest survival story of all time. Shackleton’s unwavering leadership inspired a fierce will to survive in his crew, as they were stalked by starvation, insanity and death. Retrace Shackleton’s voyage on the Endurance in this riveting two-hour testament to the human spirit. Rare footage and photos from the expedition’s photographer dramatically capture the daunting conditions the crew survived, as well as the faces of men pushed to their limits. Personal correspondence and diaries detail the most gripping moments of the crew’s ordeal, and candid journal entries reveal how the expedition leader found guidance in his family motto, "By endurance we conquer." Moving interviews with descendants of the original expedition team shed new light on key turning points. And specially filmed footage takes viewers to the actual places visited by Shackleton and his crew. Educational use only.

Special DVD features include: printable materials for educators, link to the NOVA Web site; scene selections; closed captions; and described video for the visually impaired.

On one DVD5 disc. Region coding: All regions. Audio: Dolby stereo. Screen format: Letterboxed.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #109544 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-03-22
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 120 minutes

Customer Reviews

Incredible Struggle of Human Endurance
The voyage of the Endurance, a tough little ship designed to carry Commander Shackleton and his crew to the little-explored continent of Antarctica, is a story mired by the events that were unfolding around the world (most notably, World War I).

The filming of this documentary was phenomenal. The fact that professional film-grade stock and still photos survived are a testament to the will of the men who made it back to civilization. They seemed to know instinctively how important it was to save the photographs and images.

For those who aren't familiar with the history of the Endurance, it was the fated ship that tried to make it to Antarctica with sled dogs and supplies in an attempt to make it to the South Pole. They never made it. And this story might never have been told had it not been for the simple fact that the men survived 22 months in some of the most desolate and body-numbing cold imaginable. And not one man (not ONE!) died. Most, if not all, of the men's survival can be directly attributed to Commander Shackleton, a man of vigor and unwavering optimism. His skill, knowledge, and leadership led to the rescue of every single member of the party.

From crossing the worst seas on the planet in a rescue skiff, to spending long hours listening to the ice pack break up under their tents, this harrowing tale is something every school child needs to have knowledge of. Not because they were explorers and tried to make it to the South Pole; but because they didn't make it, and came away with something much more valuable: the understanding of the importance of life.

A powerful story of survival and leadership
This version of the saga of Shackleton aired on PBS. Since then several other commercialized stories for IMAX (as a 40 minute movie) and A&E (for a mini-series) have been released.

For time following its release this version was not available on DVD except to educational institutions for some reason. I searched Amazon off and on for three years before it became available at which time I purchased it without a second thought.

This version is the original NOVA documentary. IT IS SPECTACULAR.

It is well done. It interviews descendants of the expedition and historians as it tells this amazing tale. It also uses actual photos and video from the expedition while quoting the diaries and journal of the crew.

There are numerous leadership lessons to be gleaned from this film. In fact, some of my graduate school colleagues used the Shackleton story as a case study in leadership and group dynamics.

Anyone, young or old, will be inspired by and enjoy the insights presented in this story... not to mention be in awe of the expedition's men in their own right for what they "Endured."

THE GREATEST SURVIVAL STORY OF ALL TIME !!!!!!!
I SAW THIS DOCUMENTARY WHEN IT ORIGINALLY AIRED ON NOVA IN 2002.IT GRABBED ME FOR TWO HOURS AND HAD MY COMPLETE ATTENTION. THIS IS THE BEST ACCOUNT THAT I'VE SEEN REGARDING THE VOYAGE OF THE ENDURANCE AND IT'S CREW. IT IS THE ULTIMATE STORY OF HEROISM, BRAVERY, SACRIFICE AND ULTIMATELY SURVIVAL THAT HAS EVER OCCURED. THERE ARE FEW MEN IN THE WORLD LIKE ERNEST SHACKLETON AND THE MEN THAT ACCOMPINIED HIM THAT POSSESSED THE LEADERSHIP AND SKILL TO RETURN FROM THE ICY HELL THAT THESE MEN ENDURED. THIS IS A MUST SEE FOR EVERYONE.