THE ENDURANCE

Epic stories of human survival and triumph over seemingly intractable adversity make for difficult storytelling. The author can easily overreach, achieving only melodrama. Here, however, Caroline Alexander faithfully renders the story of Shackleton's ill-fated Antarctic expedition without high drama or lack of discretion. The reading by Tezla and Rubin creates an immediacy that puts the listener right there on the voyage of the ENDURANCE and in the lifeboats and on the ice floes. Shackleton and his crew were trapped in frozen ice for over a year, only to break free and suffer tremendously at the hands of violent Antarctic weather before a small party braved ferocious seas to find help and salvation. This monument to Shackleton's leadership and the bravery of his crew stands as a testament to another time, and this audiobook also stands apart--not simply as an audio rendering of a fine book, but as a supreme achievement in storytelling by two able, adept readers. Read or listened to, this book shines like a beacon in a gale to anyone who wants the best nonfiction available today. H.L.S. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award © AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/JAN 00]