Sir Ernest Shackleton, born in Kildare, Ireland, relocated to a London suburb with his family when he was the age of 10. The second of 10 children, he was bored by traditional classroom learning; accordingly, his family consented to his desire to join the British Navy at the age of 16. He was apprenticed on a sailing vessel that traveled all over the world and afforded him a pragmatic education in learning to deal with a broad range of personalities. A veteran of two prior Antarctic campaigns, Shackleton raised funds to attempt the Imperial Trans Antarctic Expedition and departed from England in August 1914. Following the rescue of the Endurance crewmembers on Elephant Island, Shackleton learned that his supply ship had failed, and he organized the rescue of its crew as well. Upon his arrival home from this expedition, Shackleton was knighted and treated as a hero in England. 

Lansing depicts Shackleton as motivated by an intense spirit of adventure coupled with a lifelong, scattershot approach to earning money. Additionally, he wished to offer his wife, the former Emily Dorman, the same comfortable style that had been afforded her by a wealthy father. Intuitive and cunning, Shackleton led by trusting his gut reactions rather than textbook scenarios.