The Ship Beneath the Ice

Mensun Bound is a leading maritime archaeologist who has discovered many of the world¿s most famous shipwrecks. Artefacts that he has raised can be found on permanent display in over a dozen museums worldwide. His excavations have featured in many documentaries and were the subject of a four-part series by the Discovery Channel entitled Lost Ships. He founded the first academic unit for maritime archaeology in England and from 1992 to 2013 was the Triton Fellow in Maritime Archaeology at St. Peter¿s College, Oxford University. He is a Trustee of the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust and was Director of Exploration on the 2019 and 2022 expeditions to locate Shackleton¿s Endurance.

“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 (London)
"Utterly captivating. ... In his engrossing account, Bound, the maritime archaeologist who led the expedition that found the wreck, alternates between past and present, reminding readers of what happened in 1915 and also taking them along on his modern-day expedition to find the Endurance. Bound is a terrific storyteller; he writes with a sense of showmanship, instilling the story of the Endurance’s discovery with drama, suspense, and pulse-racing thrills. ... This is simply wonderful.” — Booklist (starred review)
"Gloriously written. ... With the verve of a thriller, Bound's narrative deftly weaves together his voyages and Shackleton's. ... Bound is blessed with a poet's ear for richly evocative language." — Times Literary Supplement (London)
“Captivating and engrossing. … Bound has a natural flair for storytelling and his narrative cracks along with the pace of a well-crafted thriller.”  — Mail on Sunday
“The story of Shackleton’s Endurance is one of the most extraordinary in the history of exploration. This is more than just an astonishing sequel. It is a tale just as powerful, and one which redefines the meaning of impossible”  — Sir Michael Palin, author of Erebus
“An enthralling tale of an extraordinary venture which brings Shackleton’s epic story bang up to the present day.” — Camilla Nichol, chief executive, UK Antarctic Heritage Trust
“The final chapter of one of the age of Antarctic exploration’s most famous sagas is told in marine archaeologist Bound’s page-turning debut. . . . Bound vividly conveys the anxiety and anticipation of archaeological expeditions. Armchair adventurers will be swept up in the thrill of discovery.” — Publishers Weekly
“Exciting, dramatic. ... Bound nicely interweaves the fascinating history of Shackleton’s expedition into his own. An entertaining true-life adventure tale perfect for naval aficionados and armchair expeditioners.” — Kirkus Reviews