Alfred Lansing

Alfred Lansing (1921-1975) was born in Chicago. From 1940 to 1946, he served in the U.S. Navy, where he was awarded the Purple Heart for his actions during World War II. After his military service, he studied journalism at North Park College and Northwestern University. He worked as an editor for Collier’s, Time Life, Reader’s Digest, and the United Press news agency. In 1957, he became a member of the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge. There, he managed to connect with surviving crew members of the Endurance. Through extensive interviews with them and access to previously unpublished material, he wrote the monumental work: "Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage."