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 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 raises funds to attempt the Imperial Trans Antarctic Expedition and departs from England in August 1914. He is motivated by an intense spirit of adventure coupled with a lifelong, scattershot approach to earning money. Additionally, he wishes to afford his wife, the former Emily Dorman, the same comfortable style that had been afforded her by a wealthy father.

Intuitive and cunning, Shackleton leads by trusting his gut reactions rather than textbook scenarios. Following the rescue of the Endurance crew members on Elephant Island, Shackleton learns that his supply ship has failed, and he organizes their rescue, as well. Upon his arrival home from this expedition, Shackleton is knighted and treated as a hero in England.