Winston Churchill in 1914

“I will return the men safe and undamaged, as far as God wills it… the majority of the men will never be out of touch with civilisation for more than three months… so that if you want [them] back for war purposes they could… return to England, and I would have the ship manned with a scratch crew.”

“You know from our talk yesterday that I am trying to do good and serious work. Death is a very little thing, and Knowledge very great. You yourself, for the sake of science and country, are often taking risks aloft in the pioneer science of aviation… and really Regent Street holds out more dangers on a busy day than the five million square miles that constitute the Antarctic Continent.”

“Do please look favorably upon our talk.”

— Ernest Shackleton to Winston Churchill