Erebus: The Story of a Ship

Before I get started, I just want to note that this author is a member of Monty Python. I didn't realize that before I read the introduction, and then I had to do an audible double-take when it came up.

So this is a book about the HMS Erebus, a ship constructed in 1826, left to sit for several years, and was finally scooped up to be used in both the Ross Expedition (1839) headed to Antarctica and the Franklin Expedition (1845) lost on a voyage to the Northwest Passage/Canadian Arctic. We're introduced to the main players in both expeditions, and are treated to first-hand accounts of these early days of the Erebus. Unfortunately, not a lot was found pertaining to the fate of the Franklin expedition, so the portion of the book surrounding that was fascinatingly mysterious.

This is an incredibly well-researched book about a ship I think I'd only heard about peripherally. The entire first three quarters of the book feature all sorts of first hand accounts, letters, etc from people directly on or affiliated with the ship about their time aboard. The section about the Franklin Expedition is, understandably, light on this, as there was, y'know, nobody left to interview and no journals found, but the author does a good job of piecing together the available information at the time of the book's publication and presenting a (few) compelling story(ies) about the fate of the crew.

Just a really interesting book all around. I thought going into it that it would just be about the Franklin Expedition, but was pleasantly surprised with the additional backstory and history behind this ship. Highly recommend for ship/history buffs.

Informative and engaging. Not my usual reading material but Palin writes in a way that is accessible to someone with very little knowledge of the subject.

Ho incontrato questo libro per caso, avevo letto male il titolo. Tuttavia, mi sono ritrovato immerso in una storia che non conoscevo affatto, dove tutto viene spiegato dall'autore in modo coinvolgente ed esaustivo. La storia della nave Erebus è molto affascinante, così come la sua fine ancora in parte avvolta nel mistero. Una bella sorpresa.

Michael Palin kan prima schrijven, maar dit boek was me uiteindelijk gewoon te dik, met teveel detail, waardoor het op een gegeven moment ging tegenstaan...

De surgeon/naturalist die om de haverklap op vogeljacht gaat is wel een aardige running gag, maar helpt het boek niet aan een 3e *.

A biography of a ship and of Victorian heroism

Erebus: The Story of a Ship is a biography of the voyage that was mentioned in Conrad's book, Heart of Darkness. Launched in 1826, it vanished with her sister ship, The Terror, in 1846. They were trying to find a way through the Northwest Passage.129 men were on board. The book covers not only its loss in the Arctic, but its Antarctic exploration, and its construction in Milford Haven.

In September 2014, marine archaeologists discovered HMS Erebus, in the frozen wastes of the Canadian arctic. Palin starts there and works back. The book is a well researched account that examines the careers of the crew, particularly its captain John Franklin. Finally, the story covers the efforts of Lady Jane Franklin to dispatch rescue ships.

Palin writes a lively account which is strong on historical context. It reveals much about not only exploration but also life in the Royal Navy in the 19th century. It's certainly an evocative story of an extraordinary adventure. In the book we also learn how Palin came to love sea stories and how he became fascinated with the epic story of HMS Erebus.

In summary, Palin brings energy, wit and humanity to a remarkable and stirring tale. A tale that manages to bring ship back to life. It's an epic story, full of human suffering . While the crew didn't make their goal of the south magnetic pole, writes Palin:

“never again, in the annals of the sea, would a ship, under sail alone, come close to matching what she [Erebus] and Terror had achieved.”