Erabus proved to be a well written book about an important ship with a fascinating story to tell. But a family member lent me their copy, and on a subsequent holiday in France I dived in. It is solidly researched with at best a couple of tiny technical erro As an enthusiast for the age of sail who earns his livelihood writing and lecturing about ships and the sea, my heart sank at first when I heard that an aging celebrity comedian had written a history of the Erebus. This beautifully produced volume - colour plates, outstanding maps - is a landmark achievement.As an enthusiast for the age of sail who earns his livelihood writing and lecturing about ships and the sea, my heart sank at first when I heard that an aging celebrity comedian had written a history of the Erebus. He turns up obscure facts, reanimates essential moments, and never shies away from taking controversial positions. Palin is a superb stylist, low-key and conversational, who skillfully incorporates personal experience. 'At this late date, and against all odds, Michael Palin has found an original way to enter and explore the Royal Navy narrative of polar exploration. 'With this irresistible and often harrowing account, Michael Palin makes a convincing case that one heroic little ship embodied the golden ago of polar exploration better than any other: HMS Erebus.' - John Geiger, co-author of Frozen in Time 'This lively account reveals much about both exploration and the Royal Navy in the 19th century' - The Observer 'In crisp, unshowy prose Palin explores a post-Waterloo world in which heroes fought the elements, not the enemy.' - The Telegraph ![]() Publisher: Cornerstone ISBN: 9781784758578 Number of pages: 352 Weight: 327 g Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 26 mm MEDIA REVIEWS ![]() The result is a wonderfully evocative account of one of the most extraordinary adventures of the nineteenth century, as reimagined by a master explorer and storyteller. Palin also vividly recounts the experiences of the men who first stepped ashore on Antarctica's Victoria Land, and those who, just a few years later, froze to death one by one in the Arctic ice, as rescue missions desperately tried to reach them. He explores the intertwined careers of the men who shared its journeys: the dashing James Clark Ross who charted much of the 'Great Southern Barrier' and oversaw some of the earliest scientific experiments to be conducted there and the troubled John Franklin, who at the age of sixty and after a chequered career, commanded the ship on its final, disastrous expedition. Now Michael Palin - former Monty Python stalwart and much-loved television globetrotter - brings this extraordinary ship back to life, following it from its launch in 1826 to the epic voyages of discovery that led to glory in the Antarctic and to ultimate catastrophe in the Arctic. Its whereabouts had been a mystery for over a century and a half. It was broken at the stern and covered in a woolly coat of underwater vegetation. In September 2014 the wreck of a sailing vessel was discovered at the bottom of the sea in the frozen wastes of the Canadian arctic.
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