Erebus: The Story of a Ship

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With the first half of the book, well just over half, covering the Antarctic expedition the second part looks at Erebus’ final expedition to the Arctic and trying to find a way through the Northwest Passage. 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.

Mrs Woolf, wife of the manager, is a very celebrated author and, in her own way, more important than Galsworthy. Palin transports us back in time to 1826 when the bomb vessel, Erebus, was launched from Pembroke Dockyard in Wales.

The one complaint that I would have about this book is the way that Palin brings modern sensibilities to bear on the efforts of these intrepid explorers: I don't need to be told that imperialism, the extermination of native peoples, and the over-extraction of natural resources – and in particular, animals – isn't justified by “the spirit of Enlightenment”. In the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign, HMS Erebus undertook two of the most ambitious naval expeditions of all time. It was fascinating to hear about the construction of the ships and their first expedition together, to the Antarctic.

What you will get is a solid narrative from a passionate (and, yes, witty) amateur historian about two amazing adventures.

I always think of Ross (Ice shelf), Weddell (Sea) but now add the unfortunate Crozier to the geography of the frozen areas of the world. When I made a journey to the Antarctic Peninsula in 2014 the sight of a single whale was enough to bring everyone out on deck, reaching for cameras and binoculars.

A fantastic read for anyone who is interested in this field, and maybe an eye opener for those with a general interest in history who are merely tempted by the famous name of the author. But his relationship with Sir John Franklin was less happy: indeed Crozier sometimes feigned illness to avoid having to dine with him. Only some of the goals were achieved and the second voyage - the attempt to find the North West passage - ended in tragedy and considerable loss of life. Tanto che, nel tempo, nuove spedizioni, testimonianze di inuit e iniziative isolate di marinai e studiosi, hanno portato a ricomporre il complesso puzzle della sciagurata spedizione.

Palin, for me, comfortably passes a test that most celebrities fail – that of being someone you would enjoy an evening in a pub with.