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478th out of 766 books
—
1,210 voters
Frost on my Moustache: The Arctic Exploits of a Lord and a Loafer
by
Tim Moore
Guided by the fastidious journals of an eminent Victorian adventurer by the name of Lord Dufferin, Time Moore sets off to prove his mettle in the most stunningly inhospitable place on Earth-the Arctic. Armed only with his searing wit, wicked humor, and seasickness pills, our pale suburbanite-wracked by second thoughts of tactical retreat-confronts mind-numbing cold, blood-...more
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
February 9th 2001
by St. Martin's Griffin
(first published January 15th 2000)
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I’ll admit that I almost gave up on Tim Moore after reading The Grand Tour and not really enjoying it very much. However, I had already purchased this book, and so I felt obligated to at least give it a chance. I’m so glad I did! This is the tale of the author’s attempt to follow in the footsteps of the indomitable British adventurer Lord Dufferin, who in the nineteenth century journeyed into the Arctic on a wooden yacht, and then wrote a wildly popular (at the time) book about it. While the aut...more
This is a book that made me laugh and cry. I cried because the hardbound edition I owned had glued signatures that apparently used reject adhesive from Russian Post-It notes and dissolved as I turned the pages. It wouldn't have mattered if I hated the book, because I could then hurl it at the wall and watch it explode like a pressure-cooker bomb. But I loved the book, and found in Tim Moore a kindred spirit who could send me into gales of guffaws.
Frost on my Moustache: The Arctic Exploits of a L...more
Frost on my Moustache: The Arctic Exploits of a L...more
2 likes · like · see review
Vomit - Verb, to disgorge see also: Spew, Ruminate, sick, chunder, hurl, throw up.
There's a lot of ways to say the same thing, and if you are constantly seasick travel author Tim Moore, even more ways to experience it! In keeping with the travel theme of the summer reading program I decided to reach deep into the catalog for a title by one of my favorite, albeit, not well known in the states, writers. What do you get if you mixed Bill Bryson with the cast of Monty Python and left the resulting...more
There's a lot of ways to say the same thing, and if you are constantly seasick travel author Tim Moore, even more ways to experience it! In keeping with the travel theme of the summer reading program I decided to reach deep into the catalog for a title by one of my favorite, albeit, not well known in the states, writers. What do you get if you mixed Bill Bryson with the cast of Monty Python and left the resulting...more
I picked this up because 1)I am considering a trip to Iceland, and 2)the author follows the itinerary of Lord Dufferin, who made the trip during the mid-Victorian era, a time-frame I'm so interested in because I've set my own books during that time.
The book was very funny and I loved his descriptions. The only thing I found slightly off-putting was that he acted in every way like a single man/slacker, including many irresponsibly dangerous adventures, even though he had a wife and two small chil...more
The book was very funny and I loved his descriptions. The only thing I found slightly off-putting was that he acted in every way like a single man/slacker, including many irresponsibly dangerous adventures, even though he had a wife and two small chil...more
Jun 23, 2010
Klara
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Armchair travelers.
Shelves:
iceland,
nonfiction
I must admit, I didn't know Lord Dufferin or Svalbard existed until I read this book. Therein, though, lies the beauty of the book. Moore's account of his adventures presents an intellectual journey as well as a rousing travelogue: the likable, relatable narrator successfully grabs and holds readers' interest as he researches Lord Dufferin just as well as when he ventures abroad. The author relates his exploits with an appealing mix of humility and humor reminiscent of Bill Bryson; I sympathized...more
Have I mentioned I'm in love? It's just a literary love affair, but those can be as satisfying and less messy than the real thing. Tim Moore is the object of my affection. The witty, wordy-wise travel writer can do no wrong in my book. Or in his.
In his first adventure, Moore follows the footsteps of a Victorian lord. It's a journey that takes him across Iceland and up to the Arctic, giving him ample scope to show off his talents for nautical incompetence and sensational seasickness, not to menti...more
In his first adventure, Moore follows the footsteps of a Victorian lord. It's a journey that takes him across Iceland and up to the Arctic, giving him ample scope to show off his talents for nautical incompetence and sensational seasickness, not to menti...more
A book with many ridiculous statements!! A great way to read a travel diary..yep..Tim Moore does a grand job of teaching whilst being entertained!
I looked up Spitzbergen and it is amazingly beautiful. A bit of trivia; On Spitzbergen is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault..started storage in 1984 in an abandoned coal mine..official opening was Feb. 26, 2008. This would be a fine travel plan for me..go to Norway..over to Spitzbergen and see if anyone would 'hahahah' give me a tour of the Seed Vault!
I looked up Spitzbergen and it is amazingly beautiful. A bit of trivia; On Spitzbergen is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault..started storage in 1984 in an abandoned coal mine..official opening was Feb. 26, 2008. This would be a fine travel plan for me..go to Norway..over to Spitzbergen and see if anyone would 'hahahah' give me a tour of the Seed Vault!
Found it in a hotel in Galle, Sri lanka, and took it just to have something to read (forgive me, father, for I have sinned...). It has turned out to be a great travelogue, funny, witty, sometimes plain silly, but always interesting.
A contemporary Englishman, Tim Moore, the loafer, follows the steps of a Victorian gentleman, Lord Dufferin, through Iceland and Arctic Norwegian regions in what is a description of former/modern endurance and character. Quite recommendable!
A contemporary Englishman, Tim Moore, the loafer, follows the steps of a Victorian gentleman, Lord Dufferin, through Iceland and Arctic Norwegian regions in what is a description of former/modern endurance and character. Quite recommendable!
moore retraces the path of a 19th century a english lord's (mostly) sailing tour through parts of scandinavia. the journey itself sounded interesting (as does dufferin's original text), but i was disappointed in the writing. definitely a british humor, and not a travelogue. and it's *very* british, which i don't have much of a taste for. moore's a decent craftsman, but i just don't enjoy his tone. dufferin went on to become some early canadian statesman, which was a fun fact for me, as "dufferin...more
This was amusing: the best portions were centered around his actual travels. The first portion of the book was about his antics with a titled somebody and I found that a little tedious - the "oh, I'm such an idiot and not worthy of your company" kind of thing. But he redeemed himself somewhat later on and I appreciated that his journey had a theme and wasn't totally random.
Sep 29, 2008
Susan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people who like travel memoirs and slapstick comedy
Recommended to Susan by:
the bargain bin at JR's giant redneck store in North Carolina
Laugh out loud funny. No, I really mean it. Tim Moore is a British journalist who decides to re-enact Lord Dufferin's voyage to the arctic. What? You don't know who Lord Dufferin is? It doesn't matter, you'll learn.
Here is one passage where Moore describes his feelings on attempting to secure passage on a Viking ship to cross the North Sea: "The whole endeavour was plainly both overambitious and disasterously inept. Of all the adjectives I could apply to boats in which I would not want to cross...more
Here is one passage where Moore describes his feelings on attempting to secure passage on a Viking ship to cross the North Sea: "The whole endeavour was plainly both overambitious and disasterously inept. Of all the adjectives I could apply to boats in which I would not want to cross...more
I literally cry every single time I read this book...from laughing so hard. it is my comfort book. I quote it all the time. YOU GUYS I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH.
go read it now. stay close to the commodore and observe his movements.
go read it now. stay close to the commodore and observe his movements.
Feb 26, 2013
Alonzo
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
british,
favorites,
iceland,
listened-audiobook,
humor,
memoir,
non-fiction,
norway,
spitzbergen
I first attempted to read the paperback, but couldn't get into it...
Then, I found the audio-book; listening sometimes helps with inflections, pauses, etc. which a reader may miss in print. The audio-book is narrated by Richard Greenwood and is hilarious. I laughed aloud in the middle of the night while listening to the uproarious things this guy did; I literally had tears in my eyes and nearly lost my breath laughing so hard. My wife thought I was having some kind of attack!
If you need a good l...more
Then, I found the audio-book; listening sometimes helps with inflections, pauses, etc. which a reader may miss in print. The audio-book is narrated by Richard Greenwood and is hilarious. I laughed aloud in the middle of the night while listening to the uproarious things this guy did; I literally had tears in my eyes and nearly lost my breath laughing so hard. My wife thought I was having some kind of attack!
If you need a good l...more
May 19, 2007
Coffeeboss
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Humorous travel writing
Shelves:
travel-adventure,
humor
This is one of the funniest travel essay books I've ever read. Tim Moore decides to follow the path of a not-so-famous British explorer from the 1850s named Lord Dufferin. Moore follows the route on boat, bike, and plane, taking him through the northern climes of Iceland, Norway, and Spitzbergen. Moore is a decidedly wimpy traveler, which makes his tale all the more hilarious. Let's just say there is much humiliation and sea-sickness vomiting to be had. I laughed out loud many times while readin...more
I really love Tim Moore, and am so sad that my library system does not carry his books. He's a serious contender for Bill Bryson's title of king of comic travelogues.
Not that great a read. Not as good as some of his others. Perhaps it's just that the Arctic doesn't excite me that much.
Even though I did not get a lot of the British cultural references, this is one of my favorite books EVER!
Just read the section about authors travels (travails) through Iceland. I enjoyed it, but would have read further if it had drawn me in more strongly. Moore is a funny author, and can ride a bike, too. : )
Tim Moore's first book and it shows; it's scatty in places, the reason he's off on the trip isn't really that clear and the prose is a bit wonky.
However, it's still a pretty good read and interesting to see where the genius of continental drifter, french revolutions and spanish steps began.
However, it's still a pretty good read and interesting to see where the genius of continental drifter, french revolutions and spanish steps began.
I often think when I'm reading English fiction that there must be a lot I miss...not knowing the tone of voice, or a lot of the background jokes.
This book was much the same, with the exception of a few chapters - notably one HILARIOUS retelling of a boat voyage...
This book was much the same, with the exception of a few chapters - notably one HILARIOUS retelling of a boat voyage...
Not as tightly focused or as funny as his later books - my attention drifted during the first hundred pages and a few of the later passages - but still has plenty of self-loathing British humor.
I laughed SO hard while reading this book. Not hugely insightful, not fantastically well-written, but I adored the narrator's voice.
Plain funny.
May 12, 2013
Liz Keating
marked it as to-read
May 02, 2013
Karlien
marked it as to-read
Apr 27, 2013
Paul Holland
is currently reading it
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Tim Moore is a British travel writer and humorist. He was educated at Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith. In addition to his seven published travelogues to date, his writings have appeared in various publications including Esquire, The Sunday Times, The Independent, The Observer and the Evening Standard. He was also briefly a journalist for the Teletext computer games magazine Digitiser, under th...more
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Apr 26, 2013 08:22am