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Icebreaker: A Voyage Far North
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'We are celebrating a hundred years since independence this year: how would you like to travel on a government icebreaker?'
A message from the Finnish embassy launches Horatio Clare on a voyage around an extraordinary country and an unearthly place, the frozen Bay of Bothnia, just short of the Arctic circle. Travelling with the crew of Icebreaker Otso, Horatio, whose last a ...more
A message from the Finnish embassy launches Horatio Clare on a voyage around an extraordinary country and an unearthly place, the frozen Bay of Bothnia, just short of the Arctic circle. Travelling with the crew of Icebreaker Otso, Horatio, whose last a ...more
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Start your review of Icebreaker: A Voyage Far North
Aug 10, 2019
Dannii Elle
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction-nuances
Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.
When Finland celebrated their 100th year of independence they did so in a way that enabled the whole world to share in a slice of their culture, customs, and the overall wonder of their country. This way was to enlist renowned author, Horatio Clare, and install him on an icebreaking ship for eight-weeks. During this time he learned about the job he was witnessing, those who spent most of their lives aboard the solid seas, and the land they returned to when their shifts ...more
When Finland celebrated their 100th year of independence they did so in a way that enabled the whole world to share in a slice of their culture, customs, and the overall wonder of their country. This way was to enlist renowned author, Horatio Clare, and install him on an icebreaking ship for eight-weeks. During this time he learned about the job he was witnessing, those who spent most of their lives aboard the solid seas, and the land they returned to when their shifts ...more
Sometimes it is who you know, rather than what you know, that opens doors and opportunities and Clare had a friend had a contact in the Finnish Embassy. A message came via this link asking:
We are celebrating a hundred years since independence this year: how would you like to travel on a government icebreaker?
As the sea is a natural draw for Clare; his Down to the Sea in Ships travelling with the modern container ships was a quality piece of travel writing about a system that most people are blis ...more
We are celebrating a hundred years since independence this year: how would you like to travel on a government icebreaker?
As the sea is a natural draw for Clare; his Down to the Sea in Ships travelling with the modern container ships was a quality piece of travel writing about a system that most people are blis ...more
Disappointing. The cover was the best thing... as unfortunately the book does not do justice to the subject matter. Clare’s style just isn’t suited to this. At times he tries to elevate his writing with almost philosophical reflection, but doesn’t succeed. However, I thought his technical descriptions were fairly good for the general reader. As a seafarer myself, I just couldn’t help thinking he was a bit arrogant about the icebreaker and it’s hard-working crew. At one point he even writes that
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If someone asks you for a recommendation of a book about Finland- this one it it!
Loved learning about icebreakers, and the ice formation and also about Finnish history.
Loved learning about icebreakers, and the ice formation and also about Finnish history.
Beautifully written, the book is a fascinating account of one voyage (effectively a work-shift) of an icebreaker (Otso) and her crew. Clare’s liking and respect for the men and women with whom he sails shine through, and you find yourself sharing his sympathy for the personalities - particularly Tem, the captain. The sinister undercurrent to the book is the environmental impact of humanity on the planet: global warming will result in the loss of the albedo, which will in turn will accelerate the
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British writer spends a few weeks on a Finnish icebreaker keeping the sea lanes open in the Bay of Bothnia. The first couple of chapters on land are a little shaky, as Clare never really gets beyond the stereotypes of Finnish culture. Once he settles down on board, though, he has a chance to closely observe the crew and their world. He has sharp senses for detail, voice, and character, and I found it easy to see and hear through him. An excellent look at life here in the north and how it is bein
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In Icebreaker, Clare jumps at the chance to spend some time on a working Finnish icebreaker. Not while it's on shore for the summer, but right in the winter, as it trundles along freeing stuck ships and helping get them to where they need to go.
To an extent, this suffers from some of the same problems as Sixty Degrees North. I wanted to know about icebreakers, but even though pretty much the entire book takes place on an icebreaker, there wasn't enough about icebreakers! I read the whole thing a ...more
To an extent, this suffers from some of the same problems as Sixty Degrees North. I wanted to know about icebreakers, but even though pretty much the entire book takes place on an icebreaker, there wasn't enough about icebreakers! I read the whole thing a ...more
Some lovely writing, some cliches and quite a few misspelled Finnish names that would have been simple to fix...
The cold-lover in me wanted to enjoy this book; the degreed meteorologist could not.
Minor offenses include a stunning lack of detail on the ice environment for a book titled "Icebreaker." Here's a short list of things I had to use Google to figure out: what the icebreaker ship looked like, what the ice looked like, what the typical coverage of the ice would be and its proximity to land, how far they were from the arctic circle, the time of year they were at sea, approximate sun angle at the lati ...more
Minor offenses include a stunning lack of detail on the ice environment for a book titled "Icebreaker." Here's a short list of things I had to use Google to figure out: what the icebreaker ship looked like, what the ice looked like, what the typical coverage of the ice would be and its proximity to land, how far they were from the arctic circle, the time of year they were at sea, approximate sun angle at the lati ...more
Cosmic dust is covered in ice and gives stars their twinkle. Sea ice covers the polar saltwater and works as an Earth conditioner. Have you ever wondered, how amazing this solid form of water is? Ice has many different states and as much names. Northern seafarers now them well.
If interstellar ice may expand your awareness of space, then permafrost will blow up your sense of time. Deep inside the Arctic seabed is permafrost from the last ice age. It is many thousand years old and encapsulates hug ...more
If interstellar ice may expand your awareness of space, then permafrost will blow up your sense of time. Deep inside the Arctic seabed is permafrost from the last ice age. It is many thousand years old and encapsulates hug ...more
Firstly, I have to admit that this would not have been my first choice of reading material. You see, I'm doing my local library's reading challenge at the moment, and I picked this book up for the 'not my bag' element. I really thought that it wouldn't be 'my bag' at all - but I was pleasantly surprised. I liked the interactions with the sailors, and the little history lessons were really interesting. There was a lot of description though. In a 220 page book, you would think that there would be
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A great follow-up to dragging through a dense 500 pages is a light 200 page travelogue. Right book, right time. Clarke writes of spending several weeks on an ice breaker on the Gulf of Bothnia, between Sweden and Finland. The book examines Finland and its people as well as considers global warming and its effect on the Far North. It handles Finland and the Finns well and probes a group of people I find interesting. I was less interested in the global warming topics, though obviously it's a conce
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I enjoyed this book as it describes a situation which seems likely to not be required in the near future. This will be a good record for future generations how ports were kept open in the Gulf of Bothnia. My one complaint is the lack of maps showing the area where the ice breaking took place. The background about the history of Finland was very interesting as it is something that rarely gets mentioned in any news items. It makes us realise just how little we know about our near neighbours.
I thoroughly enjoyed this poetic, funny and moving insight into a world I'd never even considered before. Clare somehow makes an ice-breaking ship in the middle of the Bay of Bothnia seem like the best place to be in the world. His descriptions of the ice, the crew and the boat are evocative. A testament to the quiet satisfaction people get from doing a job they love, and doing it well.
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Icebreaker is a really fascinating travel story, written by a master of his craft. It won’t take you long to read, but it will stay with you long afterwards. Definitely read it.
Read my full review on my blog:
http://www.50ayear.com/2018/06/22/22-... ...more
Read my full review on my blog:
http://www.50ayear.com/2018/06/22/22-... ...more
This was a delightful read. An interesting insight into Finnish history is married to an intelligent and empathetic observation of life on an ice breaker ship. The men are sensitively portrayed and the role of the ship is described beautifully. A joy to read!
He joins a Finnish icebreaker in the Baltic Sea, which sounds like dangerous work. With very few birds or animals on the ice it also has a feel of loneliness and bleakness, like a nightmare future world.
Brilliant. Horatio Clare writes so well about the sea, ships and seafarers. Loved it.
An engaging read which begins as a travel book and ends as a reflection on life. Well written, quirky and delightful!
Quite interesting, but a pale shadow of his other shipping book.
Really enjoyed this. An eminently readable book, which makes ships and ice and icebreaking seem beautiful, while also discussing the effect of climate change on the work.
Really struggled with this book, it was really slow and not particularly gripping. Essentially, a story of being on an icebreaker without any real tales of excitment.
A delight to read, beautifully written prose. A melding of agency and reflection, and an insight into Finland's nature, both earthly and characterful.
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My first Horatio Clare book but it certainly won't be my last. Beautiful, lyrical writer.
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A beautifully written response to a coming New York summer heatwave. Clare is a lovely writer.
Mildly diverting report. Unfortunately, I soon got tired of the author's voice. His occasional striving for depth and meaning falls flat, in my opinion.
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2.5
3.5 stars
A beautifully written travelogue that does justice to Finland's scenery, history, and culture. However, as beautifully and vividly as the ice is described, it does get a little old at times and seems repetative. Overall the book is interesting throughout and is an enjoyable read.
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No time like the height of Summer to take to the frozen Bay of Bothnia and accompany Horatio Clare in Icebreaker (Chatto & Windus) as he joins the crew, keeping the sea lanes open and rescuing trapped ships from their frozen vices. Along the way Clare narrates far more about Finland and the Finns - a good introduction for anyone curious about Suomi - and also touches on the concerns for the climate crisis that he discovered more about in his time on board.
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Horatio Clare (b. 1973) is a writer, radio producer and journalist. Born in London, he and his brother Alexander grew up on a hill farm in the Black Mountains of south Wales. Clare describes the experience in his first book Running for the Hills (John Murray 2006) in which he sets out to trace the course and causes of his parents divorce, and recalls the eccentric, romantic and often harsh conditi
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