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Erebus: The Story of a Ship

Michael Palin

4.39 · Rating details · 978 ratings · 152 reviews

In his major new work, Michael Palin – former Monty Python stalwart and much-loved television globe-trotter – brings to life the world and voyages of HMS Erebus, from its construction in the naval dockyards of Pembroke, to the part it played in Ross’s Antarctic expedition of 1839–43, to its abandonment during Franklin’s ill-fated Arctic expedition, and to its final redisco ...more

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Hardcover, 16 pages of plates; illustrations, 334 pages

Published September 20th 2018 by Hutchinson/Random House Books

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Feb 10, 2019 Krista rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019, nonfiction

Cheered on by a crowd of engineers, carpenters, blacksmiths, clerks and their families, the stout, broad-hulled warship they had been building for the past two years slides, stern first, down the slipway at Pembroke Dockyard. The cheers rise to a roar as she strikes the waters of Milford Haven. She bounces, bobs and shakes herself like a newborn waterfowl. Her name is Erebus.

It might be a Canadian thing to be fascinated by the doomed Franklin Expedition that ended on our northern limits – I watc

Cheered on by a crowd of engineers, carpenters, blacksmiths, clerks and their families, the stout, broad-hulled warship they had been building for the past two years slides, stern first, down the slipway at Pembroke Dockyard. The cheers rise to a roar as she strikes the waters of Milford Haven. She bounces, bobs and shakes herself like a newborn waterfowl. Her name is Erebus.

It might be a Canadian thing to be fascinated by the doomed Franklin Expedition that ended on our northern limits – I watched several documentaries with my Dad that came out on the subject as I was growing up – and from the (maybe) tainted tinned goods they consumed to the (unmistakable) signs of cannibalism that eventual recovery missions discovered, this is a tragic tale that has long piqued my interest. Although a longtime Monty Python fan, I had never read one of Michael Palin's travel books before, so I looked forward to starting with his Erebus; a biography of sorts on the ship that Sir John Franklin captained off to its final, frigid resting place. This book is an amazing accumulation of research – from the shipbuilders' blueprints to extensive quotes from her sailors' journals and letters – and Palin paints a vivid and exhaustive story of HMS Erebus' twenty-some years of service. As a noted traveller himself, Palin retraced the routes of the Erebus during his research for this book, and his thoughts and experience from pole to pole breathe modern life into a Victorian tale. I enjoyed this very much and would read Palin again.

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. Sometimes, if you were very lucky, two or three would surface. Watching them was both compulsive and strangely soothing. Of all God's creatures, they seem the least prone to hurrying. Their lives seem to be the human equivalent of taking very long baths. When they did move, it was a performance of beauty and grace, of great weight moved with minimum effort. And there can surely be no better final bow than the languid, quietly powerful rise, flick and fall of the fluke. I like to think that those aboard Erebus drew similar comfort from the whales' company on the long and increasingly hazardous journey south.

I had read before that Erebus, alongside her sister ship HMS Terror, had been captained by James Clark Ross to the Antarctic in search of the Magnetic South Pole, but this part of her story was more vividly evoked here than elsewhere; in particular I marvelled at the mental image of the ice-covered active volcano that Ross fittingly named Mount Erebus. And as for the later Arctic expedition, there wasn't much here that I hadn't already read. Even so, I found value in having the whole story of this ship's lifespan laid out in this way, encapsulating as it does a particular slice of time during the Age of Discovery; a rare time of peace during which the British Navy refitted warships to explore the globe and name, measure, and collect all that they found out there. 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 one stirring chapter, Erebus and Terror got tangled together as they tried to steer through a narrow passageway in an otherwise unbroken series of icebergs, and employing a last ditch effort to put his ship into reverse (under sail power), Ross was able to disentangle the ships and narrowly avoid the crushing wall of ice. Palin quotes from several of the sailors' journals and letters as they later thank God for their safe passage, and then he unnecessarily lectures the reader:

The sternboard manoeuvre that Ross and his crew executed in the most dire and dangerous situation would have been a great gamble at any time. It was this almighty risk, rather than the Almighty himself, that saved the lives of his men.

Palin uncovered much fascinating information – trapped in pack ice off Antarctica on New Year's Day of 1842, the crews of both ships carved a ballroom into the snow and Captain Crozier of the Terror and Captian Ross (in drag) led the dancing; DNA testing of bones from the Franklin Expedition reveal that four of the skeletons had no Y chromosomes (as they were definitely European, either the Y chromosomes had deteriorated, or these seamen were seawomen in disguise) – and I can't fault the comprehensive scholarship behind this effort. And as the insertion of Palin's own thoughts and experience did elevate this book beyond dull textbook-level material for me, I can't ultimately fault him for stretching the limits of what I wanted to hear from him. Overall, a fine read; one that made me glad to be indoors as the snow falls and the wind howls outside my walls. ...more

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Jan 03, 2019 Bill Lynas rated it it was amazing

When epic traveller & comedian Michael Palin completed his final lice performances with the Monty Python team he naturally felt deflated. By chance he became fascinated with HMS Erebus & her fatal Arctic voyage with HMS Terror in 1845, & this excellent book is the result.
Palin provides a wonderful story of the ship's history & early voyages before her ill fated journey to look for the North West Passage with HMS Terror. I first became interested in these two ship's Arctic adventu ...more

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Oct 16, 2018 Ericka Seidemann rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, arctic-antarctic

Palin’s Erebus is a comprehensive account of one of the most famous Arctic and Antarctic exploration vessels. Palin provides a detailed yet compelling overview of the life of Erebus, recently rediscovered in only 36 feet of water in the Arctic, where she has remained since her last voyage with Sir John Franklin in 1845.

Palin’s Erebus reviews the life of the ship, from her first uneventful days as a warship to her watery demise in the mid-1800s in the infamous and mysterious Franklin North West P Palin’s Erebus is a comprehensive account of one of the most famous Arctic and Antarctic exploration vessels. Palin provides a detailed yet compelling overview of the life of Erebus, recently rediscovered in only 36 feet of water in the Arctic, where she has remained since her last voyage with Sir John Franklin in 1845.

Palin’s Erebus reviews the life of the ship, from her first uneventful days as a warship to her watery demise in the mid-1800s in the infamous and mysterious Franklin North West Passage expedition. He offers information and direct quotations from numerous primary sources with engaging narrative, often breaking the tension with some levity. The scholarship is commendable and thorough. I found myself taking copious notes while reading, as I didn’t want to forget a thing.

Although there's not a lot of new information presented here, Palin’s historical account of Erebus is sprinkled with descriptions of his own travels — to Hobart, where Erebus and Terror visited while Franklin was governor of Van Diemen’s Land, to Antarctica in 2014, to various places where Erebus docked during her service, like the Falklands. Palin includes historical accounts of Erebus’s time in these places, as well as his impressions of the landscape as it looks currently, and Erebus’s long-standing legacies.

Palin left no stone unturned, often literally, while tracking Erebus’s journey. He even reviews the plans by the master shipwright who outfitted her for her expedition to the Arctic. He reviews Erebus’s time in Antarctica under James Clark Ross, as well her time under John Franklin, where she ended her tenure. The last chapter of Erebus covers the recent resurgence in the Franklin mystery, and ends with Palin’s visit to Antarctica in 2017, to see the final places along the parties’ sojourn across the ice. I wish he had actually gotten to Erebus, and I look forward to future books containing new information from the recently discovered ships.

Some reviewers have complained that not enough time was spent discussing the Franklin expedition, but honestly, that's not what I was reading this for. The book is called Erebus for a reason, and there's more to this ship than just the Franklin expedition. If you're looking for Franklin information, I recommend Russell Potter's Finding Franklin; Palin's Erebus is a thorough account of Erebus, and I was excited to read this to learn of her lesser-known voyage with James Clark Ross.

Erebus will appeal to Arctic scholars as well as armchair sailors like me. No sentence was superfluous and every chapter offered something engaging.

Highly recommended.

Many thanks to LibraryThing First Reviewers and Greystone Books for this advance copy in exchange for my review. ...more

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Mar 13, 2019 Will Ansbacher rated it it was amazing

Shelves: polar, travel

This is a really interesting story of polar exploration from a slightly different angle. Michael Palin has focussed on the ships – the Erebus mainly, but also her sister ship the Terror – that were the common elements of two great Antarctic and Arctic expeditions in the 1840’s, as England obsessively attempted to be the first to discover the extreme ends of the earth.

The first, magnificently successful voyage was a four-year, three-winter discovery of the Antarctic, led by James Clark Ross, not ...more

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Jan 17, 2019 Chris Steeden rated it really liked it

I was lucky enough to get this copy of Erebus at a book signing with Palin. Nice chap he is too I must say. Erebus? What’s all this about then? Well, on 09-Sep-2014 the Prime Minister of Canada announced that a Canadian underwater archaeology team had discovered what they believed to be the HMS Erebus that had been lost for almost 170 years on the seabed somewhere in the Arctic.

Erebus

Palin transports us back in time to 1826 when the bomb vessel, Erebus, was launched from Pembroke Dockyard in Wales. Sh I was lucky enough to get this copy of Erebus at a book signing with Palin. Nice chap he is too I must say. Erebus? What’s all this about then? Well, on 09-Sep-2014 the Prime Minister of Canada announced that a Canadian underwater archaeology team had discovered what they believed to be the HMS Erebus that had been lost for almost 170 years on the seabed somewhere in the Arctic.

Erebus

Palin transports us back in time to 1826 when the bomb vessel, Erebus, was launched from Pembroke Dockyard in Wales. She wasn’t actually needed for war as it turned out. Victorian times were fast approaching and there was a new gig in town. Exploration. Travel and scientific. He provides a historical overview of Erebus’s voyages and she had an exceptional one to the Antarctic in the late 1830’s early 1840s. What a journey it is. They journey there was with Erebus’s sister ship, Terror. Erebus and Terror. There are plenty of quotes from those on-board at the time providing a very real sense of the journey and what they got up to. Parties, science and close disasters are the order of the day it seems.

Erebus

James Clark Ross was the captain of Erebus. ‘It might be said it was James Cook who defined the Antarctic Region, and James Ross who discovered it’ wrote Captain Scott.

Erebus

Palin travels as well to the some of the places that Erebus got to like Tasmania, Falkland Islands and Ascension Island.

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. I had not realised the extent to which interest lay in this particular voyage and its mysterious aftermath. It is quite enthralling.

I don’t know if you are the same but when you meet the author and have the physical book signed it does make it very special and I seem to enjoy the book even more. Maybe just me? That being the case I did enjoy the book even though I had read some average reviews. Definitely recommended for you history buffs out there. The two journeys, south and north, by Erebus are amazing. I feel embarrassed that I did not know more about it before reading this. Palin has put me right. ...more

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Oct 15, 2018 Timothy rated it it was amazing

Utterly enthralling, compulsive stuff. I was already quite familiar with the doomed Franklin Expedition but this adds a whole new layer to it, plus new stuff i was not aware of, which has been meticulously and lovingly researched by Palin.
Add to that - the amazing narration by Palin himself, it has to be only way to devour this book.
I could listen to him narrate the phone book.

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Nov 23, 2018 Rob Thompson rated it really liked it

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, i ...more

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Mar 07, 2019 Noa rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned

Such a fun and interesting read! Especially in tandem with watching the show The Terror, which is a fictional, supernatural account of the second great voyage of the Erebus and her sister ship Terror. It reads like a British documentary, in a good way.

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Oct 02, 2018 Bettie☯ rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: bbc listeners

Shelves: autumn-2018, snow-times, skeletons-in-the-cupboard, hell-breaks-loose-one-night-ashore, published-2018, halloween-2018, boo-scary

BOTW

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000...

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Oct 13, 2018 Laura rated it really liked it

Recommended to Laura by: Bettie☯

Shelves: adventure, antarctica, british-literature, history, non-fiction, travel, read-2018

From BBC Radio 4 - Book of the Week:
Michael Palin reads from his new book, abridged by Penny Leicester, about the mysterious and tragic voyage of HMS Erebus in 1845:

A 19th century botanist, Joseph Hooker, and a press conference in Canada in 2014 sharpen the author's interest in the story. Erebus made a successful journey to the Antarctic and was being rigged and loaded for a second expedition to the Northwest Passage. Hopes were high when she finally set off with HMS Terror from Greenhithe on th ...more

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Oct 15, 2018 Erik rated it it was ok

I really wanted to love Michael Palin’s new book “Erebus”. I really did. I am a fan not just of his comedy, but also of his travel shows. Additionally, the lost Franklin expedition that sank the Erebus and the Terror is something I have been interested in for years. I thought this would be a perfect storm (pun intended) for a reviewer’s book. Unfortunately, I didn’t love this book. Palin does an excellent job provided the facts and using period documents to tell the story of Erebus from birth to ...more

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Jan 30, 2019 Peter rated it really liked it

As a Canadian, the story and the tragedy of the Franklin exploration is one that is never far from the surface of our collective mythology. When then Prime Minister Stephen Harper made his announcement of the finding of the first ship, it made the headlines in both print and electronic media. With the finding of the Erebus, our country was once again fascinated. And here I am today, it’s -32C with the wind chill in Toronto, and I’ve just finished Michael Palin’s book. For the last five years I l As a Canadian, the story and the tragedy of the Franklin exploration is one that is never far from the surface of our collective mythology. When then Prime Minister Stephen Harper made his announcement of the finding of the first ship, it made the headlines in both print and electronic media. With the finding of the Erebus, our country was once again fascinated. And here I am today, it’s -32C with the wind chill in Toronto, and I’ve just finished Michael Palin’s book. For the last five years I lived in Victoria, British Columbia. At the bottom of my street was the Coast Guard dock where the Sir Wilfred Laurier moored. This ship was instrumental in the search for and discovery of the Franklin ships. I don’t recount this to brag, but to reflect on how history is much more meaningful when you can be surrounded by it, involved in it, immersed in it, in any way.

This book gives a detailed and informative look at both the life of Sir John Franklin and, more importantly, of HMS “Terror” And HMS “Erebus.” Palin takes us back to the ships’ beginnings. We see their plans, we then sail with the crews and suffer with them as the ships explore and move through the Antarctic.

Next, we see the ships as they languish in dock in England. We experience Lady Jane Franklin’s energy to get the ships for her husband. We work beside Sir John Franklin as the ships are rebuild and provisioned for their exploration to the Arctic. Finally, we read Palin as he documents, speculates and draws on the resources of earlier writers to piece together the enormous struggle the crews faced in the Arctic.

There is much to be amazed at with these men. For me, it was the sense of time. They did not face a few cold days on a ship. Rather, they were ice-bound for years in weather and conditions which are inconceivable to me.

Palin is a fine writer and the book was engrossing to read. If I could I would give it 4 1/2 stars. My only quibble, and this is one I have with many history books and biographies, is that while a complete bibliography is given, within the letterpress there is often no indication of where the source of a letter, an historical reference, or other material of research was initially resourced. Such footnoting seems to be fading in most recent biographies and other material. I, for one, enjoy plowing through footnotes.

Nevertheless, this is a must read for anyone interested in British Naval history, The Franklin Expedition, Artic exploration, or Canadian history.

...more

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Dec 22, 2018 Katia M. Davis rated it it was amazing

I wanted to read this book as soon as I saw it was available. I wanted to buy a hardback copy to put on my shelf along with my other 'disaster' books. Unfortunately every time I went to buy a copy from my local store, it was sold out (which I took as a good sign). I had to resort to the ebook version. I'll get a hardback too at some point.

This is an excellent discussion of the failed Franklin Expedition. It has been thoroughly researched, includes plenty of documentation and goes through the imp ...more

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Jan 30, 2019 Wendy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Always enjoy Michael Palin's books. Even better if one listens to the audiobook. Read an article about the Erebus and then discovered that Michael Palin has a book on the subject. It's written and researched well. Then we get the well-traveled author's perspective on the places that the ships, Erebus and Terror, have been to. One can see how it must have been during those times of discoveries. Sure, the motive is mainly colonialism, to spread British culture to the "uncivilized". But there is al ...more

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Feb 01, 2019 Vitek Novy rated it it was amazing

Michael Palin, známý především jako někdejší člen britské komediální skupiny Monty Python, zde sepsal velice poutavé vyprávění o polárních cestách lodi HMS Erebus. Notně zde čerpal z deníků a dopisů jednotlivých členů posádky a tím sestavil vcelku komplexní obraz toho jak to na lodi vypadalo a jak se na ní žilo. Ke konci nabízí několik teorií ohledně tragického konce Franklinovy expedice. Skvělá kniha!

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Mar 25, 2019 Richard rated it it was amazing

This is a gripping and fascinating story of the “Erebus” and its companion ship, “Terror”. Both were built as slow but strongly constructed and very stable bomb ships outfitted to fire shells against land-based armies. The older and slightly smaller “Terror” was actually used during the Napoleonic Wars but the war was over before the “Erebus” was ready for use. They were both then strengthened and adapted for polar exploration which remained their function and the two were always used together.

T ...more

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Nov 03, 2018 Barry Turner rated it liked it

Ha ha I was ploughing through this much like the ship itself carved out a foothold in Arctic waters. Progess slowed - mine that is - with growing realisation I was struggling to read it. Subsequently turned out I gotta cataract.
But blessed is the Lord. On BBCiplayer is an abridged reading of the book by Palin himself. Much easier! This audiobook lark could catch on!

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Feb 22, 2019 Barry Martin Vass rated it it was amazing

This is a fascinating account of British Naval history. When the Napoleonic Wars ended in 1815 with Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, Great Britain was heavily in debt and had a vast surplus of warships. Eventually these fighting ships were turned to exploration as Britain slowly changed course. And the ships ultimately chosen for Polar exploration were known as bomb vessels, or simply "bombs". They were short and squat (imagine a stubby, overbuilt tugboat with sails), and because they fired mortar This is a fascinating account of British Naval history. When the Napoleonic Wars ended in 1815 with Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, Great Britain was heavily in debt and had a vast surplus of warships. Eventually these fighting ships were turned to exploration as Britain slowly changed course. And the ships ultimately chosen for Polar exploration were known as bomb vessels, or simply "bombs". They were short and squat (imagine a stubby, overbuilt tugboat with sails), and because they fired mortars off the upper decks, their decks and hulls were designed to be the strongest in the Royal Navy. So the thinking was that they were perfect for pushing their way through the pack-ice common at both Poles. (A footnote to this story: in their last action, the siege of Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor in the War of 1812, these "bombs" were immortalized in The Star Spangled Banner : "the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air" refers to these ships flinging heavy mortars throughout the night at the fort.) And if you're wondering about the name, the names of some ships in those days were meant to frighten or intimidate opponents: in Greek mythology, Erebus refers to the deepest, darkest recesses of Hell; similarly, her sister ship was the HMS Terror. This book covers the successful 1839-1843 Antarctic explorations by James Clark Ross, as well as the disastrous search for the Northwest Passage by Sir John Franklin begun in 1845 and the subsequent search for Erebus and Terror over the years. Michael Palin, one of the founding members of Monty Python as well as a former president of the Royal Geographical Society, has certainly done his homework for this one. He has traveled to many of the stops of these expeditions, from the Falklands to Baffin Bay, and has reproduced letters from many of the participants, including the officers, seamen, even an Irish Marine sergeant aboard the Terror. Here's a sample of the writing: "By now, everyone aboard must have realized this was why they had set out. This was exploration. Every nautical mile, every break in the clouds brought with it something no one on earth had ever seen before. At the same time the conditions were becoming harsher. The temperatures had dropped away further and an unhelpful southerly wind had strengthened. To ride it out, Erebus had to reef her sails, which must have been bitterly uncomfortable work for the crew. "Freezing very sharp," wrote (Marine Sergeant) Cunningham, "every Rope frozen and icicles hanging from all the Rigging and Gear." By tradition, the men who had to trim the sails wore no gloves, for these were felt to impede a secure grip." The mark of a great story is that you want it to go on and on; I was definitely sorry when this one ended. ...more

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Dec 17, 2018 Trista rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was a great adventure and as far as Franklin's voyage to the North, horrifically sad. For not being sure that I would get into this book at first, I was fully invested in Franklin's doomed crew by the middle/end. I even shed a tear or two reading about the hardships these poor fools suffered.

Erebus is the first work by Palin that I've read and the first nonfiction I've read on a subject such as this. He covered a lot of ground in this work; both literally and figuratively. I would say he's This was a great adventure and as far as Franklin's voyage to the North, horrifically sad. For not being sure that I would get into this book at first, I was fully invested in Franklin's doomed crew by the middle/end. I even shed a tear or two reading about the hardships these poor fools suffered.

Erebus is the first work by Palin that I've read and the first nonfiction I've read on a subject such as this. He covered a lot of ground in this work; both literally and figuratively. I would say he's a good writer and thorough, I didn't find myself asking questions that he didn't address. His narration style is a well balanced mix between academic and conversational, the characters and the time are painted in as much color and life as recorded history allows.

I was happy to learn that while on Orkney Island last June, I had seen the grave of John Rae, the first person to discover the human remains of Erebus and Terror 7 or 8 years after their departure, and unfortunately the first to also report of the cannibalism the men had to resort to.

What I learned about taking an epic and dangerous voyage, pre communication device and GPS:

1. LEAVE MESSAGES/Reports, many of them, for posterity and potentially for your own rescue
2. Take a dedicated and amiable crew and officers but perhaps more wisely, take people who have made the journey or similar journeys before
3. Don't skimp on the quality of your food for the voyage (Rotten food cheaply and excessively sealed with lead KILLS)
4. Learn at least some of a language of the people you may encounter
5. Keep friends at home who will actually see to it that you are searched for ASAP -like, as in the month you're supposed to have returned but didn't
6. Don't use man power to carry goods you may need on land
7. Have an incessant, determined to near pain in the ass spouse who will rally up the forces in your name, including snooty, English bitches like Charles Dickens, to ensure you will be honored as a hero back home for eternity even though you may fail. ...more

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Jan 23, 2019 Elizabeth Lloyd rated it it was amazing

This is a book of heroes, the daring, handsome James Clark Ross, who mapped much of the Antarctic coastline, the unlucky John Franklin, whose ambitious adventurous spirit ended in a disastrous expedition and the gallant ship which linked their lives, the Erebus. It was the rediscovery of the wreck of HMS Erebus on the seabed in Queen Maud Gulf in 2014 that prompted this book.

Written by Michael Palin, whom we know so well as an adventurous traveller on our TV screens, this amazing story is an eas ...more

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Mar 16, 2019 Andrew Hall rated it really liked it

Palin covers the life of the HMS Erebus, and its crews, from its launch in 1826 until it vanished with its sister ship, the HMS Terror, in a search for the Northwest Passage in 1846. Palin is a witty but thorough story-teller. The story starts off a bit slow, but the relating of the 1839-1843 Ross Expedition to Antartica was fascinating, using a variety of diaries, letters, and other sources. The story of doomed 1845 Franklin expedition was gripping and chilling. With (almost) no remaining writt ...more

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Jan 13, 2019 Laura HP rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: canadian-history, world-history

This is an excellent, gripping book about 2 incredible voyages at the height of Britain's golden age of naval exploration. Palin successfully brings the major characters in both journeys to life and his narrative is both informative and highly readable. The book is amazingly engrossing and moving - reading it takes you from the suspenseful, ultimately triumphant Antarctic Ross voyage, crashing down into the doomed, brutal Franklin voyage that killed everyone on board. Each of those voyages can f ...more

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Feb 11, 2019 Ard rated it really liked it

Shelves: history, non-fiction

I wouldn't have known about the Erebus, its sister ship Terror and even the Franklin Expedition, if it wasn't for Dan Simmon's epic novel "The Terror". To this day, that is one of the most exciting, chilling and impressive thrillers I have ever read and the fact that it was based on true events (at least to a certain degree) and so very well researched made it all the more tantalizing.

"Erebus" by Michael Palin took me back to those memories of wondering what might really have happened to that d ...more

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Jan 25, 2019 Vera rated it really liked it

As to be expected from Michael Palin, this is a captivating account of the story of Erebus and Terror, and Arctic (and Antarctic) expeditions in the mid-19th century. Although the book felt like it started out a bit slow, it soon picked up and became an absolutely fascinating story of adventure, sea travels and discovering uncharted lands.

Is there anything cooler than reading about the ins and outs of planning a large-scale expedition, the set-up of ships and cabins, and the incredibly challeng ...more

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Oct 12, 2018 Marie rated it it was amazing

A fabulous book!

The story of Erebus and all who sailed on her, is a story that was desperate to be told, and well, Michael Palin is the perfect storyteller in which to do it!

It's testement to all the journals, diaries and sketches kept by the explorers on Erebus, and thankfully all the documents that have happily survived, but Palin must have left no stone unturned in the research of this book, he writes beautifully, and actually, he writes almost as though he was deployed as the ship's report ...more

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Nov 29, 2018 Phil Ford rated it really liked it

I have read a lot of books on the tragic Franklin Expedition, obviously involving the fated ship Erebus. I have never read one specifically about the ship, nor have I read anything by Michael Palin. This was wonderful. A book easily geared toward someone who is interested in history but doesn't necessarily need excruciating detail, although this book is chock full of the many adventures of this formidable ship and its crew. Palin has a delightful way of adding his personality throughout, with li ...more

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Dec 29, 2018 Mrs B rated it it was amazing

A highly compelling and fascinating narrative, focussed on the Antarctic and Arctic voyages of the British explorer ship Erebus (and her sister ship Terror). Michael Palin successfully describes not just the ship’s journeys, but the ambitions and disappointments of those who lead her. I like the way Palin also dovetails his own travel experiences but in an unobtrusive way, so that his personal commentary doesn’t detract from the comprehensive research that forms the backbone of the book. A reall ...more

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Apr 04, 2019 Tracey rated it it was amazing

Absolutely loved this book. A truly fascinating and thought provoking story of the ships HMS Erebus and her sister ship HMS Terror and their expeditions to the Antarctic led by James Clark Ross and the then ill fated expedition to the Arctic led by Sir John Franklin. Really interesting to here how the ships were equipped before the Arctic expedition, when they were last heard of, theories about what happened and all about the rescue missions to find them and the recent finding of both of the shi ...more

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Apr 11, 2019 Antonín Sander rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction, travel, history

Tato kniha ze mě udělala fanouška lodí. Je to mistrovské dílo vytesané do ledu. Michael Palin posbíral zápisky polárních námořníků a záznamy z tehdejšího tisku a čtenáři je předává ve skvostné formě, která mě pohltila. Autor se podíval takřka na všechna místa, kterými kdy loď Erebus (i Terror) plula a já měl pocit jako kdybych tam byl s ním.
Při četbě o utrpení námořníků mi bylo fyzicky zle. Toto dílo se vás dotkne. Mrazivé.
Výborný překlad Martiny Šímové.

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Nov 25, 2018 Darlene Stericker rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A slow start but by the second year in Antartica, this book is fascinating. At first I did not appreciate the author's incursions into the story with his wry observations but they made more sense by the end of the book. This was an excellent retelling of the history of Erebus with much research and documentation.

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About Michael Palin

Michael Palin

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Michael Edward Palin, CBE, is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries.

Palin wrote most of his material with Terry Jones. Before Monty Python, they had worked on other shows such as The Ken Dodd Show, The Frost Report and Do Not Adjust Your Set. Palin appeared in some of the ...more