History

Erebus: The Story of a Ship

Erebus: The Story of a Ship

  • Downloads：1544
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-07-08 09:54:50
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Michael Palin
  • ISBN：1784758574
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

In the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign， HMS Erebus undertook two of the most ambitious naval expeditions of all time。

On the first， she ventured further south than any human had ever been。 On the second， she vanished with her 129-strong crew in the wastes of the Canadian Arctic。

Her fate remained a mystery for over 160 years。

Then， in 2014， she was found。

This is her story。
_______________

BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK

‘Beyond terrific 。 。 。 I didn’t want it to end。’ Bill Bryson

‘Illuminated by flashes of gentle wit 。 。 。 It’s a fascinating story that [Palin] brings full-bloodedly to life。’ Guardian

‘This is an incredible book 。 。 。 The Erebus story is the Arctic epic we’ve all been waiting for。’ Nicholas Crane

‘Thoroughly absorbs the reader。 。 。 Carefully researched and well-crafted， it brings the story of a ship vividly to life。’ Sunday Times

‘A great story 。 。 。 Told in a very relaxed and sometimes – as you might expect – very funny Palin style。’ David Baddiel， Daily Mail

‘Magisterial 。 。 。 Brings energy， wit and humanity to a story that has never ceased to tantalise people since the 1840s。’ The Times

Download

Reviews

Dave P ，

Became very interested in the ship’s final journey through being a big fan of The Terror。 It was great to learn more about this ship’s and the men’s earlier， more successful adventures。

James ，

A good accompaniment to the HBO miniseries The Terror， and another book about living and working in the Arctic “The Last Gentleman Adventurer”All 3 recommended

A ，

Sometimes there is a thin line between what is interesting and what is not。 And in the case of reading， it can be purely subjective。 As much as I like Michael Palin's other books， this book did not capture my imagination。 Sometimes there is a thin line between what is interesting and what is not。 And in the case of reading， it can be purely subjective。 As much as I like Michael Palin's other books， this book did not capture my imagination。 。。。more

Stephen King ，

I knew some of the background to HMS Erebus but I thought this was a really good read， Michael Palin is really engaging in the way he writes and brings this story of exploration on the edge of the known world to life gathering up a wealth of information from many sources。 Definitely worth a read。

Matt Whittingham ，

The story of HMS Erebus， and its sister ship Terror， continues to captivate the imagination 180 years after they set sail on their last fateful voyage。 A beguiling set of circumstances perhaps explains the enduring fascination。 The almost complete absence of any firm evidence of the crew and ship's whereabouts for over a century。 The disputed accounts from the Inuit， who spoke of finding the remains of some of the crew in a tent， with evidence of cannibalism。 The multiple， unsuccessful， rescue v The story of HMS Erebus， and its sister ship Terror， continues to captivate the imagination 180 years after they set sail on their last fateful voyage。 A beguiling set of circumstances perhaps explains the enduring fascination。 The almost complete absence of any firm evidence of the crew and ship's whereabouts for over a century。 The disputed accounts from the Inuit， who spoke of finding the remains of some of the crew in a tent， with evidence of cannibalism。 The multiple， unsuccessful， rescue voyages in the decade immediately following the disappearance。 And most powerfully， the mesmerising and terrifying vision， of two ships， frozen in the ice， in one of the earth's most inhospitable and remote environmentsThe recent discovery of both ships brings some new insights into what exactly befell them， while at the same time， sparking new theories as to the exact sequence of events after both ships became trapped in the ice。 Michael Palin has fallen under the spell， as he joins the multiple ranks of successive historians， both amateur and professional， who have sought to understand and explain the story。 He gives an in-depth account of the ship's prior polar voyages， and in doing vividly brings to life the hardships and camaraderie of life on board ship。 The characters of the final two captains to command the ships， Franklin and Crozier are well rendered。 The recent discovery of both ships brings some new insights into what exactly befell them， while at the same time， sparking new theories as to the exact sequence of events after both ships became trapped in the ice。 If there is one criticism of the book， it's that there is not more detail on the Canadian discovery of both the ships and the potential new explanations behind their being found South West of King William Island， some distance from their initial abandonment。Overall， especially for those new to the story， this account is recommended。 。。。more

Eve Baker ，

I really enjoyed Dan Simmons's The Terror on screen and in print。 Here Michael Palin gives us the facts， such as they are， of the final voyage of Franklin and HMS Erebus。 It's a good balance， well-researched and very entertainingly told。 I really enjoyed Dan Simmons's The Terror on screen and in print。 Here Michael Palin gives us the facts， such as they are， of the final voyage of Franklin and HMS Erebus。 It's a good balance， well-researched and very entertainingly told。 。。。more

Katie （wife of book） ，

I am obsessed with the Lost Franklin Expedition so this book was a must-read for me。 I had no idea of the achievements of Erebus and Terror before their infamous journey to find the North West Passage， and Palin tells the story so well。The book follows Erebus from her creation in Pembroke to her journey to the far south， and then her demise in the far north。 The men mentioned in this book will be familiar to anyone with an interest in Polar exploration， and it's amazing to read how far these men I am obsessed with the Lost Franklin Expedition so this book was a must-read for me。 I had no idea of the achievements of Erebus and Terror before their infamous journey to find the North West Passage， and Palin tells the story so well。The book follows Erebus from her creation in Pembroke to her journey to the far south， and then her demise in the far north。 The men mentioned in this book will be familiar to anyone with an interest in Polar exploration， and it's amazing to read how far these men reached。 I liked that Palin followed the story of Erebus by visiting the significant locations in her history， and I enjoyed his descriptions of how the places have stayed the same or how they've changed。 He has used many firsthand sources but has also read up on all the books written about Erebus and Terror， and sop he gives us both a snapshot of life on the ships， as well as a summary and ideas about what could have happened on their final voyage。I loved all the photos， and the maps and pictures at the start of each chapter。 This is a wonderful and interesting book that any fan of arctic exploration will love。 。。。more

Sarah ，

Such an enjoyable and interesting read。 Palin sets out the story in a way that brings it to life without compromising on the historical fact。

Tony Pulford ，

Well worth readingHaving watched many of the authors travel programs this book was equally entertaining。 He spares no effort in investigating the subject and once one embarks on reading this fine book it’s compelling reading。

Jorge Shaft ，

I enjoy polar exploration stories。 This one is no exception。 Fascinating book。

Keith Hayling ，

Really good book retelling the story of the lost ships HMS Erebus and later with HMS Terror Artic expedition。 Early in the book you are made aware of the fate of these ships。

David Stringer ，

A nice， relaxed and interesting read。 Never gripped me， hence the dropped stars in ratings。

Francis Auty ，

Brilliant research by Michael Palin。Really good book

Swinford McTaggart ，

A wonderfully written and researched account of the voyages and travails of the good ship Erebus。 You can hear Palin's voice reading it to you。 Absolutely fascinating story and ultimately very tragic。 Highly recommended。 A wonderfully written and researched account of the voyages and travails of the good ship Erebus。 You can hear Palin's voice reading it to you。 Absolutely fascinating story and ultimately very tragic。 Highly recommended。 。。。more

Colin Hayes ，

I didn't know anything about the HMS Erebus of its sister ship The Terror before reading this book。 It was the fact that Michael Palin wrote the book that attracted me to it and I wasn't disappointed。Very well researched it tells the story of The Erebus （and The Terror）， firstly its Antarctic voyage Captained by James Clark Ross where it traveled further South than any vessel had previously travelled then it's ill fated expedition to the Canadian Arctic under the command of Sir John Franklin。 Th I didn't know anything about the HMS Erebus of its sister ship The Terror before reading this book。 It was the fact that Michael Palin wrote the book that attracted me to it and I wasn't disappointed。Very well researched it tells the story of The Erebus （and The Terror）， firstly its Antarctic voyage Captained by James Clark Ross where it traveled further South than any vessel had previously travelled then it's ill fated expedition to the Canadian Arctic under the command of Sir John Franklin。 The wreckage of of was found in 2014 I found the second half of the account the most interesting as he pieces together what happened to the ships。 We know right from the start the fate of the ships so there's a certain sense of inevitability as we approach it's final voyage。 Palin is always a good read and the book is well researched and is peppered with his trademark wit。 It's a fascinating story and Palin really brings alive a subject that I wouldn't usually have bothered with。 Fantastic read， I really enjoyed it。 。。。more

Ash Lucas ，

Highly recommend， adventure on the high seas with interesting characters， what’s not to like。。。oh

Declan Waters ，

Palin has made himself into a premier travel writer， but he also has links to the Geographical Society and it is these links that start him looking at the story of Arctic and Antarctic exploration by Britain in the 19th Century - in particular the crews and two small wooden ships - Erebus & Terror。The story fairly wizzes along at a great pace with exploration， daring and danger throughout。 The first of the two expeditions - to the Antarctic - is in most ways a success and as both ships return Pa Palin has made himself into a premier travel writer， but he also has links to the Geographical Society and it is these links that start him looking at the story of Arctic and Antarctic exploration by Britain in the 19th Century - in particular the crews and two small wooden ships - Erebus & Terror。The story fairly wizzes along at a great pace with exploration， daring and danger throughout。 The first of the two expeditions - to the Antarctic - is in most ways a success and as both ships return Palin draws on the historical records to tell the story of this adventure。 When he gets to the doomed Arctic expedition of course， there is less information and less story to tell， but Palin continues to tell it well， and brings us up to date with the searches for the ships since their disappearance on the search for the Northwest Passage。There are times where the history is replaced with Palin's anecdotes of travelling to the same places 150 years later， but there is no diminishing of the story for this， and - with Palin's natural humour - adds to the understanding of the reader。 。。。more

Meredith ，

Quite a well written book on a very fascinating subject， read by the author， who is a talented actor and speaker。 Recommended！One really must admire the achievements of the Victorian and pre-Victorian explorers。 They may not always have been particularly subtle or sensitive in their execution， but they Did Real Stuff。 It must have been very moving to find those two ships and artifacts in Nunavut some 140 years after their disappearance， when all who knew them and their crews were long dead。Note: Quite a well written book on a very fascinating subject， read by the author， who is a talented actor and speaker。 Recommended！One really must admire the achievements of the Victorian and pre-Victorian explorers。 They may not always have been particularly subtle or sensitive in their execution， but they Did Real Stuff。 It must have been very moving to find those two ships and artifacts in Nunavut some 140 years after their disappearance， when all who knew them and their crews were long dead。Note: Kudos to former PM Stephen Harper for his stance on Canada’s Arctic sovereignty。 Boy oh boy， do I ever miss you， Mr Harper。 。。。more

Rowena Abdul Razak ，

An easy to read account of Erebus’ fascinating （and ultimately tragic） history。

Jo ，

Couldn't put this down Couldn't put this down 。。。more

Abigail Westbrook ，

This book is told in more of a textbook style vs adventure story style， so I found it more tedious to get through than others I have read of this genre。 The author also inserted himself into the saga more often than I would have preferred。 But it is nonetheless an amazing story of a ship and some of the main players in polar exploration during the mid-1850s - and the surprising modern discoveries that have followed。

Siobhan ，

I learnt a lot about myself reading this book。 I learnt that historical books about tragic voyages to the North West passage are not for me。 So bleak and depressing， why did they want to go？ But I give it 4 stars because it is really well written and well researched and when it wasnt depressing me it was interesting。

David ，

Entertainingly written but not so much the story of a ship as the story of the closely connected group of people who took it first to the Antarctic and then to the Arctic where （spoiler alert） it and they disappeared， never to be found again。 Until recently， when they found the ship under water， which is where ships often end up。

Victor ，

Fascinating and well researched。 If you enjoy learning about this age of discovery it is well worth the time。

Clancy ，

very slow start but worth it in the end

Unnursvana ，

Such non-fiction books tend to make me space out while reading them if they do not have a good enough narrative or gripping story that hooks me。 The more scholarly they are and the less narrative they have， the worse time I have getting through them， unless I am passionate about what I’m reading， and Erabus fell into that trap a bit。 And I also knew the story of this expedition already， so maybe it pulled me away from the narrative and the excitement of it a bit。

Lee Belbin ，

An inciteful history of to English navy ships converted to polar exploration。 A trail of place names document the significance of their voyages: Mt Erebus and Mt Terror in the Antarctic; Erebus and Terror Bay in the Canadian Arctic; Erebus Crater on Mars and Terror Rupes Escarpment on Mercury！ A well-written saga of the hardships that in 2021， are impossible to imagine。

Sue Dunlop ，

An excellent book。 Michael Palin writes a terrific story full of interesting details， geography， geology， history and opens up artic exploration to a 'soft' generation。 An excellent book。 Michael Palin writes a terrific story full of interesting details， geography， geology， history and opens up artic exploration to a 'soft' generation。 。。。more

Philip Wright ，

Absolutely fascinating book。 Not sure how the story of the expeditions of Erebus had passed me by previously！

Sue ，

Completely fascinating account of the story of HMS Erebus and Terror from the laying of the keel to the discovery of their submerged wrecks in 2014 and 2016。 Michael Palin， as always， retells the incredible story in his own easy-to-read style which combines a mixture of information and detail of the ships' Antarctic and Arctic adventures， weaving in memories of his own extensive adventures。It's a shame the fate of Franklin's expedition wasn't discovered earlier， but for British arrogance which a Completely fascinating account of the story of HMS Erebus and Terror from the laying of the keel to the discovery of their submerged wrecks in 2014 and 2016。 Michael Palin， as always， retells the incredible story in his own easy-to-read style which combines a mixture of information and detail of the ships' Antarctic and Arctic adventures， weaving in memories of his own extensive adventures。It's a shame the fate of Franklin's expedition wasn't discovered earlier， but for British arrogance which at the time refused to acknowledge the testimony of the Inuit people's who it turns out gave accurate witness statements。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Erebus: The Story of a Ship

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Erebus: The Story of a Ship&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Erebus: The Story of a Ship&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0