I gave this book a mention in the thread about Shackleton's ship being found, and just got around to reading it. I blew through it in three days. It is an absolutely fascinating read written by Michael Palin. He writes in an extremely warm, inviting style. Turning the pages you can almost imagine yourself sitting in a pub drinking a pint with Palin as he weaves a tale. You could understandably think that the subject matter is dry, but he creates a wonderful storyline for you, and richly details the events. Even if you don't know anything about sailing, and I know very little, he casually weaves in the bits about the hardware of a ship, navigation, and the such.
To be precise, the book title should say it's about two ships on two epic voyages. The Erebus and The Terror were British "bomb ships". Think of the Star Spangled Banner when you think of the ships. They were built to hold large mortars and bombard shore positions. They were short, plodding things with wide hulls and relatively shallow drafts. Though they did handle well at sea, their principle advantage was their great strength and ability to hold up under extreme conditions, including being trapped in heavy ice. As Britain entered a relatively peaceful era in the 1830s, the ships were repurposed for exploration. Palin takes you to the town of Pembroke in Wales, a hub of British shipbuilding for over 100 years. He walks the town and explains where the master shipbuilders toiled away. It's something he repeats throughout the book. He travels to the various ports of call the Erebus and Terror visited in their travels. The Falklands, Ascension Island, Tasmania, all the way to a pebble strewn island where the ships began their tragic end. He walks where the crew walked and creates an image in your mind of what the crews saw.
After a four year journey to Antarctica, the ships and crew returned as heroes. After a brief respite a new captain was chosen for the Erebus, the Terror kept her captain, crews were fleshed out as many men had had enough adventure for a lifetime, and they set off again looking for the NW passage on a journey that was expected to last another four years. After two years and no word from them, expeditions were mounted to find the crews. Small bits and pieces, and tales from Inuit hunters were discovered, but only recently have the ships been found, and most of their tragic end detailed.
It's a very good read, and one you should consider giving as a gift with Fathers Day approaching if you have someone that loves a great historical read.
To be precise, the book title should say it's about two ships on two epic voyages. The Erebus and The Terror were British "bomb ships". Think of the Star Spangled Banner when you think of the ships. They were built to hold large mortars and bombard shore positions. They were short, plodding things with wide hulls and relatively shallow drafts. Though they did handle well at sea, their principle advantage was their great strength and ability to hold up under extreme conditions, including being trapped in heavy ice. As Britain entered a relatively peaceful era in the 1830s, the ships were repurposed for exploration. Palin takes you to the town of Pembroke in Wales, a hub of British shipbuilding for over 100 years. He walks the town and explains where the master shipbuilders toiled away. It's something he repeats throughout the book. He travels to the various ports of call the Erebus and Terror visited in their travels. The Falklands, Ascension Island, Tasmania, all the way to a pebble strewn island where the ships began their tragic end. He walks where the crew walked and creates an image in your mind of what the crews saw.
After a four year journey to Antarctica, the ships and crew returned as heroes. After a brief respite a new captain was chosen for the Erebus, the Terror kept her captain, crews were fleshed out as many men had had enough adventure for a lifetime, and they set off again looking for the NW passage on a journey that was expected to last another four years. After two years and no word from them, expeditions were mounted to find the crews. Small bits and pieces, and tales from Inuit hunters were discovered, but only recently have the ships been found, and most of their tragic end detailed.
It's a very good read, and one you should consider giving as a gift with Fathers Day approaching if you have someone that loves a great historical read.
