Nicholas Crane, current president of the Royal Geographical Society, has described Palin, one of his predecessors, as “the world’s most appealing practitioner of geographical curiosity”, and it’s that curiosity which drives his stirring new book . Thoroughly sifts through the many varied and often contradictory theories about what happened to the 129 men aboard Franklin’s two ships. In the early years of Queen Victoria's reign, HMS Erebus undertook two of the most ambitious naval expeditions of all time. Tanto che, nel tempo, nuove spedizioni, testimonianze di inuit e iniziative isolate di marinai e studiosi, hanno portato a ricomporre il complesso puzzle della sciagurata spedizione.

L autore ci narra chiaramente e senza troppi tecnicismi la nascita e le avventure dell' Erebus,che nata alla fine delle guerre napoleoniche venne successivamente attrezzata per l'esplorazione dell'artico,per le ricerche sul magnetismo e per scoprire il passaggio al nord ovest del circolo polare artico. 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.

You feel you’re sitting in the pub with Michael Palin himself as he regales you with tales of the mighty seas. 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.

In September 2014, marine archaeologists discovered HMS Erebus, in the frozen wastes of the Canadian arctic.In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was voted the 30th favourite by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.

However I confess I'd forgotten that the Erebus had a number of voyages of exploration before the final one. When one considers that both ships were square masted sailing ships and these voyages took place in the first half of the nineteenth century the scale of the undertakings becomes clear. Palin’s] narrative is driven by a deep sympathy for explorers and adventurers, while also being illuminated by flashes of gentle wit .A timely account of Sir John Franklin’s 1845 expedition to find a way through the Northwest Passage . He turns up obscure facts, reanimates essential moments, and never shies away from taking controversial positions. Palin] successfully reanimates the corpse, bringing Erebus back from the depths of time so her funnels once more blast smoke as she forges through new and wondrous seas. I had not realised the extent to which interest lay in this particular voyage and its mysterious aftermath. In 1831, he became a national hero when he reached the North Magnetic Pole by sled – and nearly died in the process.

Slightly Foxed introduces its readers to books that are no longer new and fashionable but have lasting appeal. The ship was filled with fascinating people: the dashing and popular James Clark Ross, who charted much of the 'Great Southern Barrier'; the troubled John Franklin, whose chequered career culminated in the Erebus's final, disastrous expedition; and the eager Joseph Dalton Hooker, a brilliant naturalist - when he wasn't shooting the local wildlife dead.Racconta proprio tutto: dall'armamento, le modifiche fatte per consolidare gli scafi, il curriculum degli ufficiali, la quantità di provviste, le casse di cibarie, le leggerezze, equipaggiamenti ridicoli, appaltatori disonesti; gli scazzi fra ufficiali, la vita a bordo, usi e costumi della Royal Navy. Palin travels as well to the some of the places that Erebus got to like Tasmania, Falkland Islands and Ascension Island.