Erebus
by Michael Palin · first published 2018
100% recommend
Why HN recommends it
Account of HMS Erebus, its commanders, officers and crews, covering the ship's successes and tragedies, with detailed ship logs showing everyday sailor life. Suits readers curious about polar exploration.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"Michael Palin brings the fascinating story of the Erebus and its occupants to life, from its construction as a bomb vessel in 1826 through the flagship years of James Clark Ross's Antarctic expedition and finally to Sir John Franklin's quest for the holy grail of navigation--a route through the Northwest Passage, where the ship disappeared into the depths of the sea for more than 150 years. It was rediscovered under the arctic waters in 2014"--
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Or Erebus by Palin. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Erebus-Story-Ship-Michael-Palin/dp/...
on “The Polar Star, the only U.S. ship capable of bludgeoning through heavy ice” ↗"Erebus" by Michael Palin (of Monty Python fame) is also worth a read. The Erebus and Terror may be famous for their end, but they should be equally famous for their careers leading up to that point. Palin…
on “Identification of officer from Sir John franklin's Northwest Passage expedition” ↗I read Michael Palin's book on HMS Erebus last year and in addition to being quite interesting all around, it went into great detail about the every day lives of sailors during that era based on the detailed logs kept by the ships. The short…
on “How Antarctic explorers kept themselves sane on the voyage” ↗To those inspired by this achievement to look more into polar expeditions, I can highly recommend Michael Palin’s “Erebus”. It’s a riveting read on the challenges, successes, and tragedies of the British explorer ship Erebus, its commanders, officers, and crews.
on “Colin O’Brady Completes Crossing of Antarctica with Final 32-Hour Push” ↗A smattering from my audible listening list which I particularly remember liking (this might actually be a 'less read books' list sorry ;-) ): Michael Palin - Erebus ; Alan Moore - Jerusalem ; Graeme Green - Travel with my Aunt ; Karen Maitland - A Company of Liars ; Louis de Bernieres - Captain Correlli's Mandolin ; Umberto Eco - The Name of the Rose ; Nikolai Gogol…
on “Ask HN: What are some must read books?” ↗On the off chance you haven't read it yet, I would like to add 'Erebus' to your list, by Michael Palin.
on “SS United States, the fastest passenger liner ever built” ↗