Erebus: The Story of a Ship

Author Michael Palin
Narrator Michael Palin
Publisher Random House
Publish Date 1 January 1970
Run Time 11 hours and 6 minutes
Format Audio
Genre Geographical discovery and exploration, Travel and holiday, Travel writing.

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What to expect

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Erebus, written and read by Michael Palin.

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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, along with the HMS Terror.

Her fate remained a mystery for over 160 years.

Then, in 2014, she was found.

This is her story.
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Now available: Michael Palin's North Korea Journals
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A 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

Critics Review

Beyond terrific. I didn’t want it to end.

Bill Bryson

Thoroughly absorbs the reader. . . Carefully researched and well-crafted, it brings the story of a ship vividly to life.

Sunday Times

[Palin’s] narrative is driven by a deep sympathy for explorers and adventurers, while also being illuminated by flashes of gentle wit . . . It’s a fascinating story that he brings full-bloodedly to life, stripping away the barnacles of the past to reveal the hidden history of a ship.

Guardian

Everybody’s talking about it . . . A brilliant book.

Chris Evans, BBC Radio 2

With this irresistible and often harrowing account, Michael Palin makes a convincing case that one heroic little ship embodied the golden ago of polar exploration better than any other: HMS Erebus.

John Geiger, co-author of Frozen in Time

[Written] with a wry enthusiasm, bolstered by his own experiences as an eminent explorer and film-maker . . . His moving account of the discovery of abandoned items, taken on board as comforts of home by the officers – silver cutlery with their initials indented, scattered on a frozen shore – affected me the most.

Spectator

I absolutely loved it: I had to read it at one sitting . . . Fascinating.

ITV Lorraine

Magisterial . . . A natural storyteller, [Palin] captures beautifully the sense of awe experienced by Ross and his men as they encountered the wonders and terrors of Antarctica . . . He brings energy, wit and humanity to a story that has never ceased to tantalise people since the 1840s.

The Times

At this late date, and against all odds, Michael Palin has found an original way to enter and explore the Royal Navy narrative of polar exploration. Palin is a superb stylist, low-key and conversational, who skillfully incorporates personal experience. He turns up obscure facts, reanimates essential moments, and never shies away from taking controversial positions. This beautifully produced volume – colour plates, outstanding maps – is a landmark achievement.

Ken McGoogan, author of Fatal Passage

This is an incredible book. I couldn’t put it down. The Erebus story is the Arctic epic we’ve all been waiting for.

Nicholas Crane

User Reviews

Book 5.0

Narration 5.0

5.0

Andrew Thomas 02/08/2025

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