Non-fiction / Naval History
The story of Erebus and Terror is surely a topic that’s sparked an interest with many people and it was fascinating to have a book deal with the two ships in such great detail. We see it all, life on board ship, activities and discoveries made, even glimpses into the interpersonal relationships between…
…the crew. It’s a very informative book. I do somewhat feel that there seems to be a difference in the writing between the first two thirds of the book (dealing with the launching, early life, and antarctic expedition of the Erebus) and the final third (dealing with the arctic expedition). It almost seems like there’s more sentimentality and a feeling of involvement in the final third of the book (understandable considering the tragic subject matter) which pulls you in more but this touch doesn’t seem to be as present in the first two thirds. The first two thirds instead feel a little more impersonal, which is not a bad thing, and perhaps even a tiny bit dry.
If the whole book was written in the way of the final third I’d give this a solid 4 stars. It’s still a decently enough written book.
Score: 3 / 5
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