An accessible read that gives the spotlight to a long-neglected explorer. It will help to have some familiarity with the British Empire of this time period.

That said. I wanted to like this more given my current hyper fixation and the fun anecdotes from the JCR exploration era, but the heavy handed, speculative "Crozier was pining after Sofia Cracroft" thesis (that the book even concludes with) falls flat.

There also aren't nearly as many citations as there should be in such a biography and I have no idea what the sources are for many of the stories, as delightful as some of them are.

I found the frequent jabs at weight and hairlines unnecessary.

I was also disappointed that the updated chapters in this revised edition didn't focus nearly as much on the discovery of the ships as I was expecting.

So, a mixed bag here. Should you have it in your polar library? Given the dearth of Crozier bios, I would say yes; I only wish I could be more enthusiastic. ( )

The story mostly revolves around the under-recognized explorer, Francis Crozier, an Irishman and member of the Royal Navy, who during the 19th century made over 5 polar expeditions. Crozier’s character was discussed at some length, fairly and without a great deal of partiality though it had been suggested that he didn't take the place he deserved in Arctic exploration history because of his humble beginnings. Franklin, on the other hand, was almost Crozier's exact opposite. Franklin’s various ventures had never ended well, and although genial, friendly and popular he was clearly not the seaman that Crozier was, his Arctic experience was woefully out of date, and he was an overweight 59 years old, which was years older than 59 would be considered today. It seems, as the author writes, that Franklin was given command of the expedition because everyone "felt sorry" for him following his unpleasant time and unfair treatment as Governor of Tasmania, combined with the relentless lobbying of his formidable wife. I think she just wanted him out of her way. Another individual was given the task of choosing the crew and outfitting the ship which turned out to be a very bad choice when he appointed Franklin as second in command. Over the nearly 180 years the "WHAT IF'S" have made more than one round though several generations of seamen. Would things have turned out different if Crozier had had more command and authority, or if a different route had been chosen? We will never know. Papers found later described all the trouble they ran into with the storms and the ice, the damage to one of the supply ships that had to be cut loose. Fritzjames, the man allowed to pick the crew and set the route had no Arctic experience whatsoever and neither did most of the men he chose. Can we say, "disaster going somewhere to happen"? The reader will find no stunning insights because Crozier wasn't a man to leave emotional materials behind, but the author did his homework and gathered enough of his letters and traces that we can get a genuine feel for the man. Although I watched The Terror when it was televised, this book is as far from my reading interest as the Earth is from the sun...but I found that I truly enjoyed the adventure and seeing Francis Crozier get his well-earned rewards even if they were over 100 years late. ( )