Earth Science, Geography, Historical Biography, Exploration & Discovery

Barrow's Boys

Name: Barrow's Boys
Author: Fergus Fleming
ISBN: 9780871138040

by Fergus Fleming

Write a review

Overview

Barrow's Boys is a riveting account of perilous journeys to uncharted areas under the most challenging conditions. Re-creating the successes and harrowing failures of the original extreme adventurers, Fergus Fleming captures the incredible -- and often downright insane -- passion for exploration that led a band of men into situations that would humble even the bravest adventurers today. These men served under John Barrow, second secretary to the Admiralty, who, after the Napoleonic Wars, launched the most ambitious program of exploration the world has ever seen. For the next thirty years, his handpicked teams of elite naval officers scoured the globe on a mission to fill in the blanks that littered the atlases of the day. From the first disastrous trip down the Congo, in search of the Niger River, Barrow maintained his resolve in the face of continual catastrophes. His explorers often died of sickness or at the hands of unfriendly natives, and they struggled under minuscule budgets that forced them to resort to pulling enormous ships across floating ice fields; to eating mice, raw meat, or their own shoes; and even to horrifying acts of cannibalism. While many of the journeys failed entirely, Barrow and his men ultimately opened Africa to the world, discovered Antarctica, and pried apart the mandibles of the Arctic. Many of the missions have gone down among the greatest in history -- including William Parry's search for the Northwest Passage and John Franklin's exploration of Canada's Coppermine and Mackenzie Rivers -- yet they have never before been collected into one volume that captures the full sweep of Barrow's program. Beyond their own renowned discoveries, Barrow's officersinspired scores of men, from Livingstone to Shackleton, to continue the incredible quest for knowledge well into the twentieth century. Never again would such a disparate and entertaining band of explorers stalk the world.

Reviews

There are no reviews yet. Log in to write one.

Editorials

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

A sure bet for fans of Caroline Alexander's The Endurance, this captivating survey of England's exploration during the 19th century illuminates a host of forgotten personalities, principal among them John Barrow, Britain's Second Secretary of the Admiralty from 1816 to 1848. Though Barrow never achieved the historical fame of subordinates William Parry and James Ross, he was one of the most influential organizers behind the massive program of globe-trotting that allowed these men to make their names. When he suggested the conversion of idle naval ships into vessels for exploration, Barrow had two driving obsessions: to discover the fabled Northwest Passage through the Arctic Ocean and to chart the course of Africa's Niger River. Barrow was certain that the Northwest Passage existed and that the Niger eventually joined the Nile; if so, their mappings would have profound commercial ramifications. With the air of a dictator, Barrow dispatched officers and crews to the extremes of the world in order to prove the notions he thought to be true, becoming more irritated if the explorers reported evidence contrary to his liking than if they died in his service. Alongside tales of grueling endurance, gross incompetence, cannibalism, jealousy and dirty politics, the explorers themselves are wonderfully reconstructed through quotes from journals and correspondence. They include the stalwart John Franklin (more popularly known as the "Man Who Ate His Boots"), Gordon Laing ("The Madman of Timbuctoo") and a bilious captain named Belcher. Though many perished and Barrow was ultimately wrong about both of his assumptions, readers will enjoy Fergus's (a former writer and editor at Time-Life Books) clever chronicle of their exploits. 40,000 first printing. (Apr.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

Library Journal

With no enemy to fight after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, the British Navy was drastically reduced. Ships were laid up and crews discharged; thousands of officers lingered on the beach on half pay with nothing to do. John Barrow, second secretary of the Royal Navy, was also an enthusiastic supporter of travel and exploration and a writer for the geographical press. He had the brilliant idea of using some of the idle ships and men to explore the world, which in the early 19th century had not been adequately mapped. What was at the North Pole? Was there a Northwest Passage? What lay at the heart of Africa? From 1816 to 1857, Barrow organized 30 expeditions; many were unsuccessful, but they did fill in some blank areas of the globe. In his extensively researched effort, Fleming follows each exploring party. The result will be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in true adventure; Fleming has saved John Barrow from undeserved neglect. For all public and academic libraries.--Stanley Itkin, Hillside P.L., NY Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\