Captain Francis Crozier: Last Man Standing?

by Michael Smith

A biography of Francis Crozier whose 19th century search for the Northwest Passage lead him on a deadly expedition with Captain Franklin that ended in disaster.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Historical, Adventure

242 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads' database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Michael Smith gave up a 30 year career as a leading business and political journalist to write the bestselling biography, An Unsung Hero - Tom Crean. He was formerly Political Correspondent and Industrial Editor of the Guardian, City Editor of the London Evening Standard and Business Editor of the Observer. He has a long-standing interest in Polar expedition. He lives in East Sussex.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in my Franklin Expedition obsession.

This was very informative, looking more into the second in command on the expedition, Francis Crozier. By all accounts, he was a decent, kind man, and an excellent officer who was well-liked by his men and by his peers.

This is such a tragic story but I am enjoying learning about it. One thing that I found fascinating was about Crozier's expedition to Antarctica. They found two volcanoes and they are named for the two ships that eventually went on the doomed Arctic expedition: Mount Erebus (still active) and Mount Terror (extinct). I had no idea that there were volcanoes in Antarctica! That blew my mind.

Fascinating stuff!

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

After reading the novel “The Terror”, was looking for a historical book to learn more of the event. This book was perfect. And now you can see how much fact and authenticity was poured into Dan Simmons’ novel.

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent biography of a sadly long-overlooked explorer. Smith’s admiration for Crozier shines through every page and, by the end, must be shared by the reader. The book illuminates the wider context around Crozier’s life and expeditions, characterising his friends and contemporaries through many extracts from primary sources. It also contains many clear and helpful maps, which is unfortunately not a given in this kind of book. I would recommend it to anyone interested in polar exploration, and to those who have just watched the recent adaptation of The Terror and want more backstory.

[Rebekah Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I began reading this book, I showed it to a friend who told me it was "an excellent biography of an excellent man." She was correct, as I was pleased to discover. Francis Rawdon Moira Crozier was one of the most experienced scientists and polar explorers of his era, equaled only by three other men, William Edward Parry, and John and James Ross, all three of whom were his colleagues. Crozier was part of several expeditions to the Canadian Arctic and also spent four years exploring the coast of Antarctica. During all this he pioneered much work on observations and mapping of the Earth's magnetic field. He became leader of the tragic Franklin Expedition after their leader, Sir John Franklin, perished, and Crozier sadly vanished along with the rest of his men sometime after 1848. In spite of all his accomplishments, Francis Crozier is also one of the most underrated and overlooked polar explorers of any age. Though second-in-command and then leader of the doomed expedition that would capture the imagination of many generations, Crozier has largely been reduced to a footnote in history. Doubtless, much of this is Crozier's own doing as he was always modest and unassuming, focused more on a job well done than attracting attention to himself. Even so, he was well-liked by all who knew him and often noted for his "unbending integrity and truthfulness" as well as "extreme amiability" which earned the respect and affection of any who served under him or commanded him.
As for the subtitle of the book "Last Man Standing?" testimony by by many Inuit witnesses who saw the men of the Franklin Expedition tell of one of the last survivors who matched Crozier's description and was seen wandering in the Arctic several years after the expedition disappeared. Is it possible that the most experienced man of this lost expedition was also the last survivor? Author Michael Smith combs out and sifts through documents and accounts to bring to us the remarkable life and also the remarkable and mysterious death of this Last Man.

[Elliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Clark Ross and Francis Crozier appear to have been very good friends.

[Crawfish Carlos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this biography and thought it a thorough accounting of the life of of Francis Crozier. I thought it was very well researched and the author obviously felt very passionately about his subject. I also really enjoyed the addition of maps, pictures, and the timeline, as I always find those very helpful to really conceptualize things in non-fiction. A few minor quibbles - the book could have used with a more thorough edit as the author sometimes repeating himself in his opening and ending sentences of paragraphs. The author also had a tendency to assume the course of events, especially in the part of the Franklin expedition about which so little is known. Despite these things, I definitely think the book was an educating and enjoyable read.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and very enjoyable read, all about a sadly neglected Northern Irish explorer. I read another reviewer say they were a little in love with Crozier after reading this, and I can see why. A melancholic, overlooked man heading off to the ice after a heartbreak - its practically the plot of a Kate Bush song. I’m not embarrassed to say I even got a little emotional as I reached the end of the book. Speaking as a Northern Irish woman, I’m rather proud to have Crozier as something of an under appreciated local hero.

[Michael Crozier · Rating 5 out of 5]

One helluva way to learn that you are descended from a family of such significant accomplishment and strength of character. Needless to say, I did not put the book down until it was completely read from start to finish; whereupon I was driven to learn more. There are an impressive number of books written about the man, and the results of his accomplishments. My eternal thanks to Michael SMITH.

[William Battersby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good account of Crozier's life. Particularly poignant is the naming of a crater on the Moon after the great explorer.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fabulous account of the intrepid adventures of the unsung hero Capt Crozier, and his counterparts, in their 19th Century polar-explorations and the hunt for the North West Passage.

Smith brings to life the extraordinary feats of endurance, the tragedy, the drama and the harsh realities of life on the high-seas and at both poles of the Earth, during the six polar expeditions that Crozier was central to.

The dreadful and mysterious events of the ill-fated final attempt for the NW Passage in 1845, where both Erebus and Terror and all 129 officers and men disappeared in the ice, is the sad end to Crozier's immensely remarkable career.

Sadly the the true events of the fatal and final expedition will never truly be known. But Smith does a a great job putting the facts on the table and offers up some clear speculative possibilities without seeking to over-fictionalise. He's done a great job and I very much look forward to reading his biography about Tom Crean, another unsung polar-exploration exemplar.

[Mike Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book tells the story of a man who deserves to be recognised more in history as one of the great polar explorers. With that said, I'm not sure how much his more famous and more charismatic peers, such as Ross and Parry, are really remembered by most. He led a truly remarkable life in that he took part in six polar expiditions. The details of the various journeys are quite extraordinary, envisioning being trapped in the ice in victorian conditions on a sail boat can be slightly harrowing. His death is more remembered as a footnote to the great british romantic death of Franklin, but Crozier's own story should stand by its own stead. Franklin is remembered as having led the fatal expedition, but he died before the men left the Erebus and Terror which resulted in Crozier leading their wandering journey across the Canadian arctic terrotories. I tremble at the thought of the decisions had to make leading 100 men across endless snowy landscapes, and ultimately making difficult futile decisions such as eating your friends. Not a nice ending to life.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very informative and well-researched biography detailing the life of an unsung hero. Francis Crozier was one of the most accomplished and experienced Arctic explorers of his time, yet, for many decades, he's been critically overlooked. Michael Smith does an excellent job discussing Crozier's achievements and frustrations. Also welcome are maps, images, and a comprehensive timeline of Crozier's life. I'd recommend this book not only to those interested in the historical Captain Crozier, but those fascinated by exploration in general.

[wyrm · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine biography. However, the actual speculations on Crozier’s fate were rather limited or not very comprehensive considering the wealth of other speculations available. I also felt his speculated version of events was not elaborated upon enough to actually be convincing, or it did not leave enough room for all the other theories and possible interpretations of the evidence. The title of the book “Last Man Standing?” did give me the expectation that there would be much more discussion into that possibility with the supporting evidence and stories collected.

[Hana · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty good, as far as biographies go. i haven't ready many to compare it with but i think smith does a decent job of chronicling the career of a man overlooked by history and speculating what could have happened to him in his last days. unfortunately, crozier didn't write many letters or journals, so many of smith's claims on crozier's personal life are hinged on contemporaries' opinions of him rather than his own words.

[Mark Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paints a picture of an undaunted polar explorer.

Smith here unvails Crozier, the unsung Irish hero of the ice, likely bilked due to his nationally and jealous peers in the British Admiralty. 6 expeditions on the ice at both poles spaning 40 years, setting eyes on and helped naming many landmarks across both. Wow..this volume shines brightly and in my mind, be required reading along with Shakelton and Amundson.

[Donald M. Rhodes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about a man not adequately recognized for his contributions in arctic and Antarctic exploration

I found nothing wrong with this book .. It is well written and provides additional details and information I've not seen in other books I've read about arctic and Antarctic exploration. This is one of those books that I looked forward to continuing until I finished it.

[Neil Morneau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read quite a bit about the lost Franklin expedition over the years. Of course there is only so much factual evidence about the fate of the crew. I enjoyed this book very much because of its dive into Crozier’s early naval career as well as his relationships with other famous explorers. I had no idea how much he had accomplished during his trips to the arctic and Antarctic. It was a nice change of pace from the usual speculative ghost stories surrounding The Terror and Erebus.

[Rage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great for research, less so for enjoyable historical reading; it's pretty straightforward with an obvious (and obviously permissible) Crozier bias, and has lots of content on an under-researched figure of the Franklin expedition. Certainly more like Crozier than James Clark Ross if they were books.

[Jane Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

captain Crozier

Great story.of suffering mixed with success. A clear reminder that the greatest men are not necessarily the ones that are acknowledging during their lifetimes but years later when the full measure of a man or woman may be taken!

[w. batjer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best exploratory account of that era that I have ever read.

With all of the unknowns and speculations of the Franklin expedition, I believe that Michael Smith arrives at the best conclusions possible. I enjoyed the book immensely.

[Mike Pinter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting part of polar exploration I knew nothing about.
Very recommendable reading to learn more about what lies behind thos placenames on maps and the price paid in human lives when expeditions were not planned by those who had the best experience.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only biography of Captain Crozier. However it's very well written and really gives you a "sense" of the man. Crozier is one of me personal heroes.

[Richard Hardy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An informative read


Covers the subject in an accessible way and keeps the reader interested throughout he book, covers the subject well nd

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating tribute to a brave man who has sadly been overlooked by history.

[K. Caine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a bit to get into this book, but once I was into it, it was absolutely engrossing. Contains clearly labelled maps that help to contextualize the information being presented.

[gremlin]

i wanted to read this until it turned out the only copies i can find online start at $180 (USED and in US dollars so about $250 aud lmao) nevermind

[Mae · Rating 3 out of 5]

if I was francis rawdon moira crozier I would have said No. to sir john barrow

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book tells of Capt. Francis Crozier, a man who was the backbone of British exploration throughout the early-mid 1800s. He spent 40+ years in the British Navy, explored both the Arctic and Antarctic on multiple occasions on the HMS Terror and other ships, furthered scientific knowledge on polar magnetism, and yet he was continually passed over for promotions, accolades, and knighthood.

Despite being a work of non-fiction, this biography is a riveting, gripping, and utterly fascinating story that reads like a work of fiction. The author has an engaging writing style and was able to successfully take the facts of Crozier's life and weave them into an exciting narrative.

The book contains many relevant and interesting illustrations, maps, and photographs. As one reviewer stated, the book contains a few typos, yet in the grand scheme of things these errors didn't detract from the story.

This is by far the best book I have read in a long time, of any genre.

[Phil Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's really refreshing to get a different kind of perspective on the doomed Franklin Expedition. A biographical sketch of the man who the expedition fell to after Franklin perished. He was the man that made the decision to attempt the unfathomable trek through the Arctic south to save his crew. You really get a sense of the man, a seasoned polar explorer who's melancholy career in the Navy as well as his personal life led him to make the fateful mistake of taking on this voyage. I very much enjoyed the narrative that shed new light to me on this subject.

[Dan6838 · Rating 4 out of 5]

After watching "The Terror" on AMC, I wanted to know more about the fatal voyage of the Terror and the Erebus. This book clearly lays out what is actually known as compared to the fictionalization in Dan Simmons' thriller, and provides historical context for the arctic explorations of the 19th century.