Barrow's Boys by Fergus Fleming

Publisher: 489pp £ 20.00

At first glance, a forbidding tome! 499 pages of type and 16 of well-produced drawings and portraits. However, from the first page it is fascinating, the dated style chosen helping to set the mood for the book. John Barrow, Second Secretary of the Admiralty, 1806-1845, could be described as a 19th century "Yes, Minister" Nigel Hawthorne character; a brilliant, ambitious, at times devious, dogmatic and overbearing man. His seemingly inferior status is misleading. In fact he was the apolitical civil servant who effectively ran the Admiralty Board.

His principal interest, indeed obsession, was exploration; his dream to fill the vast blanks in the world's atalas. Between 1816 1nd 1845, he launched the most ambitious exploration programme the world had ever seen. His elite teams, headed moctly by naval officers, scoured the world's inknown areas. These were his "Barrow Boys" and this book a history of their incredible, often tragic journeys. It is hard to imagine how any of their primitive ships survived the storms, ice, fog and freezing temperatures, often for several consecutive years. The crews' poor and unsuitable clothing - cocked hats in the Arctic, frock coats in the Sahara etc. make one marvel at the results they achieved. Sitting in in your comfortable, weatherproof saloon with its cosy heater, galley and splendid electronics, spare a thought for them - a humbling experience.

A brilliantly conceived and executed narrative of man's endeavour - read it. - ARB