Put Him In The Longboat: The Life Of Edward Main Chaffers
Transportation History Maritime Biography Antarctic Exploration Naval History Polar History 19th-Century Exploration British Naval Officers True Maritime Adventures
Doug Edwards’ scarce 1989 first edition, Put Him In The Longboat: The Life of Edward Main Chaffers, is one of the few biographies to spotlight the Royal Navy hydrographer who sailed with James Clark Ross on the 1839-43 Antarctic expedition. In just 80 pages this vintage paperback packs newly unearthed log-book extracts, shipboard sketches, and period photographs that reveal how Chaffers’ meticulous charts opened the gateway to the Ross Sea and still underpin modern polar navigation. Collectors of maritime, exploration or polar titles prize the book for its primary-source detail and the way Edwards lets the young lieutenant’s own voice drive the story.
Because the title has been out of print for decades, clean first editions are increasingly hard to locate—especially copies that carry the original 1989 illustrated wrappers and the publisher’s illustrated plates intact. This copy shows the light edge-scuffing typical of a book that has been read once and then shelved, but the binding remains square and tight, the pages are bright and unmarked, and there is no smoke or mildew odour. A previous owner’s neat gift inscription appears on the fly-leaf (no author signature), adding a touch of provenance without obscuring text.
For enthusiasts of Antarctic exploration, New Zealand coastal history, or 19th-century naval biography, Put Him In The Longboat offers a concise yet authoritative portrait that larger polar histories only summarise. Its petite page-count makes it an easy afternoon read, yet the depth of Edwards’ research turns it into a long-term reference you’ll return to whenever you need precise dates, ship positions, or crew anecdotes about the voyage that discovered the Ross Ice Shelf. Secure this 1989 first edition now while it remains affordably priced and before the next wave of polar-history collectors drives availability even lower.
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