Book Description
This new edition of Frozen in Time expands on the history of early British Arctic exploration and places the tragically fated Franklin expedition in the context of other expeditions of the era, including those commanded by George Back and James Clark Ross, which also suffered unaccountable and devastating losses. The authors' research reveals an unexpected - and ironic - cause for the mystery illness that befell the explorers. Never-before-seen photographs from the exhumations, updated research results, additional forensic corroboration, and a new introduction by Margaret Atwood complete this fascinating account.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This new edition of Frozen in Time expands on the history of early British Arctic exploration and places the tragically fated Franklin expedition in the context of other expeditions of the era, including those commanded by George Back and James Clark Ross, which also suffered unaccountable and devastating losses. The authors' research reveals an unexpected - and ironic - cause for the mystery illness that befell the explorers. Never-before-seen photographs from the exhumations, updated research results, additional forensic corroboration, and a new introduction by Margaret Atwood complete this fascinating account.

SYNOPSIS

In May 1845 the Erebus and the Terror set sail from the Thames to find a northern route to the Northwest Passage with a complement of 129 men and officers, enough tinned food for three to five years, thousands of books, a dog, and a monkey. Many sailors and scholars sought their fate ever since. Here Beattie (anthropology, U. of Alberta) and Geiger (history, U. of Alberta) describe the voyage of what has become known as the Franklin Expedition, the efforts to find it, and the probable cause of its failure as found in scattered bones and bodies of a few of the crew found entombed in the permafrost. It seems they did not fail for want of courage or skill, but because that three to five years' supply of food contained deadly amounts of lead solder. This updated edition includes photographs of the exhumations and an introduction by Margaret Atwood. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM THE CRITICS

Toni Holt - Manchester Evening News

A superb account.

Peter Gorner - The Chicago Tribune

Chilling￯﾿ﾽwill keep you up nights turning pages.

M. R. Carroll - The Globe and Mail

We all gaze in wonderment at the photographs of these men. They make the past real, too real. They are history made flesh.

Alan Taylor - The List)

Frozen in time is the most remarkable book I have read all year.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

A cautionary tale of scholarly merit. — William S. Burroughs

Simply compelling. — Mordecai Richler