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Ice Blink: The Tragic Fate of Sir John Franklin's Lost Polar Expedition
It has been called the greatest disaster in the history of polar exploration. Led by Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin, two state-of-the-art ships and 128 hand-picked men sailed from Greenland on July 12, 1845, in search of the elusive Northwest Passage. Fourteen days later, they were spotted for the last time in Baffin Bay. What happened to these ships has remained one of...more
Hardcover
Published
February 23rd 2001
by Turtleback Books
(first published 2000)
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A page-turning account of the Franklin Expedition's failed attempt to find the Northwest Passage. There is lots of good history here, and some very compelling explanations for the the Expedition's failure. This is an interesting read, and my largest complaint is that I would have liked to know more about the relief expeditions and the archeological evidence behind the author's conclusions. This is not the best-written book, but it is generally acceptable. However, it does happen to contain the w...more
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This book is a curate's egg - good in parts.
On the positive side it is a powerfully written and well illustrated book and its wide readership has served to 'hook' many readers into the mystery and horror of the Franklin Expedition, challenging them to find out more.
However, its flaws are considerable. Perhaps it does not matter that it is riddled with errors of detail, but more seriously it depends far too much on secondary sources. The most serious flaw is that it takes one unproven hypothesis...more
On the positive side it is a powerfully written and well illustrated book and its wide readership has served to 'hook' many readers into the mystery and horror of the Franklin Expedition, challenging them to find out more.
However, its flaws are considerable. Perhaps it does not matter that it is riddled with errors of detail, but more seriously it depends far too much on secondary sources. The most serious flaw is that it takes one unproven hypothesis...more
This is the story of a fateful 1845 polar expedition that went terribly wrong. This was a British enterprise led by Captain Sir John Franklin to find the Northwest Passage using the most advance ships and equipment at that time. Now I am a complete novice when it comes to this subject matter however I found this book very interesting and it offered a compelling story of misadventure, bravery, corruption, and suspense.
I found that the author, Scott Cookman, presented his story in such an easy ma...more
I found that the author, Scott Cookman, presented his story in such an easy ma...more
Stepping into this book knowing next to nothing about the Franklin Polar Expedition, I came out with a basic knowledge of what happened and an exemplary knowledge of nasty canning techniques.
I would have given this book 5 stars but after two or so chapters on Goldner's just abhorrent canning systems and procurements, it really made me nauseous and wonder how the crew didn't die sooner.
I really would have liked to read more about the efforts to rescue the expedition as well as a more in depth lo...more
I would have given this book 5 stars but after two or so chapters on Goldner's just abhorrent canning systems and procurements, it really made me nauseous and wonder how the crew didn't die sooner.
I really would have liked to read more about the efforts to rescue the expedition as well as a more in depth lo...more
Non-Fiction. A sensationalist account of the Franklin Expedition, more interested in drama than accuracy, and full of misinformation. It also features rampant speculation, erratic footnotes, and the author's assumptions repeatedly presented as fact.
For example: "Miraculously in June of 1847, after ten months trapped in the pack ice, everyone was alive and well." We have no way of knowing that. But Cookman thinks he does! "There is no other explanation for Commander Gore's 'All well" message in t...more
For example: "Miraculously in June of 1847, after ten months trapped in the pack ice, everyone was alive and well." We have no way of knowing that. But Cookman thinks he does! "There is no other explanation for Commander Gore's 'All well" message in t...more
Apr 15, 2013
Eddy Allen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arts-and-historical
Absorbing.artfully narrat[es] a possible course of events in the expedition's demise, based on the one official note and bits of debris (including evidence of cannibalism) found by searchers sent to look for Franklin in the 1850s. Adventure readers will flock to this fine regaling of the enduring mystery surrounding the best-known disaster in Arctic exploration.--Booklist
"A great Victorian adventure story rediscovered and re-presented for a more enquiring time."--The Scotsman
"A vivid, sometimes...more
"A great Victorian adventure story rediscovered and re-presented for a more enquiring time."--The Scotsman
"A vivid, sometimes...more
Heard about this particular book from a client who had a family member searching by air for any remains/artifacts from this expedition.
It's of great interest and I have other books on the subject, also.
Started reading aloud with Winston - during the summer on the MI cottage sunny hillside. But, he still didn't want to hear anymore about just how cold it was and how these men suffered from the cold.
It is a bit gruesome at times.
So I finished and shared the highlights of rest of book.
Read in 2005.
It's of great interest and I have other books on the subject, also.
Started reading aloud with Winston - during the summer on the MI cottage sunny hillside. But, he still didn't want to hear anymore about just how cold it was and how these men suffered from the cold.
It is a bit gruesome at times.
So I finished and shared the highlights of rest of book.
Read in 2005.
I found this book after seeing Dan Simmons fictional tale "The Terror" being based on the incident. A tragic and very interesting read. Ice Blink is the story of Sir John Franklin's doomed expedition to find the Northwest Passage in 1845. There is a lot of founded speculation as to the behavior and thoughts of the ill fated men, but backed by other examples of similar tragedies. Though Cookman clearly sites Beattie and Geiger's "Frozen in Time" as an inspiration, he never heavily relies on it. A...more
An excellent account of Sir Franklin's polar expedition, from every angle. The writing was perfect and the author's accidentally interjected opinion in some areas was refreshing. It tended to be a little hopeless in depressing in some parts, but that only served to make you feel as though you were truly experiencing it all the more. The terrific afterword is the best part of the book - gave me chills!
Interesting historically and puts forward a plausible and reasoned argument as to the cause of the disastrous failure of the venture. Easy reading style and well researched.
Not quite as well written, nor, it seemed, quite as exhaustively researched as some other books on the Franklin expedition that I've read, it nonetheless does outline a good case for botulism as a primary culprit in the failure of the expedition.
I read this on the heels of The Terror by Dan Simmons. Nice supplement, but a bit too speculative. I enjoyed it with Simmons, but here it just seemed like so much rehashing of other works with little to add.
A fascinating and detailed account of what is known about the Franklin expedition. This was a truly harrowing read, which is why it took me so long to finish. The author ends with a passionate and convincing defence of Franklin, who is often portrayed as a bumbler, but was instead a victim of circumstance.
This was a quick read. Pretty interesting. Sad story. I checked it out because I wanted to read Dan Simmon's nove "The Terror." Several readers recommended reading this first since Simmons' novel is a fictionalization of the events of the lost expeditition. People who like nonfiction books could do worse than this story. So much is still not known about this story. The full story has yet to be told (if it ever can be told).
Frightening!
Interesting book that will leave you feeling cold. A historic expedition that went horribly wrong is pasted together with the best available historical resources. Warning: This company did resort to cannibalistic tendencies to survive and you will read about it.
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Mar 11, 2013
John Atkinson
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
misc-non-fiction
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