A mystery for more than a hundred years, British naval officer Sir John Franklin and his entire crew disappeared on his famous voyage to find the Northwest Passge in the mid-1800s. Learn about the life of this driven explorer, the Arctic voyages that would make him famous, and what really happened to Franklin's party.

Detailed discussion of fate of Sir John Franklin arctic expedition of 1845 and extensive exploration and accomplishments of search expeditions undertaken following his disappearance. Describes searches led by King, Richardson, Rae, Austin and Penny, Kellet and Bellot, Grinnell, Collinson, Belcher and McClure. Also includes a section added to second edition which contains results of John McClintock's voyage of 1857-58 in the "Fox", and the final discovery of the Franklin relics.

Driven by a passion for travel and history and a love of ships and the sea, former Monty Python stalwart and beloved television globe-trotter Michael Palin explores the world of HMS Erebus, last seen on an ill-fated voyage to chart the Northwest Passage. Michael Palin brings the fascinating story of the Erebus and its occupants to life, from its construction as a bomb vessel in 1826 through the flagship years of James Clark Ross’s Antarctic expedition and finally to Sir John Franklin’s quest for the holy grail of navigation—a route through the Northwest Passage, where the ship disappeared into the depths of the sea for more than 150 years. It was rediscovered under the arctic waters in 2014. Palin travels across the world—from Tasmania to the Falkland Islands and the Canadian Arctic—to offer a firsthand account of the terrain and conditions that would have confronted the Erebus and her doomed final crew. Delving into the research, he describes the intertwined careers of the two men who shared the ship’s journeys: Ross, the organizational genius who mapped much of the Antarctic coastline and oversaw some of the earliest scientific experiments to be conducted there; and Franklin, who, at the age of sixty and after a checkered career, commanded the ship on its last disastrous venture. Expertly researched and illustrated with maps, photographs, paintings, and engravings, Erebus is an evocative account of two journeys: one successful and forgotten, the other tragic yet unforgettable.