Frozen in Time - The Fate of the Franklin Expedition (Paperback, Rev Pbk Ed.)

Sir John Franklin's failed arctic expedition has become the archetypal survival horror story: in 1847 two of the most technologically-advanced and well-equipped ships of their day sailed into the polar wilderness in search of the North Passage. They were never seen again, leaving a trail of scattered graves and suggestions by the native Induits that the crew had resorted to cannibalism. It was only in 1981 that a group of scientists were able to identify why the mission went so wrong, through the discovery of three startlingly well-preserved bodies. This modern classic of forensic anthropology (a historical 'howdunnit') is so pleasurable thanks to its recounting of the scientists' own expedition. They outline the tools and techniques by which they came to their hypothesis in language plain enough for the most casual novice, alongside gory photographs, maps and Victorian artwork. A new foreword by Margaret Atwood attests the cultural influence of the book since its original publication in 1987. (Kirkus UK)

The Franklin expedition was not alone in suffering early and unexplained deaths. Indeed, both Back (1837) and Ross (1849) suffered early onset of unaccountable "debility" aboard ship and Ross suffered greater fatalities during his single winter in the Arctic than did Franklin during his first. Both expeditions were forced to retreat because of the rapacious illness that stalked their ships. Frozen in Time makes the case that this illness (starting with the Back expedition) was due to the crews' overwhelming reliance on a new technology, namely tinned foods. This not only exposed the seamen to lead, an insidious poison - as has been demonstrated in Franklin's case by Dr. Beattie's research - but it also left them vulnerable to scurvy, the ancient scourge of seafarers which had been thought to have been largely cured in the early years of the nineteenth century. Fully revised, Frozen in Time will update the research outlined in the original edition, and will introduce independent confirmation of Dr. Beattie's lead hypothesis, along with corroboration of his discovery of physical evidence for both scurvy and cannibalism. In addition, the book includes a new introduction written by Margaret Atwood, who has long been fascinated by the role of the Franklin Expedition in Canada's literary conscience, and has made a pilgrimage to the site of the Franklin Expedition graves on Beechey Island.

General

Imprint:	Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Release date:	November 2004
Authors:	John Geiger • Owen Beattie
Dimensions:	198 x 129 x 19mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	278
Edition:	Rev Pbk Ed.
ISBN-13:	978-0-7475-7727-0
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > World history > General Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Anthropology > General Books > History > World history > General
LSN:	0-7475-7727-7
Barcode:	9780747577270

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