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Searching for Franklin: New Answers to the Great Arctic Mystery
Arctic historian Ken McGoogan approaches the legacy of nineteenth-century explorer Sir John Franklin from a contemporary perspective and offers a surprising new explanation of an enduring Northern mystery.
Two of Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin’s expeditions were monumental failures—the last one leading to more than a hundred deaths, including his own. Yet many still see the Royal Navy man as a heroic figure who sacrificed himself to discovering the Northwest Passage.
This book, McGoogan's sixth about Arctic exploration, challenges that vision. It rejects old orthodoxies, incorporates the latest discoveries, and interweaves two main narratives. The first treats the Royal Navy’s Arctic Overland Expedition of 1819, a harbinger-misadventure during which Franklin rejected the advice of Dene and Metis leaders and lost eleven of his twenty-one men to exhaustion, starvation, and murder. The second discovers a startling new answer to that greatest of Arctic what was the root cause of the catastrophe that engulfed Franklin’s last expedition?
The well-preserved wrecks of Erebus and Terror—located in 2014 and 2016—promise to yield more clues about what cost the lives of the expedition members, some of whom were reduced to cannibalism. Contemporary researchers, rejecting theories of lead poisoning and botulism, continue to seek conclusive evidence both underwater and on land.
Drawing on his own research and Inuit oral accounts, McGoogan teases out many intriguing aspects of Franklin’s expeditions, including the explorer’s lethal hubris in ignoring the expert advice of the Dene leader Akaitcho. Franklin disappeared into the Arctic in 1845, yet people remain fascinated with his final doomed what happened? McGoogan will captivate readers with his first-hand account of traveling to relevant locations, visiting the graves of dead sailors, and experiencing the Arctic—one of the most dramatic and challenging landscapes on the planet.
Two of Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin’s expeditions were monumental failures—the last one leading to more than a hundred deaths, including his own. Yet many still see the Royal Navy man as a heroic figure who sacrificed himself to discovering the Northwest Passage.
This book, McGoogan's sixth about Arctic exploration, challenges that vision. It rejects old orthodoxies, incorporates the latest discoveries, and interweaves two main narratives. The first treats the Royal Navy’s Arctic Overland Expedition of 1819, a harbinger-misadventure during which Franklin rejected the advice of Dene and Metis leaders and lost eleven of his twenty-one men to exhaustion, starvation, and murder. The second discovers a startling new answer to that greatest of Arctic what was the root cause of the catastrophe that engulfed Franklin’s last expedition?
The well-preserved wrecks of Erebus and Terror—located in 2014 and 2016—promise to yield more clues about what cost the lives of the expedition members, some of whom were reduced to cannibalism. Contemporary researchers, rejecting theories of lead poisoning and botulism, continue to seek conclusive evidence both underwater and on land.
Drawing on his own research and Inuit oral accounts, McGoogan teases out many intriguing aspects of Franklin’s expeditions, including the explorer’s lethal hubris in ignoring the expert advice of the Dene leader Akaitcho. Franklin disappeared into the Arctic in 1845, yet people remain fascinated with his final doomed what happened? McGoogan will captivate readers with his first-hand account of traveling to relevant locations, visiting the graves of dead sailors, and experiencing the Arctic—one of the most dramatic and challenging landscapes on the planet.
427 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 7, 2023
15 people are currently reading
254 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 6, 2025
Sir John Franklin's expeditions in the Arctic were both colossal failures. They were both trying to discover the Northwest Passage.
The first expedition from 1819 to 1822 was overland from York Factory on Hudson Bay (today in the province of Manitoba) to Point Turnagain on the Kent Peninsula (I think this is now in the NWT) and back again. Sir John wasn't suited to Arctic exploration and he only returned to York Factory thanks to the Inuit, the Dene tribe, and the grit and determination of his fellow travellers, interpreters, and voyageurs.
Franklin ignored local advice and this proved fatal for some of his companions.
Who better then to lead another naval expedition to find the Northwest Passage onboard the ships Erebus and Terror in 1845, when he was nearly 60 years old? Franklin had only returned the previous year from Tasmania, about as far as you can get from the Arctic.
This book describes in great detail the land expedition with information put together from local oral traditions and the notes of those who survived.
No one survived the naval expedition. Franklin died in 1847 - we know this to be true from records found - but it would appear some of the men survived until the early 1850s, first abandoning then returning to at least one of the ships before they sank due to the pressure of the ice.
The author provides a plausible explanation of why so many men became ill at the same time soon after the ships became trapped in the ice.
The first expedition from 1819 to 1822 was overland from York Factory on Hudson Bay (today in the province of Manitoba) to Point Turnagain on the Kent Peninsula (I think this is now in the NWT) and back again. Sir John wasn't suited to Arctic exploration and he only returned to York Factory thanks to the Inuit, the Dene tribe, and the grit and determination of his fellow travellers, interpreters, and voyageurs.
Franklin ignored local advice and this proved fatal for some of his companions.
Who better then to lead another naval expedition to find the Northwest Passage onboard the ships Erebus and Terror in 1845, when he was nearly 60 years old? Franklin had only returned the previous year from Tasmania, about as far as you can get from the Arctic.
This book describes in great detail the land expedition with information put together from local oral traditions and the notes of those who survived.
No one survived the naval expedition. Franklin died in 1847 - we know this to be true from records found - but it would appear some of the men survived until the early 1850s, first abandoning then returning to at least one of the ships before they sank due to the pressure of the ice.
The author provides a plausible explanation of why so many men became ill at the same time soon after the ships became trapped in the ice.
April 28, 2024
This was a combination personal recounting by Ken, who accompanied different missions to look for the Franklin vault, and attempted dives to the shipwrecks themselves, and part history of Franklin from start to finish, 'finding' who he was more metaphorically. I haven't yet read The Man Who Ate His Boots, so the thorough look into Franklin's disastrous first overland northwest passage quest was mostly new information.
It was a more emotional listen than expected! Ken addresses parts of the book to Louie Kamookak, a renowned Inuit historian who provided critical clues via family oral traditions to solving what happened to the Franklin expedition. Bob Sauer was a great narrator, pronouncing multicultural place and names pretty well, I thought.
Louie was gravely ill by the time the second ship was located, and died shortly after. I found myself tearing up at those parts that "spoke" to him, and overall was incredibly pleased with the credit and respect paid to Inuit culture and specific people over the decades of searching for Franklin. As mentioned at one point, the ships wouldn't have been found, at least by now, without Inuit family stories being passed down. McGoogan's staunch adherence to true Inuit names for places and people, except when quoting diaries and things throughout Franklin's career, was proper treatment of the material in my opinion.
The theory McGoogan poses at the end is entirely plausible to me; I wouldn't say it's groundbreaking, just another 'makes sense' bit concerning what we know of the expedition. This is the most contemporary book on the subject right now I think, a recent publication compared to everything else I've read and so updated with the most current findings. I almost want to say this is the last book I'll consume concerning the Franklin expedition, because at this point, the holes left in our explanations aren't likely to be filled by mortal means, but what can I say, they're always interesting even if it's not new ground covered.
It was a more emotional listen than expected! Ken addresses parts of the book to Louie Kamookak, a renowned Inuit historian who provided critical clues via family oral traditions to solving what happened to the Franklin expedition. Bob Sauer was a great narrator, pronouncing multicultural place and names pretty well, I thought.
Louie was gravely ill by the time the second ship was located, and died shortly after. I found myself tearing up at those parts that "spoke" to him, and overall was incredibly pleased with the credit and respect paid to Inuit culture and specific people over the decades of searching for Franklin. As mentioned at one point, the ships wouldn't have been found, at least by now, without Inuit family stories being passed down. McGoogan's staunch adherence to true Inuit names for places and people, except when quoting diaries and things throughout Franklin's career, was proper treatment of the material in my opinion.
The theory McGoogan poses at the end is entirely plausible to me; I wouldn't say it's groundbreaking, just another 'makes sense' bit concerning what we know of the expedition. This is the most contemporary book on the subject right now I think, a recent publication compared to everything else I've read and so updated with the most current findings. I almost want to say this is the last book I'll consume concerning the Franklin expedition, because at this point, the holes left in our explanations aren't likely to be filled by mortal means, but what can I say, they're always interesting even if it's not new ground covered.
October 28, 2023
Such a fresh & brilliant take on the Franklin expedition.
I am happy to see the labour of indigenous peoples in Franklin's "success" acknowledged for the first time.
I don't want to give anything away but there is a lot of new information that I've not read before and I'm excited to read the rest of Ken McGoogan's work now. Fantastic book!
I am happy to see the labour of indigenous peoples in Franklin's "success" acknowledged for the first time.
I don't want to give anything away but there is a lot of new information that I've not read before and I'm excited to read the rest of Ken McGoogan's work now. Fantastic book!
March 22, 2025
Usually when reading nonfiction history, I want a historical focus and wish I could skip chapters of the author's experiences and analysis. This book I was the other way around. I was not expecting SO MUCH of the book to be focused on the First Arctic Land Expedition (1819-1822) from several angles (repetition from different sources). I read the book to find out what more is being understood since the discoveries of HMS Erebus (2014) and HMS Terror (2016), incorporated with Inuit oral history, which is a smaller part of this book, and I was delighted to read more about epic Inuit historian Louie Kamookak, who inspired the book and to whom it is dedicated. There are some illustrations throughout the book, but only 3 maps at the front, and I needed my World Atlas Canadian Arctic map for reference; the addition of a map of what is now the Northwest Territories would have been helpful.
March 4, 2024
Sort of a social, cultural anthropological exploration of Franklin and his crew as they trek across northern Canada and interact with indigenous people and struggle to avoid starvation and freezing to death.
October 12, 2024
A very solid overview of Franklin the explorer. I was surprised but ultimately pleased to read so much about Franklin's first overland expedition, which provides so much insight into his personality and how that probably contributed to the disaster of the 1845 expedition. This is a well researched popular history with an excellent bibliography. It does solid service to the fundamental problem of 19th century British naval officers unable to listen to Indigenous insights on how to survive in the Arctic. More their folly for not doing so.
I will admit that some parts were difficult to follow, particularly when the overland expedition broke up due to lack of food. It's tough to understand who was where and the overall narrative. Also, I contend that the author's hypothesis as to why the 1845 expedition perished is highly likely (no spoliers!), but I feel it is too strong to call it a "smoking gun" like he does. More evidence is needed. Worth the read for any Franklin-head or lover of Arctic adventure.
I will admit that some parts were difficult to follow, particularly when the overland expedition broke up due to lack of food. It's tough to understand who was where and the overall narrative. Also, I contend that the author's hypothesis as to why the 1845 expedition perished is highly likely (no spoliers!), but I feel it is too strong to call it a "smoking gun" like he does. More evidence is needed. Worth the read for any Franklin-head or lover of Arctic adventure.
July 19, 2024
Ken McGoogan’s book explores Franklin’s expeditions (plural: both his first disastrous one in 1819 and his, er, last disastrous one we all know about from 1845) with a parallel exploration of his own in the present to find answers of what happened to those explorers of the past. He does what Franklin would not—could not—do due to his hubris, and listens to indigenous voices to help him in his discoveries. The passages where he mourns his friend Louie Kamookak and speaks to him are touching; there’s a lot of love here, and the audiobook really makes it feel like he’s reaching out to his lost companion in the only way now left to him.
With regards to the Franklin expedition, I didn’t know terribly much aside from the whole starvation/eating people/everyone died portion of it, so I was surprised and vexed to learn that he had endured a previous journey in which he almost succumbed to the same issues that plagued his final voyage. The man was unbending, unyielding, and prepossessed with a racism that was borne from his English roots and influenced by his strict Christianity. Had he shown more humility, had he listened to the indigenous people, he never would have suffered as he did and led so many men to their deaths.
I put this behind a spoiler because the author sets up the entire book for his own interpretation of what might have led to the deaths of Franklin’s men in the expedition of 1845–trichinosis. Parasites are found often in bears, and when meat is eaten raw or improperly cooked, the parasites enter the stomach, dig into the intestines, multiply, diffuse into the blood stream, and end up in the muscles. It causes extreme pain and death if untreated. I always love new theories to old mysteries—provided they’re plausible!—and this one DOES make a lot of sense.
A good book and I learned a great deal. The writing was engaging and really painted a picture as I listened along. The narrator (Bob Souer), too, helped to draw me in.
With regards to the Franklin expedition, I didn’t know terribly much aside from the whole starvation/eating people/everyone died portion of it, so I was surprised and vexed to learn that he had endured a previous journey in which he almost succumbed to the same issues that plagued his final voyage. The man was unbending, unyielding, and prepossessed with a racism that was borne from his English roots and influenced by his strict Christianity. Had he shown more humility, had he listened to the indigenous people, he never would have suffered as he did and led so many men to their deaths.
I put this behind a spoiler because the author sets up the entire book for his own interpretation of what might have led to the deaths of Franklin’s men in the expedition of 1845–trichinosis. Parasites are found often in bears, and when meat is eaten raw or improperly cooked, the parasites enter the stomach, dig into the intestines, multiply, diffuse into the blood stream, and end up in the muscles. It causes extreme pain and death if untreated. I always love new theories to old mysteries—provided they’re plausible!—and this one DOES make a lot of sense.
A good book and I learned a great deal. The writing was engaging and really painted a picture as I listened along. The narrator (Bob Souer), too, helped to draw me in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2024
The Franklin expedition was doomed almost as soon as it set sail. Franklin, for all the experience that he had, was not one to take any advice, even if it meant saving lives. During this fated exploration, the crew and captain would all lose their lives, somewhere in the ice bound land. Instead of following the advice from the Inuit who inhabited the region, Franklin doomed everyone with him to a horrific death.
Ken McGoogan brings a new light to the Franklin expedition, dispelling some of the myths that have taken hold, and shares new evidence that has come to light over the past several decades.
This was a fantastically well-done book! I had started reading it back in March, and then through some different twists, was unable to finish at the time. Instead, I grabbed an audio version and was able to restart and finish the book. I will be adding this one to my line up for students to choose from. The way that McGoogan presents the information, allows for readers and researchers to draw from fresh evidence.
Loved this one!
Ken McGoogan brings a new light to the Franklin expedition, dispelling some of the myths that have taken hold, and shares new evidence that has come to light over the past several decades.
This was a fantastically well-done book! I had started reading it back in March, and then through some different twists, was unable to finish at the time. Instead, I grabbed an audio version and was able to restart and finish the book. I will be adding this one to my line up for students to choose from. The way that McGoogan presents the information, allows for readers and researchers to draw from fresh evidence.
Loved this one!
October 1, 2024
Although this is a very interesting and informative work about the Franklin Expeditions, I wish the author hadn't done so much jumping around the timeline, as it made things a little hard to follow. Most of the work focuses on Franklin himself, and especially his disastrous first expedition. The author puts forth the theory that trichinosis from infected bear meat was a contributing factor (perhaps the primary one) in the result of Franklin's third and final expedition. All in all, this one is worth a read to those interested in the topic, though Franklin himself does not exactly come off well in it.
May 12, 2024
McGoogan does an excellent job of explaining why he feels Franklin was his own worst enemy, ignoring the indigenous knowledge offered to him and his colleagues. The result was two disastrous expeditions, the last one leading to his own death and that of all his crew members. As an Arctic buff (I spent several seasons there doing wildlife research), I had heard little about his first overland excursion to the Arctic coast, other than many men were lost. McGoogan fills that gap and explains why that trip provides important clues about the Great Arctic Mystery, and why polar bears matter.
October 15, 2024
Really good book for those of us obsessed with the Franklin expedition. While it doesn't go into too much detail on the 1845 expedition itself, it does on Franklin's earlier overland expedition in 1819. Having read this, it's easy to see why his last expedition failed miserably and became the most tragic expedition in arctic exploration history: it was the chronicle of a foretold death... Highly recommended
November 20, 2024
This book is more about Franklin's over land exploration and not so much of his fatfull passage. The book has lots of interesting information and helps paint a picture of who Franklin was as an expolrer but I was expecting more and new information about his final passage but this book failed to provide that.
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August 7, 2024I think this was probably my least favourite of this "series" mostly because Franklin himself isn't that interesting. But I cannot resist Arctic books and I definitely enjoyed a new theory about the expedition. I wasn't actually expecting a theory so that was a pleasant surprise
September 21, 2024
This book did provide a very interesting look into Canadian history and arctic exploration. It is written well and very informative. The only reason it is two stars for me is that it’s not my normal genre and it took me longer to get through than I would’ve liked.
December 29, 2024
3.5 stars. There’s an interesting new theory about what could have caused the breakdown of the Franklin expedition, and I liked all the bits about the author’s friendship with Inuit historian Louis Kamookak, but overall, just okay.
May 28, 2024
A strong entry and argument for what happened to the Franklin expedition, or moreso, why Franklin on this expedition? Plus a beautiful testament to the Inuit historian, Louie Kamookak.
July 11, 2025
Not my fave book on the subject. It turned into a bit of a slog for me as author jumped around between expeditions and across time. Interesting bear meat theory but a lot has been written before.
October 2, 2025
A badly disorganized account that still manages to present some interesting ideas.
July 30, 2024
3.5. Holds some interesting theories - bear meat - being a prominent one. And the strength his widow, Lady Jane Franklin upheld, was considerable!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews