Deadly Winter

Despite the fact that Sir John Franklin's name is in the forefront of the surging interest in polar exploration, this is the first full biography written in twenty years about the British adventurer who disappeared with his men in the Arctic in 1845. This book examines Franklin's incident-filled and sometimes contentious career as an explorer, including theories old and new regarding his final Northwest Passage expedition, and questions about his first overland expedition, where many of his men died from the cold and starvation. In addition, the author recounts Franklin's naval career that included service with Nelson at Copenhagen and Trafalgar and joining the great navigator Matthew Flinders on the first circumnavigation of Australia. Nor is Franklin's stormy service as governor of Tasmania overlooked. Complimenting the epic side of his life as an explorer is a portrait of his personal life, based on the rich correspondence and diaries of his two wives, including efforts to pressure the Navy to find the missing husband. The engrossing work is sure to be enjoyed by all exploration enthusiasts.