Frozen in Time: The Fate of the Franklin Expedition

Owen Beattie · John Geiger

Aug 2014 · Greystone Books

About this ebook

The truth about what happened on Sir John Franklin’s ill-fated Arctic expedition of 1845–48 has been shrouded in mystery for 165 years. Carrying the best equipment that the science and technology, Franklin and his men set out to “penetrate the icy fastness of the north, and to circumnavigate America.” The expedition’s two ships — HMS Erebus and HMS Terror — carrying 129 officers and men, disappeared without a trace. From 1846 to 1880 more than 20 major rescue parties were involved in the search for the missing men and ships. The disappearance of the expedition and absence of any substantial written accounts of the journey have left attempts at a reconstruction of events sketchy and inconclusive. In Frozen in Time, forensic anthropologist Owen Beattie and historian John Geiger tell the dramatic story of the excavation of three sailors from the Franklin Expeditions, buried for 138 years on the lonely headland of Beechey Island. This book contains the astonishing photographic record of the excavation, together with the maps and illustrations that accompany this riveting account of Franklin’s fatal adventure. The unfolding of Dr. Beattie’s unexpected findings is not only a significant document but also, in itself, a tale of high adventure.

About the author

Owen Beattie is a professor of anthropology at the University of Alberta. He has contributed to many forensic investigations in Canada, as well as to human rights and humanitarian projects in Rwanda, Somalia, and Cyprus. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta. John Geiger graduated in history from the University of Alberta. His work has been translated into eight languages. A Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, he lives in Toronto. Margaret Atwood is one of the world's preeminent writers — shortlisted five times for the Booker Prize, and winning one as well. She lives in Toronto.