Ice Ghosts

Flawed Writing Dashes High Hopes :(

I'm an "explorer" story nut. I've loved "Endurance", "South", "The Man Who Ate His Boots"; you name it: I'm THERE!
So I was grievously disappointed to come across a story that could have been: Men Plan, The Arctic Laughs.
Expect a LOT of jumping around in time, a lot of things like the man one psychic was married to; the hiking trip that the man who lent Louis the Inuit books went on; the grand search to own scuba gear one diver went on, etc. etc. People, and there are so many people in this weaving of two stories, are mentioned, are given much information on, and are never mentioned again. It really, really took away from the story.
When Watson does manage to reel himself in, this is a 4-Star story, complete with intrepid explorers, loyal friends, bumbling and dismissive Admirals, a determined/obsessed wife, psychics, archaeologists, historians, and divers going for the "money shot". It tracks Inuit oral traditions, and the one Inuit man who made it his mission to get those stories, cross-exam and cross-reference them. And the end, the discovery of the vessels is exciting as it's all so new. It's like "The Man Who Ate His Boots" with a tremendously glorious epilogue.
Was it worth the credit? Maybe, 'cause I really like stories like this. But did I hang on every single word?
Not quite...

20 of 23 people found this review helpful

Maritime History -cutting edge science

This is the story of the Franklin Expidition and the fate of the crew and the ships. History buffs have pribably heard of it but this book will especially appeal to shipwreck stories. I watched a Nova special and that is what made me pick it. Expecting a history book about polar exploration (and Murphy's Law) I gound the combination of modern technology and Inuit folklore fascinating.

Great book!

as a Franklin Expedition addict, this was one of the best compilations I have read. Succinct historical overview, details about the Inuit input, and up-to-date information right up through the discovery of the Terror in September 2016. Even more satisfying than the 2015 Nova presentation, Arctic Ghost Ship.I highly recommend this for all those interested in Arctic exploration.

Arctic Adventure

I was mostly interested in Inuit culture and ice geography but also learned a lot about the Royal Navy and Parks Canada