The authors' research reveals an unexpected — and ironic — cause for the mystery illness that befell the explorers. Never-before-seen photographs from the exhumations, updated research results, additional forensic corroboration, and a new introduction by Margaret Atwood complete this fascinating account. New paperback.

 

"Simply compelling."--Mordecai Richler.

 

"A cautionary tale of scholarly merit."--William S. Burroughs.

 

"Chilling...will keep you up nights turning pages."--Peter Gorner, The Chicago Tribune.

 

In 1845, Sir John Franklin set off, determined to "penetrate the icy fastness" of the Arctic. But he and his 129 men never made it. For the next 35 years, more than 20 major rescue parties searched fruitlessly for the vanished expedition. In this updated version of a bestseller that sold over 118,000 copies, a top forensic anthropologist and a historian tell the dramatic tale of excavating three sailors from the Franklin party. The bodies, well preserved by the permafrost, gave up their secrets to 20th century science, and the researchers pieced together a story of horrific starvation, scurvy, and cannibalism... Absolutely unforgettable-- with photos in both color and black and white.