Customer Reviews

Ice Blink: The Tragic Fate of Sir John Franklin's Lost Polar Expedition

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Unfortunately, this book is essentially a rehash of earlier research by both Parks Canada and the pioneering work of Owen Beattie and his colleagues who excavated the graves from the Franklin winter quarters at Beechey Island and documented lead poisoning. It is disturbing that Beattie and his co-author, John Geiger, are not given their due for their work and bestselling book, Frozen in Time, which asserted Cookman's case over a decade ago. Cookman has added more information, fleshing out the Goldner story, but like so many journalists who attempt to write history, he focuses on one aspect to the exclusion of other factors. David Woodman has done a far better job in looking at all factors in his two books about the fate of the Franklin expedition -- and while he asserts what he thinks happened, he doesn't smugly say he's nailed his points home. It is simply too "pat" and too 20th century smug in hindsight to completely blame an admittedly bad contractor for the entire fate of the expedition, and this book does a disservice to the reader in suggesting so. I'm no Goldner fan, and feel he shoulders some blame, but then so do Franklin, the officers, the bad ice year, the decision to push into Larsen Sound (albeit a bad decision only in hindsight) and of course, those who for whatever reason broke discipline and split up into unmanageable parties. The demise of Franklin is as yet still uncertainly known, with a few brief words, a handful of bodies, Inuit testimony and scattered campsites - and the "definitive word" is fraught with disagreement as to exactly what happened and why, as it has been since 1849. Cookman adds very little; if you are looking to gain a better understanding, read Beattie and Geiger's Frozen in Time or Woodman's Unravelling the Franklin Mystery, or his Strangers Among Us.

Sorry, Scott. I will not buy your book.

Cookman has certainly done some worthwhile new research; his study of Goldner and his patent canning factory is well-documented and full of suggestive (though far from definitive) evidence. Goldner's tinned foods, supplied to the ill-fated Franklin expedition to the Arctic in 1845, certainly contributed to the disaster (they have already been fingered for causing lead poisoning).

Cookman, however, ruses breathlessly past all other factors that might have contributed to Franklin's failure, and ends up ruining his case by overstating it, and by expecting that his one explanation -- botulism -- will solve all the mystery and tie up all the loose ends. Cookman's lurid prose doesn't help matters, portraying the admittedly callous and greedy canner Goldner as an evil maniac of unintentionally comic proportions -- up there with Lex Luthor.

There is some good and valuable research in this book, and in places the Franklin saga is ably retold, but the mixture of morality play and science lecture ultimately becomes rather tedious.

One reviewer has called the book "slightly speculative." That is too charitable. Cookman generally does not contradict known facts about the Franklin expedition, but he invents much more detail than he has evidence to support. The book is unsuitable for academic purposes, but it provides a compelling, though at times poorly written, story. I do not wish to be too harsh on the book. To its credit, many of Cookman's speculations are reasonable and provide information that serious historians withhold in their books on the expedition. It is best to read one of the many other books on the topic in order to know what parts of Ice Blink to trust, and which to take with a grain of salt.

I was flipping the channels on early Sunday morning when for some reason I stopped on Book TV on C-Span 2 and caught Scott Cookman talking about the search for the Northwest Passege. It was the Apollo mission of its time. I have read a number books over Sir John Franklin Polar Expedition and this one by far is the best. Polar Exploration the 1800's was pretty dicey, even today it is. If you have any interest Polar Expedions and true mystery this is your book and it all rally happend.

The Fate of the Franklin expedition will most likely always be a mystery. This wonderful, speculative account is one of the best. The author does a step by step look at all the factors and issues leading to the disaster that cost the lives on 129 British Navy personnel in search of the Northwest passage. Franklin had left England in 1845 with two of the best equipped ships ever put to sea for arctic exploration, he had experienced officers and a compliment of 129 men. They were never seen again. Subsequently 50 expeditions searched and found only scraps of clues as to their disappearance.

This book claims the culprit was most likely Botulism in the canned meat. This speculation runs contradictory to that lead poisoning thesis put forward in 'Frozen in Time' and the fact that admiralty investigations proved the meat tins were not thoroughly sealed(thus Botulism couldn't have formed). Nevertheless this is one of the best books on the fate of the expedition. The author describes the final 'death march' south along King William Island and the subsequent cannibalism that took place. Excellent diagrams bring the ships to life and maps show the final route of Franklins last survivors. A must read for those interested in arctic survival and the riddle of Sir John Franklin.

Seth J Frantzman November 2003

The Arctic expedition of Sir John Franklin is one of the most infamous incidents in a series of infamous incidents that was Arctic exploration in the 19th century. This book retells his story, and the story of his men. In this, it is no different from the many other books on the subject, including Buried in Ice, a recent archeological study of the Franklin expedition. However, this book gives a name to the enemy: Stephen Goldner, who sold the canned food to the expedition. It is the perfect book for the novice, like myself, who just wants a basic overview of one of the more fascinating and tragic episodes in exploration history.

Years ago I had read a National Geographic article about the discovery of the frozen bodies of three seamen from an ill fated expedition to explore the Arctic for the fabled Northwest Passage. The modern discoverers of the remains were scientists who performed an onsite autopsy to determine the cause of death, as the scope of the disaster had left many unanswered questions since it's occurrence in the mid-19th Century. The amount of knowledge that was gained after more than a century post mortem was impressive, and left a lasting memory of the unfortunate expedition: The Franklin Polar Expedition. When I saw the summary for the book The Ice Blink, I was immediately captured by the Franklin subject, and got the book.

The volume reads like a novel, written as it is by a well researched journalist rather than an historian. I read it in a single day, almost in a single sitting, so riveting is its human detail. The author covers the topic lengthily, including other equally unfortunate attempts to search for the passage to the Pacific by way of the northern most reaches of North America. He details the careers of the various officers as well as that of the Second Secretary of the British Admiralty, Sir John Barrow, who was as much a part of the events as any of the actual participants. He outlines the background of many of the enlisted men, and points out the financial incentives that encouraged them to go on the discovery voyage. He also points out that few who had been on one before, were actually willing to go for any amount of money!

Cookman's biography of the titular leader of the expedition, Sir John Franklin is illuminating, but that of the captain of the Terror is by far the most interesting. Francis Croiser was passed over as leader of the expedition on the basis of his social and ethnic status (Irish middle class) but was the most experienced of the officers with the rigors of polar exploration. It was ultimately on his shoulders that command fell after the early death of Franklin, and under the worst of all possible conditions. From physical remains found at the site of the abandoned ships and strewn across the landscape following the doomed men's path, it would appear that the flight from the pack ice in which both ships had been imprisoned for almost 18 months had been well and carefully planned by Croiser, and except for the desperation and hopelessness of their situation might well have brought a few home. He certainly seems to have given them the only real hope they had of survival.

The author paints a vivid picture of the retreat of the men, using the 19th Century reports of efforts to find survivors, those of modern investigators of known sites (like that mentioned above) and of reports by other explorers and natives who accidentally discovered remains. Putting the story together with what is known of other polar expeditions, what is known of the 19th Century naval organization, and the society of the time, and the information about the Arctic that 20th Century polar expeditions have given us, Cookman provides the reader with a thoroughly convincing tale of the early conditions of exploration.

What makes the story most intriguing, though, is the probable cause of the disaster itself, which turns out to have been staggering greed, incredible double dealing and total indifference to the fate and well being of others. There is definitely a message to the modern world in the tale of the "lowest bidder!" Steven Spielberg should make a movie of the entire affair! Read it, and see if you don't agree!

The book is well written and a good read. The author researched causes for the tragedy and his hypothesis of what may have happened. I found his research on food borne diseases etc fascinating. This book will definitely peak your curiousity and get you interested in other related books.

Living in Barrow, Alaska, the farthest north community in Alaska, I love to curl up in our little house with a book such as "Ice Blink" during a nasty Arctic storm and read away. But this latest in a series of books about the famous failed Franklin Expedition to discover the Northwest Passage did not warm me up very much.

There is one paragraph on p. 71 where veteran explorer Sir John Ross raises significant questions before Franklin and his 134 men sailed: "Why so many men? (including eight stewards to serve the officers)"Why such big and heavy ships to navigate winding and often shallow high Arctic waters? "Why no contingency plan in case the ships got stuck in the ice?"

Author Scott Cookman, like the British Admiralty, never answers such questions. I could ask a few more. Why didn't the British ever learn from the Native Inuit and use dogs to pull light sleds, instead of seamen to pull extremely heavy sledges? Why not hunt and fish for food and use Native-type clothing?

There is some interesting background to the expedition, including diagrams of the ship's interiors and photos from Shackleton's Antarctic expedition to show how Franklin's ships might have looked as they were hopelessly trapped in heavy ice.

Buy the book if you must, but you could keep warmer with a caribou blanket, and learn more about the Arctic by talking with an Inuit or Inupiat elder, or reading one of their biographies, including "Sadie Brower Neakok --An Inupiaq Woman," by Margaret Blackman.

Earl Finkler Barrow, Alaska

I recently was referred to this book about Franklin's search for a northwest passage. The story of the men against the elements is a compelling read. Cookman has told a fascinating story.