The Ice Passage
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The Ice Passage by Brian Payton
A thrilling account of suffering and survival, The Ice Passage charts an epic quest from desire to destiny.It begins as a mission of mercy. Four and a half years after the disappearance of Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin and his two ships, HMS Investigator sets sail in search of them. Instead of rescuing lost comrades, the Investigator's officers and crew soon find themselves trapped in their own ordeal, facing starvation, madness, and death on the unknown Polar Sea. If only they can save themselves, they will bring back news of perhaps the greatest maritime achievement of the age: their discovery of the elusive Northwest Passage between Europe and the Orient. In addition to their Great Success, the Investigators are the first Europeans to contact the Inuit of the western Arctic archipelago, and the first to record sustained observations of the local wildlife and climate. But the cost of hubris, ignorance, daring, and deceit is soon laid bare. In the face of catastrophe, a desperate rescue plan is made to send away the weakest men to meet their fate on the ice. In a narrative rich with insight and grace, Brian Payton reconstructs the final voyage of the Investigator and the trials of her officers and crew. Drawing on long-forgotten journals, transcripts, and correspondence -- some never before published -- Payton weaves an astonishing tale of endurance. Along the way, he vividly evokes an Arctic wilderness we now stand to lose. From the Hardcover edition.
Payton, Brian: -
Brian Payton was born in the United States and moved to Canada at the age of sixteen. He is the author of two nonfiction books, Long Beach, Clayoquot and Beyond and Cowboy, and is a contributor to the acclaimed anthology Literary Trips 2: Following in the Footsteps of Fame. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Boston Globe, and Toronto's Globe and Mail.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780385665339 |
| ISBN 10 | 0385665334 |
| Title | The Ice Passage |
| Author | Brian Payton |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Random House USA Inc |
| Year published | 2010-09-21 |
| Number of pages | 336 |
| Prizes | Short-listed for BC Book Prize's Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize 2010 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |