Frozen in Time - Softcover

Geiger, J.; Beattie, O.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0586203206 ISBN 13: 9780586203200

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, 1989

Synopsis

The Franklin expedition was not alone in suffering early and unexplained deaths. Indeed, both Back (1837) and Ross (1849) suffered early onset of unaccountable "debility" aboard ship and Ross suffered greater fatalities during his single winter in the Arctic than did Franklin during his first. Both expeditions were forced to retreat because of the rapacious illness that stalked their ships. Frozen in Time makes the case that this illness (starting with the Back expedition) was due to the crews' overwhelming reliance on a new technology, namely tinned foods. This not only exposed the seamen to lead, an insidious poison - as has been demonstrated in Franklin's case by Dr. Beattie's research - but it also left them vulnerable to scurvy, the ancient scourge of seafarers which had been thought to have been largely cured in the early years of the nineteenth century. Fully revised, Frozen in Time will update the research outlined in the original edition, and will introduce independent confirmation of Dr. Beattie's lead hypothesis, along with corroboration of his discovery of physical evidence for both scurvy and cannibalism. In addition, the book includes a new introduction written by Margaret Atwood, who has long been fascinated by the role of the Franklin Expedition in Canada's literary conscience, and has made a pilgrimage to the site of the Franklin Expedition graves on Beechey Island.

About this title

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.

John Grigsby Geiger was born in Ithaca, New York, and graduated in history from the University of Alberta. His work has been translated into eight languages. He is currently the CEO of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

Wade Davis is an anthropologist, author, and explorer. He is the author of numerous books, including Into the Silence, Sacred Headwaters and The Wayfinders. He has been described as “a rare combination of scientist, scholar, poet, and passionate defender of all of life’s diversity.”

Review:

'A remarkable piece of forensic deduction' Margaret Atwood 'Simply compelling' Mordecai Richler 'A cautionary tale of scholarly merit' William S. Borroughs 'Galvanizing ... in one stroke it elicited a new flurry of Franklin mania in documentary film, childrens' books, adult non-fiction, fiction, painting, and newspaper accounts around the world' Sherrill E. Grace, author of Canada and the Idea of the North

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Publication date: 1989
• ISBN 10: 0586203206
• ISBN 13: 9780586203200
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192