TRAPPED IN TERROR BAY

A deep dive into the failure of an epic Arctic expedition and its aftermath.

An introductory author’s note explains the background of Sir John Franklin’s 1845 Arctic expedition, likening it in its boldness and peril to the 1969 Apollo 11 space flight to the moon. Next, Brouwer’s ingenious book puts readers aboard the two ill-fated ships—the HMS Erebus and the HMS Terror—first as members of the expedition, then as sleuths attempting to unravel various small mysteries within the larger one. Readers go from life on the expedition to various discoveries over the succeeding century and a half, some accidental. The story of the expedition is thrilling, tragic, and dramatic; Brouwer interweaves it with the work of various investigators and Inuit oral history. In 1979, Inuit historian Louie Kamookak discovers physical clues to the expedition his great-great-grandfather had encountered; in 2002, explorer David Woodman uncovers a line of skeletons in a location he dubs Skull Island; in 2014, a Canadian archaeological team finds several articles in the icy waters near King William Island; and as recently as 2018, biologist David Cooper seeks to determine the fates of the expedition’s sailors through forensic science. The book’s attractive design includes colored pages, interesting sidebars, and tons of illustrations: maps, vintage photographs, and paintings. Provocatively, Brouwer solves many small mysteries while leaving others unanswered. An extensive bibliography will help armchair detectives continue their investigations.

An entertaining trek, both concise and comprehensive, through a fascinating historic episode.