Sir John Franklin set out with HMS Erebus and HMS Terror in 1845 on a voyage to find the North-West Passage. The ships disappeared into the Arctic, never to be seen again until their wrecks were discovered in 2014 and 2016.

Published to coincide with our major new exhibition Death in the ice: the shocking story of Franklin’s final expedition, this richly illustrated book fills in the background to Franklin’s expedition and describes the attempts that have been made to find survivors and discover what happened.

Mystery still remains, however. Will examination of the shipwrecks solve it? Above all this book is the definitive guide that explores a story of heroism, endurance, tragedy and dark desperation.