Posts by Ken McGoogan
Bestselling author decries ideological ‘history’
Canadians today “seem to have lost any sense of connection to our past.” So writes popular historian Stephen R. Bown in the C2C Journal. In an insightful article entitled Seeking the Ghosts that Keep us Alive, the author of The Company and Dominion argues that “our current national narrative holds that Canadian colonists were universally…
Read MoreMansbridge leads masterful Franklin talk
Wow! Peter Mansbridge really DOES know how to conduct an interview. I’m not surprised, of course, but to chat with him about Arctic exploration, a subject in which we are both intensely interested. . . . all I can say is: amazing! Or, no, that’s not quite all. Peter has always been just so generous…
Read MoreBig Franklin Book wins praise in Winnipeg
Big shoutout to Winnipeg author Dave Williamson, who reviewed Searching for Franklin in today’s Winnipeg Free Press. The headline read: “McGoogan brings Franklin expedition’s cast of characters to life in his latest dispatch.” Williamson went over the top with his flattering first sentence: “Two names are synonymous with exploring the Arctic: John Franklin and Ken…
Read MoreBig Franklin Book hits CTV news
Over at CTV Montreal: News at Noon, that consummate professional Mutsumi Takahashi did a wonderful job of interviewing me today about Searching for Franklin. Clearly, she had read not only this latest book but also others among my Arctic works. See for yourself by clicking here.
Read MoreTop reviewers hail rewrite of Arctic history
‘Breathtaking new book reads like a detective thriller’ “In this book, Ken McGoogan provides a fresh look at what made Franklin tick – and the factors that caused him to send so many men to early graves. Searching for Franklin is nothing short of a rewrite of Arctic history. McGoogan takes us well beyond the…
Read MoreUnique Arctic collection going, going . . . .
The Virtual Silent Auction at the Royal Canadian Geographical Society is coming to a close. You have until Nov. 16 at 9 p.m. to bid on a variety of items and activities, including some spectacular adventures going (rightly) for many thousands. Among more modest items, you will find a collection of signed copies of my…
Read MoreFranklin Book crosses Canada in 15 Interviews
Thanks to CBC News / National Radio Syndication, Searching for Franklin goes on the air today across the country according to the following schedule (Eastern Standard Time): 15 Interviews: 2:40 HALIFAX – Mainstreet Jeff Douglas – Host Twitter(show): @Mainstreethfx (Halifax Mainstreet) https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-37-mainstreet-ns 2:50 EDMONTON – Radio Active HOST: Jessica Ng https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-52-radio-active 3:07 CALGARY — Homestretch…
Read MoreBig Franklin Book attains the First Ocean
Faithful readers are joyfully aware that we have embarked on a year-long, three-ocean celebration. What? But surely you have heard of the Adventure-Canada, Searching-for-Franklin, Three-Ocean, Book-Tour Extravaganza? Which will last until next September, when the Big Franklin Book will turn up at a yet-to-be-determined location in the Arctic Ocean. We’ll be sailing, Sheena and I,…
Read MoreSaying hello to the Arctic Discovery Quartet
Former Herald editor’s new book about doomed Franklin expedition caps off 25-year obsession with Arctic exploration Author Ken McGoogan poses at Shelf Life Books in Calgary on Tuesday, October 24, 2023. Jim Wells/Postmedia Jim Wells By Eric Volmers/ Calgary Herald, Oct. 27, 2023 Ken McGoogan calls” himself “a still voice crying in the wilderness.” It’s…
Read MoreDebunking the Dead Hero Myth
Searching for Franklin a vivid account of the ill-fated expedition doomed by the hubris of its leader Review by Jamie Portman / Postmedia News for National Post, Montreal Gazette, Ottawa Citizen, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Vancouver Sun, Windsor Star and other publications I have a feeling that history is on the ropes at our schools…
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