Posts Tagged ‘Arctic exploration’
Big 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 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 MoreSearching for Franklin goes on the road
The big Toronto blow-out at the Tranzac Club on November 7 is launching in partnership with Adventure Canada (AC). Details are still being hammered out. Meanwhile, AC is sponsoring a contest offering people a chance to win a $5,000 USD travel credit. This can be used towards any 2024 Ocean Endeavour expedition operated by Adventure…
Read MoreWhy did I write this ‘big Franklin book?’
Early afternoon in Gjoa Haven, everyone gravitates to Qiqirtaq High School, a big modern building, for a cultural presentation. September 2017. I’m sailing in the Northwest Passage with Adventure Canada as a resource historian, giving talks as we travel. I’ve been rambling around Gjoa looking for Louie Kamookak, my old friend and fellow traveler.…
Read MoreAn Open Letter to Explorer John Rae
Dear Dr. Rae: You have been gone from us since July 22, 1893 – precisely one hundred and twenty-nine years. I write from the future to mark the day of your passing. What to report from 2022? Six years ago, I relayed the news that searchers have found the two long-lost ships of Sir John…
Read MoreMichael Palin’s Erebus and Dead Reckoning look alike because they belong together
“What the publishing industry hath joined together let no bookseller put asunder.” That’s the way I see it. Faithful readers have been nudging me: “Have you seen the cover of Erebus? Michael Palin’s new book? Doesn’t it remind you of the cover of Dead Reckoning: The Untold Story of the Northwest Passage?” Well, now that…
Read MoreFrozen Dreams bring Dead Reckoning to T.O.
OK, so the photo is from Back in the Day. August 1999, to be precise. That would be me on King William Island as taken by the late Louie Kamookak. We were atop Mount Matheson on King William Island. Behind me: Rae Strait. I’ll probably mention this adventure when I give an illustrated talk called FROZEN…
Read MoreMYSTERY SOLVED!!! Polar Bears explain Fate Of the Franklin Expedition
Polar Bears Explain the Fate of the Franklin Expedition What happened to the Franklin Expedition? Researchers have been debating that since 1847, two years after Sir John Franklin disappeared into the Arctic with 128 men. From the note later found at Victory Point on King William Island, most people believe that in April 1848, 105…
Read MoreLovely paperback edition lists under $20
The paperback is here! A single author’s copy anyway, with countless others flowing into bookstores next week. Hats off to the folks at HarperCollins Canada! What a lovely package! This edition is slightly smaller than the hardcover . . . the perfect size!And it contains new and improved maps! And here on the back cover, a reviewer…
Read MoreThe Terror? Hailing the hell-bent original
My review of the original novel turned up in the Globe and Mail a decade ago. In response to popular demand, voila, here it is again . . . The Terror: A Novel, by Dan Simmons Reviewed by Ken McGoogan The most impressive achievement of this brilliant historical novel is that the author manages to…
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