In 1845, Royal Navy Captain Sir John Franklin left England on a quest to fulfill his lifelong dream -- the discovery of the Northwest Passage. Along with his ships Erebus and Terror, Franklin and his men vanished into the unforgiving Arctic and passed into legend. This compelling biography follows Franklin through his early sea voyages and arduous overland expeditions In Canada's north to postings in Malta and Tasmania and his tragic final Arctic voyage, retracing the route of the lost ships and recounting the expedition's agonizing fate. A determined, fearless leader and a skilled navigator, yet branded by failure and judged unlucky, Franklin remains a fascinating and controversial figure to this day.