Fatal Passage
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Fatal Passage: The Untold Story of John Rae, the Arctic Adventurer Who Discovered the Fate of Franklinis a book by Canadian historian and writerKen McGoogan.It was first published in 2001. The book formed the basis for the 2008 moviePassagefrom theNational Film Board of Canada.
Synopsis
[edit]In 1854, the explorerJohn Raefound himself at the centre of one of the great controversies of the nineteenth century – the fate of theFranklinexpedition. With the British hoping to be first in the race to discover theNorthwest Passage,the news Rae brought of starvation and cannibalism among final survivors set off a firestorm that would eclipse his own incredible accomplishments. The true story of the remarkable John Rae – Arctic traveler andHudson's Bay Companydoctor –Fatal Passagetells a tale of imperial ambition and high adventure.
When nineteen-year-old Rae set sail forHudson Bayin 1833, he had little idea of what to expect at the edge of empire. Meeting his first winter atMoose Factorywith equanimity, even as members of the crew were dying despite his best efforts, he discovered that the key to successfulArcticlife was to learn the survival skills of thenative peoples.The hardy Rae, raised in the windsweptOrkneyIslands of northern Scotland, and a gifted hunter and sailor, would become one of the greatest explorers of his generation. He would survey 1765 miles of uncharted territory, travel 6555 miles on snowshoes and sail 6700 miles in small boats. Building on the work of explorers who had gone before him and aided by only a handful of native people,Métisand Scots, Rae became the consummate Arctic explorer, as much at ease in the wilderness of ice as inLondondrawing rooms.
Ultimately, he solved the two great mysteries of nineteenth-century Arctic exploration. Rae discovered both the fate of the lost expedition of SirJohn Franklin,which had sailed from England in 1845, and the last navigable link in theNorthwest Passage.The first of these discoveries brought down upon him the wrath of the formidableLady Franklin,who enlisted the help ofCharles Dickens,and orchestrated the erasure of Rae from official Arctic history. InFatal Passage,Ken McGoogansets the record straight.
Awards
[edit]- Drainie-Taylor Biography Prize
- The Canadian Authors' Association History Award
- AmericanChristopher Award.
Editions
[edit]- McGoogan, Ken (2002).Fatal Passage: The True Story of John Rae, the Arctic Hero Time Forgot.Toronto, HarperCollins publishers ltd.