Ice Blink: The Tragic Fate of Sir John Franklin's Lost Polar Expedition

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By the mid-19th century, after decades of polar exploration, the fabled Northwest Passage seemed within reach. In 1845 the British Admiralty assembled the largest expedition yet, refitting two ships with steam engines and placing the seasoned if somewhat lackluster Sir John Franklin in command of the 128-man expedition. After sailing into Baffin Bay, they were never heard from again.

Drawing on early accounts from relief expeditions as well as recent archeological evidence, Scott Cookman reconstructs a chronicle of the expedition in Ice Blink. Cookman, a journalist with articles in Field & Stream and other magazines, excels when firmly grounded in the harrowing reality of 19th-century Arctic exploration. When he speculates about what happened to the Franklin expedition, however, he is on less solid ground and his writing suffers.

Particularly overwrought is the promised "frightening new explanation" for the expedition's demise. Cookman suggests that it was caused by the "grotesque handiwork" of an "evil" man, Stephan Goldner, who had supplied its canned foods. This is hardly new. As early as 1852, investigators determined that the expedition's canned goods were probably inferior and canceled provisioning contracts with Goldner. How a hundred men survived for nearly three years despite lead poisoning and botulism remains a mystery. In the end, as Cookman himself acknowledges, the expedition was ultimately doomed by its reliance on untested technology such as the steam engine, armor plating, and canned provisions. These criticisms aside, Ice Blink is an interesting narrative of this enduring symbol of polar exploration and disaster. --Pete Holloran

Book Description

Two of the most advanced ships of the time.
129 handpicked men.
A commander who had survived three previous Arctic trips.
Lost without a trace.
What happened?

For a century and a half, the question of what happened to the Franklin Expedition-the worst disaster in the history of polar exploration-has remained a puzzle. Now, based on original research in British Admiralty records, author Scott Cookman re-creates the full story of the ill-fated expedition and reveals a frightening new explanation for one of the most enduring mysteries in the annals of exploration.

Praise for Scott Cookman'sIceblink

"Ice Blink is a gripping tale of adventure overlaid with tragedy. Readers will come away from it with a fresh understanding-and a deep compassion-for the men of Sir John Franklin's ill-fated polar expedition."-Nathan Miller, author of War at Sea: A Naval History of World War II

Customer Reviews:

Intriguing but not completely satisfying.......2007-05-25

In 1845, Captain John Franklin and the crews of the Erebus and Terror sallied forth from England in search, once more, of the elusive Northwest Passage. Despite the best technology the time had to offer, not one soul returned from the voyage. In this book, Scott Cookman retells the known story of the voyage and adds some discussion regarding the potential causes of the voyage's failure. Most notably, Mr. Cookman spends several chapters discussing how food canning was done at the time and how it could have, oddly-enough, been the deciding factor in the mission's failure.

Mr. Cookman does a fine enough job extracting the story of the voyage from the relative sparsity of the historical record. Similarly the digression into the nauseating world of mid 19th century food supplying and preservation is enlightening and compelling. Where Mr. Cookman falters , though, is in his somewhat less than convincing attempts to find a single villan of the story. Indeed, much of the discussion of the voyage's food supplier, Stephen Goldner, while quite possibly correct, seems based almost entirely on conjecture or the writer's imagination. Mr. Cookman should be applauded for retelling this interesting story and for adding additional important context. However, unsupported conjecture shouldn't masquerade as history, even pop history.

Repetitive.......2005-02-02

The author often describes events with novelistic details that he actually has no knowledge about. Most frustrating of all is the protracted discussion of canning in the 19th century. He goes on much too long about such things as cleanliness of the employees in canning facilities, details he cannot possibly know, but only assumes. Though perhaps correct, the obviousness of the matter makes the reading tedious. And on and on it goes. Once the chapter is over, he mentions the points again in the next chapter. But he is not through with it. You'll read it again and again.

Other reviewers here have mentioned that the canning episode is well documented in the book. Some facts are but not all. I also fail to see why this is the main cause of the failure of the exhibition.

Couldn't the failure be that there really isn't a realistic North West Passage in the first place?

The book could have used a few more maps. How can one possibly understand the circumstances without a map showing what Franklin knew of the Arctic. A map showing the escape route and the location of some of the artifacts found could have been very helpful. I am a bit confused about what freezes over in the Arctic, blocking routes, and what does not. How about a map showing that?

The author mentions that the passage was actually found during the escape, that is between Canada's main land and King William's Island. This is the route that Admunsen took, conquering the passage for the first time. I wonder if Franklin took this course, if he really would have made it.

More than Slightly Speculative.......2004-01-25

One reviewer has called the book "slightly speculative." That is too charitable. Cookman generally does not contradict known facts about the Franklin expedition, but he invents much more detail than he has evidence to support. The book is unsuitable for academic purposes, but it provides a compelling, though at times poorly written, story. I do not wish to be too harsh on the book. To its credit, many of Cookman's speculations are reasonable and provide information that serious historians withhold in their books on the expedition. It is best to read one of the many other books on the topic in order to know what parts of Ice Blink to trust, and which to take with a grain of salt.

FANTASTIC.......2003-12-20

I was flipping the channels on early Sunday morning when for some reason I stopped on Book TV on C-Span 2 and caught Scott Cookman talking about the search for the Northwest Passege. It was the Apollo mission of its time. I have read a number books over Sir John Franklin Polar Expedition and this one by far is the best. Polar Exploration the 1800's was pretty dicey, even today it is. If you have any interest Polar Expedions and true mystery this is your book and it all rally happend.

A good read, slightly speculative.......2003-11-27

The Fate of the Franklin expedition will most likely always be a mystery. This wonderful, speculative account is one of the best. The author does a step by step look at all the factors and issues leading to the disaster that cost the lives on 129 British Navy personnel in search of the Northwest passage. Franklin had left England in 1845 with two of the best equipped ships ever put to sea for arctic exploration, he had experienced officers and a compliment of 129 men. They were never seen again. Subsequently 50 expeditions searched and found only scraps of clues as to their disappearance.

This book claims the culprit was most likely Botulism in the canned meat. This speculation runs contradictory to that lead poisoning thesis put forward in `Frozen in Time' and the fact that admiralty investigations proved the meat tins were not thoroughly sealed(thus Botulism couldn't have formed). Nevertheless this is one of the best books on the fate of the expedition. The author describes the final `death march' south along King William Island and the subsequent cannibalism that took place. Excellent diagrams bring the ships to life and maps show the final route of Franklins last survivors. A must read for those interested in arctic survival and the riddle of Sir John Franklin.

Seth J Frantzman November 2003

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By most accounts Jewish history begins with the Babylonians' destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. This well-made compendium, written by many hands, is in agreement. However, The Illustrated History of the Jewish People departs from traditional history in many ways, most notably in its attempts to understand figures who have been reduced to symbols. Herod, for example, "deserved his reputation for ruthlessness, cruelty and paranoia," but was also a product of his time, caught in a complex web of politics only partly of his own making. Editor Nicholas De Lange and the volume's contributors do a fine job of gathering the many strains of Jewish history into a single narrative, which ends with a discussion of the ongoing search for peace in the Middle East.

Book Description

A wonderfully accessible, beautifully illustrated chronicle of Jewish life through the ages, based on the best recent scholarship. With essays by Jane Gerber, Oded Irshai, Ora Limor, Michael Marrus, Derek Penslar, Seth Schwartz, David Sorkin, and Bernard Wasserstein. Maps; black-and-white illustrations; 48 full-color pages.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting essays and pictures.......2003-08-08

I think in the West, we sometimes are not aware of Jewish history after the Old Testament, but this book, presents 8 chapters of Jewish history, at least 7 in the last two millennium. Each of the esteemed authors presents a unique perspective and analysis on the time period they covered, such as "Herod's reforms", or the "impact of Christianity". The chapters on the relationship of Jews with Muslims, and the slow march into the Modern World were most interesting. The book concludes with a discussion of Arab-Israeli relationships that helps in understanding some of the current tensions.

There are some remarkable pictures, such as a coin from Jerusalem when under Persian Rule, an Ivory pomegranate from King Solomon temple, or pictures of the refuge ship the SS St. Louis waiting for news in Havana's Harbor. A map at the start of each chapter helps place the history in a larger regional context.

Customer Reviews:

Not another jewish history!.......2007-05-19

Like the Dummies and Idiot's series, this is at best an overview of Jewish history. While it has to lack the width and depth of Salo Baron's magnus opus on the Social and Economic History of the Jews and lacks the scholarship of Margolis and Marx's History of the Jews it does a good job of giving what can be described as a "bird's eye view".

To test it out I used the section on the Maimonidean controversy. It gave a map of what happened and where and this was somewhat useful. It was also somewhat confusing for those not into the intracacies of the arguments both for and against the thirteen principles of faith- what was lacking most how they ended up entering Jewish liturgy either as the Yigdal or the haunting liturgical hymn "ani ma'amim".

The Illustrated History of the Jewish People

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The Illustrated History of the Jewish People

Manufacturer: Joseph Okpaku Publishing Company, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HTCKJI

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The Illustrated history of the Jewish people

Manufacturer: Third Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

The Illustrated History of the Jews (The Hebrew Heritage Library, Volume 1)

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The Illustrated History of the Jews (The Hebrew Heritage Library, Volume 1)

Manufacturer: International Book Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000CJ8XEO

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Leather spines gilt trim white cloth illustrated out of print hardcover 11x9

Pictorial History of the Jewish People, From Bible Times to Our Own Day Throughout the World (Illustrated with 1000 Pictures)

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Pictorial History of the Jewish People, From Bible Times to Our Own Day Throughout the World (Illustrated with 1000 Pictures)
Nathan Ausubel
Manufacturer: Crown Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KI1VPU

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Large (8.5 X 11 in.) hardcover

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE: ILLUSTRATED EDITION.

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A SHORT HISTORY OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE: ILLUSTRATED EDITION.

Manufacturer: East & West Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HGV54C

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE: REVISED AND ENLARGED ILLUSTRATED EDITION.

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A SHORT HISTORY OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE: REVISED AND ENLARGED ILLUSTRATED EDITION.

Manufacturer: East and West Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HJI8U8

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A SHORT HISTORY OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE: REVISED AND ENLARGED, ILLUSTRATED EDITION.

Manufacturer: East and West Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HJ585G

The World History of the Jewish People. First series. Volume One: At The Dawn of Civilization.

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The World History of the Jewish People. First series. Volume One: At The Dawn of Civilization.
E.A. (Editor) Speiser
Manufacturer: Rutgers University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NUKYS0

Book Description

In A Mathematician at the Ballpark, professor Ken Ross reveals the math behind the stats. This lively and accessible book shows baseball fans how to harness the power of made predictions and better understand the game. Using real-world examples from historical and modern-day teams, Ross shows:
Â• Why on-base and slugging percentages are more important than batting averages
Â• How professional odds makers predict the length of a seven-game series
Â• How to use mathematics to make smarter bets

A Mathematician at the Ballpark is the perfect guide to the science of probability for the stats-obsessed baseball fansÂ—and, with a detailed new appendix on fantasy baseball, an essential tool for anyone involved in a fantasy league.

Download Description

"Approachable, understandable and entertaining look behind the numbers of baseball.

Opens up the math behind Michael Lewis's bestseller Moneyball, in a way that anyone can read and understand.

Filled with current and historical players, this is the first book that focuses on probability in baseball.

Covers not only the formulas for computing batting average, on base percentage and the like, but also delves into odds and predicting recurring events.

Here is a perfect introduction to the ideas of probability that baseball fans will love. Books on baseball give statistics and use language such as ""odds,"" ""likely"" and ""no chance"" without any explanation. Now professor of mathematics Ken Ross has written a guide to the beautiful and powerful science of probability for baseball fans who love statistics. In the last few years, revolutionaries armed with good old mathematics have changed baseball forever. Managers and coaches have refocused their attention on what statistics really measure and what they indicate about the probable performance of a player or a team. Now Ken Ross, himself a lifelong baseball fan, opens up the math behind Michael Lewis's bestseller Moneyball and shows how anyone can use probability to better understand the future of the game, in the next inning, or in the rest of the season, or in the rest of the World Series. See why the On Base Percentage and Slugging Percentage together are more meaningful than each is by itself (and why they are neither percentages nor averages). See how to calculate the probability that a seven-game series will go four, five, six or seven games. Learn how a mathematician adept in the arithmetic of probability can combine statistics to produce tailor-made analyses in answering questions about specific teams, players, and games. Filled with current and historical players, this is the first book that focuses on probability in baseball. "

Customer Reviews:

Uses baseball to illustrate freshman statistics.......2007-06-12

Not intended as comprehensive statistical study of baseball. Rather, its goal is to teach a few of the freshman probability-statistics concepts via baseball examples. This may be too narrow a niche to appeal to many readers. But if you want such a book, this is a well written and easy to read one. Has several useful nuggets for the teacher (Derek Jeter and David Justice exemplifying Simpson's paradox; analysis of streaks data; analysis of a cute gambling strategy "bet on underdog whose fan base is relatively very small") and useful references to further statistical work on baseball.

While the book is good, he should have dropped some of the derogatory references.......2007-05-14

Baseball is a very cerebral game, both on and off the field. Overall athletic ability is less a precondition for success on the field than in any other major sport. Off the field, baseball fans use statistics in their arguments more than in any other sport. If your audience is interested in baseball, then it is easy to create scenarios that can be used to teach probability and statistics.
In chapter one, Ross uses batting averages, slugging percentage, on base percentage and on base plus slugging to explore the question, "Who's the best hitter?" Like so many before him, he reaches no definitive answer and is only able to come to some general conclusions. Chapters two through four examine basic probability, odds and expectation. Chapter four is entitled "What Would Pete Rose Do?", which is a derogatory reference to Rose's history of betting on sports and then lying about it. Unfortunately, Rose's name appears nowhere in the body of the chapter, although the coverage of the topic is excellent.
The title of chapter five is "Will the Yankees Win if Steinbrenner is Gone?" and deals with conditional probability. As was the case with chapter four, the name Steinbrenner never appears in the body of the chapter. The chapter that I found the most interesting was number six, "How Long Should the World Series Last?" Given that the probability of each team winning a particular game is the same and the games are independent, it is easy to determine the probability that the series will go a certain number of games. Chapters seven and eight deal with streaks, sequences of victories and how likely they are and given a streak, the probability that it will continue. Whatever you call them: streaks, momentum or "being hot", they all describe the most misunderstood concept in sports. Ross reaches the same conclusion that all others who have studied it reached. Namely, that there is no such thing as momentum. Good teams win consecutive games because they are good, not because they are hot. Strings of consecutive successes are very predictable and the higher the percentage of victory, the more frequent and lengthy their winning streaks will be. It is only the perception of the situation that leads people to believe otherwise.
Overall Ross does a good job in using baseball situations to demonstrate the basics of probability and statistics. However, some knowledge of the game is necessary if you are to understand it. Unfortunately, he chooses to make the titles of two chapter's negative comments on two of baseball's major figures. I personally dislike Pete Rose and George Steinbrenner a lot, considering them both to have had an overall negative impact on major league baseball. Nevertheless, I see no benefit to making the negative references to them when it is only the title of the chapter and not the point of the chapter.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission

Not enough baseball to satisfy..........2006-02-21

I seem to recall taking some freshmen math class from Professor Ross back in my days at the University of Oregon, but the details of that class remain as unmemorable as this book. If you already have a reasonable knowledge of basic probability, it's unlikely that you'll learn much here. His treatment of baseball betting in Chapter 4 is just about the most obvious idea imagineable (bet on underdogs) and not suprisingly doesn't work all that well. His analysis seems just to skim the surface of a very deep and complex game. There just isn't much to satisfy.

If you want to read about "stats" and "at bats," there are better choices.......2006-01-04

There's something good that can be said about any book, and in this particular case, perhaps it's worth pointing out that "A Mathematician at the Ballpark" is brief, at just 152 pages (excluding appendices). And it has large print on each of it's smallish 5x8 inch pages.

If you want a very readable account of how statistical analysis of player performance has been applied in the real world and changed the way teams are assembled and managed, I highly recommend that you buy "Moneyball" by Michael Lewis.

If you want to delve a little more into statistical inference and analysis of player performance and aren't afraid of math, then I highly recommend "Curve Ball: Baseball, Statistics and the Role of Chance in the Game" by Jim Albert and Jay Bennett.

"Curve Ball" and "A Mathematician at the Ballpark" probably compete a little more directly for the mathematically inclined reader. And, to my mind, "Curve Ball" is the more compelling book because it asks (and attempts to answer) more interesting questions, like: "Is there such a thing as streakiness or the 'hot hand?'" Can you measure "clutch play"? And, how confident can you be that the "best team" actually won the World Series. In "Curve Ball," the questions are of primary importance, and statistical concepts are introduced to the extent they help "answer" the questions. In "A Mathematician at the Ballpark," in contrast, the author's focus is on statistics first, and only secondarily on baseball. Indeed, baseball often comes across as tangential to the author's narrative. You'll pick up as much about statistics and MUCH MUCH MORE about baseball, from "Curve Ball."

It's not a "bad" book. There are just better alternatives.

A good probability and stats book.......2005-11-06

There really are only a few connections to baseball, and even fewer on the field. However the author does a good job of explaining basic principles of probabilty. There are some good chapters about lotteries and other random games. Overall, a worthy book.

A Mathematician at the Ballpark : Odds and Probabilities for Baseball Fans

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A Mathematician at the Ballpark : Odds and Probabilities for Baseball Fans
Ken Ross
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OHSNF8

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A Mathematician at the Ballpark: Odds and Probabilities for Baseball Fans
Ken Ross
Manufacturer: Pi Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OISJTM

Book Description

One of the main purposes of this book is to make explicit the nature of different stakeholders' conservation perceptions and strategies in respect to these culturally important biological resources. This examination will hopefully inform ongoing discussion of such important issues as sustainable and equitable wildlife and fisheries management plans, bioregionalism, and the maintenance of biodiversity.
This book examines issues surrounding the management and conservation of a particular category of animal, namely the "mediagenic megafauna," or the largest of the land and sea mammals. The value accorded to different biotic resources varies significantly depending upon the interests and goals of the parties undertaking the valuation, and these different perceptions often come to influence management of these species. Discussion and programs directed toward "saving" elephants and whales are particularly instructive in this regard, as these species appeal to diverse groups for markedly different r

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