Captain Francis Crozier was a major figure in 19th century Arctic and Antarctic exploration who led the doomed Franklin Expedition’s battle to survive against the odds. It is a compelling story which refuses to be laid to rest and recent discovery of his lost ships above the Arctic Circle gives it a new urgency. The ships may hold vital clues to how two navy vessels and 129 men disappeared 170 years ago and why Crozier, in command after Franklin’s early death, left the only written clue to the biggest disaster in Polar history.Drawn from historic records and modern revelations, this is the only comprehensive account of Crozier’s extraordinary life. It is a tale of a great explorer, a lost love affair and an enduring mystery. Crozier’s epic story began comfortably in Banbridge, Co Down and involved six gruelling expeditions on three of the 19th century’s great endeavours – navigating the North West Passage, reaching the North Pole and mapping Antarctica. But it ended in disaster.Table of ContentsNotes page 9Introduction: Pointing the Way 111 A Bond with History 172 To the Arctic 273 Seizing the Moment 434 A Promise 515 Fatal Errors 636 Wreck of Fury 707 North Pole 798 Arctic Rescue 899 South 9910 Flirting with Love 10711 An Epic Voyage 12112 Dangerous Waters 13313 Trembling Hands 14514 ‘I Am Not Equal to the Hardship’ 15715 A Sense of Tragedy 17216 North West Passage 18517 Ice 19718 ‘No Cause for Alarm’ 20719 Breakout 22020 A Slow Execution 22521 Unsolved Mystery 23522 Last Man Standing? 25823 A Fitting Memorial 26324 Lost and Found 273Appendix: Francis Crozier: A Chronology 287References 289Bibliography 295Index 304