Tied to a BBC2 television series, this is an examination of the Arctic region and the men who have tried to conquer it. The tales begin in 1841 with the doomed Franklin expedition which attempted to find a sea route between the Pacific and the Atlantic. The Admiralty sent over 50 relief expeditions to rescue Sir John Franklin and his crew, but they found skeletons rather than survivors. Then there was Robert Peary, who dedicated most of his life and nine of his toes to conquer the North Pole in 1909, only to discover on his return that Frederick Cook claimed to have reached it a year earlier. With numerous other stories of heroism and tragedy, the book features explorers who tried to reach the Pole by plane, hot-air balloon, submarine and airship. Not all of them made it, and some died in the attempt.