I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of this title. So, the failed Franklin Expedition of 1845 has been a subject that I have been obsessed with ever since reading The Terror by Dan Simmons. For those not familiar with the lost expedition, Sir John Franlin set out from England in the mid 19th century to find the elusive Northwest Passage. The purpose of the expedition was to shorten the amount of time it would take to conduct trade between Europe and Asia. Franklin was convinced that there was a way to navigate the harsh and icy northern Canada waterways and come through clean on the western side. In Simmons' The Terror, the expedition was the backdrop of his horror story and although many details about the expedition were factual and hashed out, I've always been looking for a more comprehensive treatment of the entire mystery of what occurred. Needless to say, I was very excited to see this title on NetGalley as the summary described it as being a factual telling of the entire expedition as well as a modern-day story detailing the 2014 discovery of many of the artifacts from that fateful event. Based on that description alone, I had a feeling that this may be the historical book that I was looking for to satisfy my curiosity where the Terror just fell short. The book begins with a brief introduction of the 2014 exploration and what was needed to bring that to fruition. After the introduction, we really get into the meat of the story and are treated to a wonderful account of what was believed to have happened to the crew of the HMS Terror and Erebus. As the historical account is told, the book also flashes forward to 2014 and the discoveries of the exploration team. I thought this worked incredibly effectively as it allowed me to connect the discoveries that the modern-day team made with what was depicted in the historical account. Watson does a great job of dispelling many of the myths that have circulated over the years as to the cause of the tragedy. I was especially intrigued by his inclusion of the Inuit tribes of the far north and how he was able to surmise that they could have been of great assistance to Franklin and his men, if not for the inherent prejudice of the crew that may have stopped them from asking for help. In the end, Watson comes to the conclusion that many factors decided the fate of the doomed crew, not the least of which was the harshness and unpredictability of the arctic weather itself. I thoroughly enjoyed Ice Ghosts and highly recommend it to anyone interested in this historic event or readers who are simply looking for a terrific adventure story. I can't recommend this book enough and I believe that it deserves five stars.