Buy new:
-27% $15.99
FREE delivery Wednesday, May 15 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$15.99 with 27 percent savings
List Price: $21.99

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Wednesday, May 15 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
In Stock
$$15.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$15.99
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$4.89
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
Item may not include associated media. Moderate damage on pages. Minor packaging damage observed during inspection. Item may not include associated media. Moderate damage on pages. Minor packaging damage observed during inspection. See less
FREE delivery Thursday, May 16 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 14 hrs 33 mins
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$15.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$15.99
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Kenneth McGoogan
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Fatal Passage: The Story of John Rae, the Arctic Hero Time Forgot Paperback – April 1, 2003

by Ken McGoogan (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 538 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$15.99","priceAmount":15.99,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"15","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"99","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"b223QIbG1O3VxdW3AwCm36R0%2Fij2WgUlFvSTULik9IfAln7guQAETAJ3P6Y%2B9ZYze648DRcJHa8p5STKSZkuP7de08K%2FxVnZyNJ5WdMrVP3SCAGfhHVLI4EpYeUA2zY5Vp%2BMF8pDRoU%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$4.89","priceAmount":4.89,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"4","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"89","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"b223QIbG1O3VxdW3AwCm36R0%2Fij2WgUlbzzJArO2yjR8eX7jZ%2F4BNNhpLjF8FUULE%2FfWuzjFatRluKC4KPndeWByBsQhAEEcmNqXBwgsCoQ%2FVY93SmbelISCqCPWi2UC6ZsI1JKHzXgXwDFOA%2FIXI4JRzcW9AnDhXtMf%2B57E7OmxaljCs6EHXPAWmFUtR1M4","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

John Rae's accomplishments, surpassing all nineteenth-century Arctic explorers, were worthy of honors and international fame. No explorer even approached Rae's prolific record: 1,776 miles surveyed of uncharted territory; 6,555 miles hiked on snowshoes; and 6,700 miles navigated in small boats. Yet, he was denied fair recognition of his discoveries because he dared to utter the truth about the fate of Sir John Franklin and his crew, Rae's predecessors in the far north. Author Ken McGoogan vividly narrates the astonishing adventures of Rae, who found the last link to the Northwest Passage and uncovered the grisly truth about the cannibalism of Franklin and his crew. A bitter smear campaign by Franklin's supporters would deny Rae his knighthood and bury him in ignominy for over one hundred and fifty years. Ken McGoogan's passion to secure justice for a true North American hero in this revelatory book produces a completely original and compelling portrait that elevates Rae to his rightful place as one of history's greatest explorers.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    340 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Basic Books
  4. Publication date
    April 1, 2003
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1 x 8.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0786711566
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0786711567
  8. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

Fatal Passage: The Story of John Rae, the Arctic Hero Time Forgot
$15.99
Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 15
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Unravelling the Franklin Mystery: Inuit Testimony (Volume 5) (McGill-Queen's Indigenous and Northern Studies)
$28.20
Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 15
Only 6 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Frozen in Time: The Fate of the Franklin Expedition
$14.19
Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Ken McGoogan's passionate and immaculately researched book...is a sort of Arctic whodunit."

"Rae emerges from the shadows to take his place among the most intriguing of the 19th-century Arctic explorers. Delightful reading"

"Rae...was hounded into obscurity, banished from the pantheon of approved Victorian Arctic explorers, and was the only important one not to be knighted."

About the Author

Ken McGoogan, former literary editor of The Calgary Herald, is the author of the novels Kerouac's Ghosts and Chasing Sofiya. He won the Drainie Taylor Biography Prize and The CAA Lela Common Award for Canadian History for Fatal Passage. In researching Fatal Passage, McGoogan traveled to England, Scotland, and the Arctic, where in 1999 he erected a plaque commemorating John Rae's accomplishments. McGoogan lives in Calgary, Alberta.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books; Reprint edition (April 1, 2003)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 340 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0786711566
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0786711567
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 538 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Kenneth McGoogan

Kenneth McGoogan

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
538 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Harry Truman
5.0 out of 5 stars Damned good read
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2014
Verified Purchase
Other reviewers that gave this book 4-5 stars have written good explanations of why they awarded such high praise, so I needn't repeat those words (I'll just silently agree with them).

Instead, I'll make three statements:

1. I immensely enjoy seeking out 'forgotten' history and true versions of historical events that school books and encyclopedias won't tell you. This book is an excellent example of one of those.

2. This particular story shows clearly that while the term 'Politically Correct' is a recent invention, the acts of 'playing politics', downplaying others' accomplishments, taking undeserved credit for oneself, and attempting to destroy a man's reputation simply because one does not like the message he bears, are atrocious, despicable human acts that have existed probably since the beginning of man.

3. Finally, I am not a son of the British Isles, hence I have always thought the idea of Britain's Royal family to be outdated and nonsensical in today's world. Nevertheless, I'll say this: if the Queen ever hears the tale of John Rae and fails to grant him a posthumous knighthood, while Sir Elton Rockstar and Sir Paul Rockstar can be knighted, then all knighthoods are meaningless and laughable.
27 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
rcl
4.0 out of 5 stars Great story but some criticism of the book
Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2016
Verified Purchase
John Rae was obviously a true stud, mountain man, explorer, and overall very smart guy. The book is a great and interesting read. However, be aware that the author has added undocumented conversation and dialog between characters in the book that are not referenced to any sources. So, this book has some historical fiction attributes, which I was not expecting, and are not indicated in the information about the book. I read a lot of history books, and most that I read annotate quite often the info source for facts in the text. This book does not do that at all; it only provides a bibliography at the end of the book, so if a particular part of the book interests you with a desire for more reading, you don't know where that information is from. Also, it's very light on maps, and the maps that are provided are not a very good scale. I like to reference maps constantly when I'm reading about explorers and when geographical points and locations are mentioned on a regular basis. It's the only way the reader can truly appreciate the scope of the journey. Despite my criticisms, I enjoyed the book and the story.
13 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
John D. Mackintosh
5.0 out of 5 stars Orkney's Hero Well Remembered in This Worthy Book
Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2009
Verified Purchase
There isn't much that I can add to the fine reviews here, other than to say that the author may be unduly harsh on Franklin's widow for not accepeting Rae's account that the fate of her husband's expedition ended with some resorting to canabalism. After all, who wouldn't resist accepting the news that the last days of their spouse might have included this unspeakable horror?

Despite that, this is an excellent biography. I purchased my copy during a recent trip to Scotland which, fortunately, included a visit to Orkney, the birthplace of Rae. I was immediately intrigued when our driver explained some of the background of Rae as I knew about Franklin but not Rae. I purchased the book at a local bookshop in Stromness. Those who read this book will be gratified to know that efforts are underway in Orkney to restore and preserve Rae's birthplace, an empty home that is easily seen when coming into Stromness. Additioanally, he is well remembered at St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall with a beautiful memorial. This book serves as a worthy monument in print.
11 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Constant
5.0 out of 5 stars Chilling Discoveries
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2017
Verified Purchase
I chose to read this book as a way to prepare for a cruise along the Northwest Passage. While my journey will be (I hope) much different than that of early explorers, I now have a greater appreciation of their contributions to our knowledge of the Artic. John Rae was a man among men - brilliant in his approach to Artic exploration. He discovered the fate of the Franklin exporation searching for the northwest passage. A fascinating well written account well documented. A thoroughly engrossing book.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
ANTHONY F ZIPPER
5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating piece of history, little known and a ...
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2018
Verified Purchase
A fascinating piece of history, little known and a real tour of the frozen world of North Canada and its surrounds all told through the exploits a brave, strong willed and humble man. Very well written and researched. Worth every minute to learn about a still controversial part of history, which even recently is discussed due to Arctic ice melting.
Helpful
 Report
Fred
4.0 out of 5 stars Hit and miss.
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2012
Verified Purchase
This book started out well enough with the stranded sailors facing an unknown and terrifying creature. As the story drifted from an unknown creature to supernatural being I lost some interest, but I'm sure a lot of people would actually find a supernatural antagonist more interesting than a natural one. That being said, most of the story concerning the crew's experiences while trapped in the ice was entertaining. The endless flashbacks seemed like filler for a book that was thick enough as it was, and part of the ending was simply too bizarre. This was a pretty good book that could have been a great book if the author had dropped a few hundred pages and come up with a better ending.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Sonia Grundy
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating !
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2014
Verified Purchase
One has to marvel at how Dr John Rae walked, snowshoes , whatever - all those miles ! Thousands upon thousands ! For sure, he must have been a very efficient walker, easy on the body, just the right strides, just the right metabolism. And...just the right footwear.

Imagine, Dr. Rae going out in the Canadian wilderness, and no shoe store around- the footwear must have been of the utmost top quality. Wish I could find a pair like that !
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Tim Chesterton
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent and engaging biography of John Rae
Reviewed in Canada on October 28, 2023
Verified Purchase
I knew a little about John Rae before reading this book—mainly from reading about him in Pierre Berton's 'The Arctic Grail'—but this book by Ken McCoogan has really filled in the blanks, just as its subject filled in so many blanks on the incomplete Arctic maps of the nineteenth century. Engaging, vivid, informative, exciting—these are the words that come to mind. I highly recommend it.
Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 24, 2023
Verified Purchase
Excellent read which could only be improved by adding more detailed maps for reference. I’d recommend having a chart of the Artic at hand to fully appreciate the achievements of Rae and his men.
Report
Dr. Dominik
5.0 out of 5 stars What a man, what a book
Reviewed in Germany on May 23, 2017
Verified Purchase
One of the best non- fiction books I have ever read. A fascinating man, interesting insights into Victorian society and a lot to learn about our own still lasting environmental and cultural ignorance. Highly recommended!
One person found this helpful
 Report
Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Ripping read
Reviewed in Australia on October 29, 2021
Verified Purchase
A fascinating account of a little-known man who was without a doubt the greatest Arctic explorer of the 19th century. Extremely well-researched and written. I couldn't put it down
Report
James L Stone
5.0 out of 5 stars great read.
Reviewed in India on March 10, 2017
Verified Purchase
A wonderfully written book that not only gives insight about an explorer but has a great context about the times he lived in. I read it in a weekend
Report