Product Description

The Franklin Conspiracy is an absorbing account of the single most enigmatic event in Canadian history. In 1845, two British Royal Navy ships, the Erebus and the Terror, commanded by Sir John Franklin, entered the Canadian Arctic in search of the Northwest Passage. Neither ship returned. A fifteen-year search uncovered evidence of unparalleled disaster, but to this day no one knows exactly how the 129 men of the Franklin Expedition met their deaths. Although the expedition did not run out of food, there is clear evidence of cannibalism. The ships carried two hundred message cylinders with them, yet failed to leave records. Stranger still, an earlier explorer, Thomas Simpson, was reputedly murdered for the 'secret of the Northwest Passage'. What was this 'secret'? The Franklin Conspiracy is an exhaustively researched, compellingly reasoned answer to that question. The result is a shocking saga of conspiracy, cover-up, and unbelievable secrets.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #718343 in Books
• Published on: 2001-05-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

About the Author
Jeffrey Blair Latta has contributed popular science columns to Canadian newspapers, been published in the prestigious science journal Nature, and written two one-act plays as well as several screen plays. Though originally majoring in Physics at Queen's University, he graduated in Film Studies.

Customer Reviews

Sensationalised
This book promises alot but delivers very little that has not already been placed in the public domain. He hints at cannabalism as if it could be a novel idea, when it is a known fact, suggests a cover-up when most records are freely quoted in other books (see the excellent Glyn Williams), and even hints at strange lights in the sky, UFO's and alian autopsies! He promises to reveal the astonishing secret of the Franklin expedition, but then states on the last page that more evidence has yet to surface (i.e. if only we had some of the photographs that may have been taken). The Franklin crew died of scurvy, and sickness and disorientation brought about by lead poisoning. Enough said. One star for entertainment value.

What Conspiracy??!!
This is a well written book which documents the doomed Franklin expedition very well. There is a great deal of good historical research, but the coarse and simplified accompanying maps really are atrocious and should never have made it into the final print.
It was an easy read and I kept waiting for Latta to reveal his gripping theory. No joy - there was none! Frankly, the book's extravagant title is totally misleading. Apart from a couple of obscure references to a tribe of ferocious giant eskimos with big teeth, Latta gave us no insight into his claim of an amazing Admiralty "cover up".
All in all, ignoring the conspiracy red-herring, this is a good read for those who are not familiar with the Franklin disaster. If you already know about this and all the associated theories regarding it's failure, don't expect this book to add your knowledge.

a fantasic read
About the best book you will read on this subject.
It throws new light on the story and points out some amazing things that, if true, make this event the most scandalous and disgraceful cover up in naval history. If you are interested in this subject it will keep you hooked from cover to cover.