The author of 'Barrow's Boys' and 'Killing Dragons' turns his attentions north - to the pole. In the mid-19th century, the North Pole was a mystery. Explorers who tried to penetrate the icy wastes failed or died. After Sir John Franklin disappeared with all his men in 1845, serious efforts began to be made to find the true Northern most point. This is the vivid and witty history of the disasters that ensued.