Really enjoyed this book, very readable. I thought the ten chapters wouldn't link together terribly well but actually it mostly does. The author clearly loves the wilderness and geography of Canada (perhaps more than anyone else in it) and explicitly discusses this at the beginning and end of the book. I'm not sure he's necessarily noticed not everyone kayaks through icy rivers at the drop of a hat, mind.

There's great bibliographies and I'm going to go to those primary sources of the explorations as his quotes are so readable.

I'm just very amused, perhaps particularly as a Brit, in that it doesn't appear to be an accident that his last chapter is discussing John Franklin's other failed exploration of the High North. This time on land, and this time only killing half the party. The author contrasts Franklin's lack of preparation or heeding of native peoples' advice with all the others.

A colourful and enjoyable book.