First up, for the impatient (like me), this book doesn't actually cover the Franklin Expedition until the last third of the book. Unsurprisingly, we know a lot less about the voyage, as they didn't come back. So a large part of this book is about some of the ship's previous voyages, exploring Antarctica. This also includes Palin's trips there where he contrasts what he's seen. He has a lovely turn of phrase and some gentle warm humour, but the book isn't a comedy.

The book is able to cite sources until the Franklin Expedition departs Greenland, and then covers what the rest of the world saw (Western, and Inuit). He lists which theories he believes and covers the finding of the shipwrecks.