Palins way of constructing a narrative from historical letters of the crew and their relatives is really well done. The inspirational tale of the voyage to the Antarctic constrats so well with the sad final voyage through the northwest passage. The final section going into the early rescue searches driven by the tynasity of Franklin's wife and its ultimate discovery 160 years later is equally inspiring. Palins ability to bring history to life is truly remarkable and I'd highly recommend this book.