John Rae, Arctic Explorer
The Unfinished Autobiography
By John Rae
Edited by William Barr
Size: 8" x 10"
John Rae is best known today as the first European to reveal the fate of the Franklin Expedition, yet the range of Rae's accomplishments is much greater. Over five expeditions, Rae mapped some 1,550 miles (2,494 kilometres) of Arctic coastline; he is undoubtedly one of the Arctic's greatest explorers, yet today his significance is all but lost. John Rae, Arctic Explorer is an annotated version of Rae's unfinished autobiography. William Barr has extended Rae's previously unpublished manuscript and completed his story based on Rae's reports and correspondence—including reaction to his revelations about the Franklin Expedition. Barr's meticulously researched, long overdue presentation of Rae's life and legacy is an immensely valuable addition to the literature of Arctic exploration.
Publication date: January 2019
Features: 8 B&W images, 4 maps, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Keywords: Arctic Exploration / Biography / History
Subject(s): BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Adventurers & Explorers, Arctic Exploration / Biography / History, HISTORY / Polar Regions, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Historical, History of specific lands, HISTORY / Canada / Pre-Confederation (to 1867), Arctic Exploration / Biography / History
John Rae (1813–1893) was an employee of the Hudson's Bay Company who explored substantial sections of the north coast of North America, and was the first to reveal the fate of the Franklin expedition. William Barr has researched the history of exploration of the polar regions for over 40 years. He has published 23 books, including edited translations from French, German, and Russian. He is a Senior Research Associate with the Arctic Institute of North America, University of Calgary.
"The autobiography breaks off mid-way through his last expedition and in mid-sentence at the bottom of a page.... William Barr edits with self-effacing thoroughness, interpolating passages of correspondence to fill lacunae in the narrative, adding copious notes, and appending mini-biographies of the people who travelled with Rae. Notwithstanding its truncation, the torso of autobiography that remains is an impressive one." Times Literary Supplement, June 14, 2019
Jonathan Dore
"Barr's skillful editing of the unfinished autobiography is a meticulous enterprise, based not only on the surviving manuscript but on other primary sources. It's a book you'll dip into while anchored somewhere comfortable, evening after evening, entranced by the understated narrative.... This monumental volume is a tribute to a truly remarkable arctic traveler and voyager, whose achievements leave one breathless with admiration. In a way, this 648-page book is a true page-turner, largely because Rae writes so humbly about his extraordinary journeys and carries you with him." Good Old Boat, Vol. 2, No. 7, May 2019 [Full review at https://audioseastories.com/bkr-rae]
"Rae's unfinished autobiography alone would warrant publication in some form, and with Barr's added account of the second half of his life, and his copious notes and references, it provides a unique record of his achievements."
W. Gillies Ross, Professor Emeritus of Geography, Bishop's University
1 ORKNEY CHILDHOOD
2 VOYAGE TO HUDSON BAY AND WINTER ON CHARLTON ISLAND
3 MOOSE F ACTORY: L IFE, PE OPLE, H UNTING, S HOOTING, A ND T RAPPING
4 MOOSE FACTORY–FORT GARRY–TORONTO–YORK FACTORY
5 1846–1847 ARCTIC EXPEDITION
6 SEARCHING FOR FRANKLIN WITH SIR JOHN RICHARDSON, 1848
7 WINTER AT FORT CONFIDENCE, 1848 –1849
8 BOURGEOI S AT FORT SIMPSON
9 NORTH AGAIN—AND ANOTHER WINTER AT FORT CONFIDENCE
10 SLEDGE E XPEDITION T O V ICTORIA I SLAND, S PRING 1 851
1 1 BOAT E XPEDITION, S UMMER 1 851
12 FROM FORT CHIPEWYAN TO FORT GARRY TO ENGLAND
13 BACK TO THE ARCTIC, 1853 : FROM ENGLAND TO CHURCHILL
14 FROM CHURCHILL TO REPULSE BAY
15 A SECOND WINTER AT REPULSE BAY, 1853–1854
16 NORTH AGAIN—TO CLOSE THE LAST GAP
17 THE SECOND HALF OF HI S LIFE
ISBNs: 9781772123326 978-1-77212-332-6 Title: john rae arctic explorer ISBNs: 9781772123852 978-1-77212-385-2 Title: john rae arctic explorer