Resolute: John Franklin's Lost Expedition and the Discovery of the Queen's Ghost Ship

Few know that the president’s desk in the Oval Office plays a part in one of the world’s most extraordinary sagas; in Resolute, noted historian Martin Sandler brings the story to light.

After Sir John Franklin and his ships disappeared in the Arctic while seeking the Northwest Passage, 39 rescue missions were launched, including one by the Resolute, the Royal Navy’s finest vessel. In 1854, it became locked in the ice and was abandoned. A year later, a Connecticut whaling ship discovered it...