This volume deals with the primarily European obsession with finding a passage to the east over the top of the North American continent. The first chapters deal with the early attempts at finding not only a northwest passage but a northeast passage over the top of Russia as well. I was surprised at how early these beginning voyages were, many beginning in the early to mid-1600's. These chapters also dealt with the exploration of Hudson's bay. The middle chapters dealt with the mainly English expeditions for the northwest passage, and exploring more of the upper Canada region by foot. The last chapters dealt with the more famous explorations, such as the Franklin expedition, and how these explorers and their crews survived winters in the arctic while their ships were frozen in the ice.