The elusive dream of locating the Northwest Passage - an ocean route over the top of North America that promised a shortcut to the fabulous wealth of Asia - obsessed explorers for centuries. While global warming has brought several such routes into existence, until recently these channels were hopelessly choked by impassible ice. Voyagers faced unimaginable horrors - entire ships crushed, mass starvation, disabling frostbite, even cannibalism - in pursuit of a futile goal. In "Arctic Labyrinth", Glyn Williams charts the entire sweep of this extraordinary history, from the tiny, woefully equipped vessels of the first Tudor expeditions to the twentieth-century ventures that finally opened the Passage. Williams' thrilling narrative delves into private letters and journals to expose the gritty reality behind the often self-serving accounts of those in charge. An important work of maritime history and exploration - and as exciting a tale of heroism and fortitude as readers will find - "Arctic Labyrinth" is also a remarkable study in human delusion.