An obsession for hundreds of years, the search for the fabled Northwest Passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific is a tale of ambition, fear, folktales, courage, and controversy. This engaging title reveals the motivations of the many countries and explorers who played a part in the almost 500-year search for a commercial sea route to India across the arctic.

Introduction: the past comes alive -- Historical sources: types of evidence -- Analyzing evidence: interpretation -- Searching for a way -- Different views: a lost expedition -- Modern examples: history revisited.