Going in I knew nothing of the story, which I think made me enjoy the book even more because I didn't know how it would end. But it follows the USS Jeannette and its search for a northwest passage and the theorized "Open Polar Ocean". Fantastic read. Highly recommend
The author did a presentation at Google on the book and some of his research. Six months later, I still find myself thinking about this story. Hope some others have read it.