This compelling biography provides a good look into Victorian arctic exploration and politics -- and does much to place John Rae among the great polar explorers. A doctor and explorer from Orkney, he distinguished himself with the Hudson Bay Company by his ability to lead small land parties. Unlike many European contemporaries, Rae learned Inuit methods for winter transport and coping with the cold, adopting traditional techniques and clothing. Like many, he joined the massive manhunt for the missing John Franklin expedition, which McGoogan argues was his downfall.  (ARC118, $14.00)