John
Geiger
AUTHOR • EXPLORER • CEO
"I consider John Geiger a fellow writer of exploration literature."
— William S. Burroughs
◆ CEO, ROYAL CANADIAN GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY
◆ NEW BOOK, QUEST, COMING OUT IN SEPTEMBER
◆ INTERNATIONAL BEST SELLING AUTHOR OF EIGHT BOOKS
◆ CEO, ROYAL CANADIAN GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY ◆ NEW BOOK, QUEST, COMING OUT IN SEPTEMBER ◆ INTERNATIONAL BEST SELLING AUTHOR OF EIGHT BOOKS
Praise for QUEST
NEW RELEASE • SUMMER 2026
QUEST
Shackleton's Last Ship
& the End of the Heroic Age
In June 2024, John Geiger led an international team that discovered the wreck of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s last ship, Quest, off the coast of Labrador, where it struck ice and sank in 1962. That event captured global attention and renewed interest in the legendary explorer’s fatal last voyage. This sweeping narrative takes readers from Shackleton’s early polar expeditions, including the famous Endurance calamity that demonstrated his spectacularly resilient brand of leadership, through to his last journey to Antarctica in 1922, during which he died of a heart attack aboard the Quest. Geiger re-examines Shackleton’s triumphs, his testy relationships with rivals like Vilhjalmur Stefansson, and the Quest’s extraordinary posthumous legacy as it sailed into history – and finally to its resting place. Rich in adventure and anchored by contemporary exploration, Quest blends historical drama with cutting-edge discovery to illuminate a polar epic for a new generation.
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“John Geiger knows how to tell a story, and what a story this is. Of all the personalities in Polar exploration there’s none to match Ernest Shackleton. One of the last missing pieces in the history of this charismatic figure was the fate of the Quest, the ship on which he died in January 1922. Geiger channels one of Shackleton’s greatest qualities, his stubborn refusal to be beaten, in his own mission to find the Quest. The result is an enthralling story of marine discovery. But more than that it is, in these days of sophisticated technology and global communications, a powerful reminder what one man once achieved with sheer willpower. John Geiger has done Ernest Shackleton proud."
— Michael Palin, author of Erebus: The Story of a Ship
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“In this riveting blend of history and adventure, John Geiger recovers the forgotten truth that Sir Ernest Shackleton intended his last great expedition to be all about Canada. Having scoured the archives, Geiger leads an expedition that brings Shackleton home to this country. His investigation turns up not just a wreck but the missing link between Canada and one of history’s greatest explorers. Written in clear, vivid, and beautifully controlled prose, Quest restores Canada to the heart of the Shackleton legend and brings his journey full circle, celebrating a legacy that escapes the Antarctic ice and returns at last to the North that called him home.”
— Ken McGoogan, author of books on exploration including Dead Reckoning and Searching for Franklin
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"A fascinating dive into the depths of little-known polar history by a master of the genre, John Geiger brings to life the clashing personalities, restless ambitions, and epic sweep of the end of the golden era of polar exploration. Geiger thrillingly frames the tale of Shackleton’s last voyage with his own modern-day quest to discover the wreck of the great explorer’s final ship."
— Adam Shoalts, PhD, author of Vanished Beyond the Map
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“John Geiger brilliantly unravels the complexity and intrigue of Shackleton’s final years and comprehensively details the fascinating saga through which Quest, a modest Arctic sealer, is entwined with Canada’s story over more than a century. Quest informs, inspires and cannot fail to move. It is another must-read hit from this most insightful of authors.”
— Jan Chojecki, author of The Quest Chronicle
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“With his discovery of the legendary Quest, Geiger brings the whole incredible Shackleton saga to a close. An utterly gripping story, blisteringly well told.”
— Mensun Bound, author of The Ship Beneath the Ice: The Discovery of Shackleton’s Endurance
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"The definitive account of my grandfather's final expedition."
— Hon. Alexandra Shackleton
Explorer of the
human frontier.
ABOUT JOHN
John Geiger was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and Canadian Geographic Enterprises in 2013.
He is the internationally bestselling author of eight books, including Quest: Shackleton’s Last Ship & the End of the Heroic Age, Frozen In Time: The Fate of the Franklin Expedition, The Third Man Factor: Surviving the Impossible, and Chapel of Extreme Experience: A Short History of Stroboscopic Light and the Dream Machine. John has appeared on many television and radio programs, and has been featured in major documentary films including ‘Arctic Ghost Ship’ on PBS Nova, ‘The Angel Effect’ on National Geographic Channel’s Explorer, and ‘Flicker’ on Bravo.
John graduated in history from the University of Alberta, and is a Senior Fellow at Massey College, Toronto. He holds a Doctor of Laws honoris causa from the University of Calgary. John Geiger sits on the National Advisory Council of The Walrus Foundation and is a National Champion of the Trans Canada Trail. He is the former chair of the Editorial Board of The Globe and Mail.
In 2015 John received the Polar Medal. In 2018 he was made Honorary Fellow of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society and Honorary Member of the James Caird Society. In 2021, Geiger was awarded with the Order of Canada, in 2023 he received the RCA Medal from the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and in 2024 he was made a Commander of the Order of Civil Merit by the King of Spain.
His work has been translated into fourteen languages.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Royal Canadian
Geographical Society
Leading Canada's foremost geographical institution since 2013, advancing the cause of geographical education, exploration, and national identity.
CEO & PUBLISHER
Canadian Geographic
Stewarding Canada's iconic magazine and its digital platforms, bringing geography and adventure to millions of Canadians.
Other titles
Several of John’s books are currently available for purchase. Pre-orders of QUEST (to be released in September 2026) are also available.
PRAISE FOR THE THIRD MAN FACTOR
"Exciting, edge-of-your seat tales. It's like revisiting the greatest hits of exploration and dare-devilry, but from a new angle."
— Evening Standard
"Engrossing and formidable."
— Los Angeles Times
"Gripping." — Wall Street Journal
"There is a curious force capable of guiding the destiny of men and women in extreme peril and John Geiger knows what it is. An extraordinary book." — Wade Davis, author of Into the Silence
PRAISE FOR FROZEN IN TIME
"A cautionary tale of scholarly merit." — William S. Burroughs, author of Naked Lunch
"Chilling ... will keep you up nights turning pages."
— Chicago Tribune
"A Canadian classic."
—Globe and Mail
"A remarkable piece of forensic deduction." — Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's Tale
Eight books and
international best sellers.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
EXPLORATION & ARCTIC HISTORY
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02
04
Frozen In Time
The Fate of the Franklin Expedition
QUEST
The Discovery of HMS Erebus
Franklin’s Lost Ship
01
Shackleton’s Last Ship & the End of The Heroic Age
Nothing is True, Everything is Permitted
07
Chapel of
Extreme Experience
08
A Short History of Stroboscopic Light and the Dream Machine
Dead Silence
The Powerful Force That Ensures We Are Never Alone
CONSCIOUSNESS & COUNTERCULTURE
05
The Third Man Factor
Surviving The Impossible
06
The Life of Brion Gysin
We Are Never Alone
The Angel Effect
SPEAKING
Compelling talks for
extraordinary audiences.
John Geiger is a captivating speaker who brings the drama of polar exploration, the psychology of survival, and importance of the idea of Canada, and the urgency of geographical stewardship to a global audience.
Drawing on fieldwork, scholarship, and leadership at the highest levels of Canada's cultural and scientific community, Geiger's interactive presentations combine riveting storytelling with profound intellectual insight — leaving audiences with a transformed sense of what human beings are truly capable of.
He has delivered keynotes and talks at institutions ranging from the Bristol Festival of Ideas, Edinburgh Book Festival, IdeaCity (Toronto), Canada Club (London), Sonic Acts (Amsterdam), Mystic Seaport Museum, Explorers Club (N.Y.), Festival of Shackleton (Dundee), Walrus Talks (Yellowknife) and the Wellcome Centre for the History of Medicine, University College (London). In 2014 and 2025, he presented the Roald Amundsen Memorial Lecture, Fram Museum (Oslo).
SIGNATURE TOPICS
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The psychology of survival and the unseen forces that carry people through impossible situations.
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What the greatest polar explorer can teach modern leaders about resilience, loyalty, and purpose.
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The golden era of polar discovery and why its lessons matter urgently today.
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Canada's geographical identity, sovereignty, and its critical role in a rapidly changing North.
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Why understanding our world through geography has never been more essential.
Where you’ve
seen John
IN THE NEWS
John regularly appears on television and in the media as a leading authority on a range of topics. You may have seen him on PBS NOVA, BBC, Discovery Channel, or featured in newspapers, magazines, and interviews around the world.
The Explorers Club, NYCThe GuardianPBS NovaBBCDiscovery ChannelNational GeographicCBCGlobe and MailChannel 4CONTACT
Get in touch
Whether you're interested in booking John for a keynote, media appearance, book signing, or looking for information on partnerships with the Royal Canadian Geographic Society or Canadian Geographic, we welcome your enquiry.