The great Norwegian explorer Fridjof Nansen recounts his adventures in the Arctic in this classic memoir, originally published in 1897. He describes the design and building of his ingenious ship, the "Fram" (which is still on display in Oslo), his drift across the icy wasteland, his six-month-long sledge journey with Johansen (where they reached farthest north before turning back), and his final dash across the ice floes to Franz Joseph Land, where they overwintered before being picked up by a passing British expedition. It's quite a tale, illustrated with maps and photographs.  (ARC60, $17.95)

The 86 Greatest Travel Books of All Time
Arctic Exploration