A masterful biography of the daring, original polar explorer of the early 20th Century, Fridjof Nansen, which follows Huntford's ground-breaking account of the race to the Pole and Shackleton bio. At the center of the Nansen book is Huntford's gripping account of the drift of the Fram -- and epic trek across the ice to Franz Josef Land. Huntford's vivid prose and original research make this book well worth the effort (though at 750 pages it's not for the faint of heart) .  (ARC121, $29.95)