One of the best-known of the many books about Englishman Shakleton's 1915 expedition to cross the South Pole, this is essentially a quick, easy-reading adventure story. Aptly titled, it's a pretty gripping and amazing story, and will put to shame any bad camping story of one's own. I guess what one emerges with is sheer amazement that anyone managed to survive the conditions these men were exposed to. A nice modern companion book to this is "North to the Night."