Series on the history of Arctic exploration.
In 1897, Salomon Andree set off for the North Pole by balloon. He was never seen alive again, but in his wake came other explorers in airships and flying boats who managed to reach the Pole, but only at huge personal cost.
See today's choices.
BBC Book: Icemen: a History of the Arctic and Its Explorers, £12.99 from bookshops The great North Pole run: page 7