Antarctic literature is a genre unto itself. The extremity of latitude, the dangers of the Southern Ocean, the fame (or notoriety) of the heroes of the Edwardian era, and the sheer, surreal beauty of the ice have dazzled sailors, explorers, writers and cruise passengers for two centuries. Rolling seas aside, a voyage to the ice continent affords more time than on most cruises for reading and research. Here are ten great books, covering fact and fantasy, nature and ecology.

Scott of the Antarctic: The Definitive Biography (2005) by David Crane

Heroic amateur, classic Brit blunderer, misled maverick? The story of Scott’s Antarctic ambitions and tragic end have been seared into the national consciousness by mythopoeic accounts of the 1910-12 Terra Nova expedition. David Crane’s magisterial work leads us back to the hard facts of this and the 1901-04 Discovery expedition, and trawls through diaries and interviews to present a complete portrait of Robert Falcon Scott and reassess his often overlooked contributions to scientific endeavour.

The Birthday Boys (1991) by Beryl Bainbridge

This short novel weaves fact and fiction and brings the Terra Nova story to life through the voices of the five ill-fated main players: Taff Evans, Dr Wilson, Birdie Bowers, Titus Oates and Scott himself. Bainbridge brings humanity and fragility to the story, highlighting rivalries as well as the camaraderie. When pundits talk about Mars missions they often dwell on the human experiment element; the expedition led by Scott was, for its time, very much a test of a species in utterly unsuitable – as well as uncharted – territory.