We have a fascination with those who face the challenges of the north. Here are three books about such men, the first chronicling the story of Richard Proenneke in Alaska, an inspiration for naturalists. The second takes on the controversial flight of Richard Byrd to the North Pole. The third is the story of S.A. Andree who attempted to fly to the North Pole in 1897 in a hot air balloon.

One Man's Wilderness: an Alaskan Odyssey by Richard Proenneke

"This book made a big splash when it debuted in 1973. Keith based the text on the journals and photography of Richard Proenneke, who, after racking up years of 50-hour work weeks, did what many of us only fantasize about: he chucked it all and went to live in the woods. Now in his 80s, Proenneke still abides in the log cabin he built with his own hands and has become an icon for naturalists. Though few will follow Proenneke's lead, his story can be quite inspiring." (Library Journal)

Show Me a Hero: the Sin of Richard Byrd Jnr by Jeremy Scott

"Richard Byrd wanted to be the first man to fly to the North Pole. By telling one momentous lie he become an all-American hero, received the highest distinction his President could bestow, and secured a lifetime of celebrity. The cost to others of that race proved fatal, the price Byrd paid himself was no less than his own soul. This is the story of Richard Byrd, who claimed to have won the race to the Pole in 1926, and the consequences of the lie he told."

(Amazon)

The Ice Balloon: S.A. Andree and the Heroic Age of Arctic Exploration by Alec Wlkinson

"Wilkinson recounts the thrilling story of the visionary Swedish explorer S.A. Andree, who in 1897, at the height of the heroic age of Arctic endeavor, attempted to discover the North Pole by flying over it in a hydrogen balloon." (Syndetics)