"This is a heart-led account of one of the longest, hardest polar jourbaneys of recent years. It is a testament that enduring hardship isn't about bravado but about a quiet, at times faltering, daily decision to endure." Bear Grylls, Man vs. Wild
"It's extremely heartening to discover, through a text that is beautifully and powerfully written, that a younger generation of adventurers has got what it takes - and more. They prove themselves worthy successors to their heroes, Amundsen, Shackleton and Scott." John Hare, author of Mysteries of the Gobi
"An original and compelling book that really gets into the psyche of adventure and the conflict between the call of responsibility and the desire for freedom. I thoroughly enjoyed it." Jonny Bealby, Wild Frontiers
"...fresh as a daisy... challenging, intelligent and thoughtful. Riding the Ice Wind reminds us that decent writing about tough adventure need not be a thing of the past. A hundred years ago there was a great explorer with a literary soul and the ability to write well. Alastair Vere Nicoll may not be Ernest Shackleton, but he's living proof that while the literary explorer may be an endangered species, there are still a few out there, if you know where to look." Nick Smith, for Bookdealer
"...lovely descriptions of the wilderness. The real voyage at the heart of the book, though, is the attempt to discover meaning in a life the writer had found increasingly mediocre." Clove Stroud, Sunday Telegraph
"...A superbly engaging account of an impossibly hard trip. Its originality, however, lies in its sensitivity to the purpose of such expeditions to the have-it-all generation." Richard Lofthouse, Oxford Today, Hilary Term edition