I'm about 80% through the book and agree with the other reviews. I'm keeping it on my Kindle because it almost instantly puts me back to sleep on those restless nights...
I'm grateful that Mr. Atkinson revealed there is a movie of it with Michael York - surely that will "cut to the chase".

Far and away the best depiction of life on the battlefield of WWI. Each chapter is a self-contained vignette of the different roles played on the battlefield.Each one is compelling.Many "memoirs" are mere (boring) descriptions taken from journals, but this book is truly entertaining.

A wonderfully descriptive account of life on board a ship locked in the ice as it drifts North toward the pole, by the leader of the expedition. Either his English was flawless, or the translation from the Norwegian was so.
The second book (with pictures !)is available on Project Gutenberg in several formats, including Kindle with photographs. So far, it too is a great read.