Though the Eiger is not a particularly high or beautiful mountain, its forbidding North Face has presented one of the greatest challenges to mountaineers. In the course of the years, it has claimed no less than 27 victims - including John Harlin (who lead a British-American team with Dougal Haston, one of this book's authors). This is the story of that climb. Following the death of John Harlin who fell 4000 feet to his death, the remainder of his team under Dougal Haston joined with a German team to climb the North Face of the Eiger.