London, 1999, 1st UK edition. 310 pp, color photos. Sir Edmund Hillary is the best known and most beloved climber of our time. Here is his complete autobiography, covering both his early climbs and later emergence as a world statesman. A superb copy of this First UK edition, SIGNED by author as 'Ed Hillary'. Book and dust jacket are in New and unread condition.
We asked Sir Ed several times about which is the true first edition, as hardcovers were done in the UK, NZ and Australia. He assured us that the UK edition was the true first. Lady June Hillary pointed out to us that on the copyright page is the accidental use of the blurb only put on books of fiction, 'All characters in this book bear no relationship to any person living or dead.'
Hillary looks back on that 1953 landmark expedition, as well as his remarkable explorations in other exotic locales, from the South Pole to the Ganges. View From The Summit is the compelling life story of a New Zealand country boy who daydreamed of wild adventures; the pioneering climber who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth after scaling the world's tallest peak; and the elder statesman and unlikely diplomat whose groundbreaking program of aid to Nepal continues to this day, paying his debt of worldwide fame to the Himalayan region. This is probably the last major book that Ed Hillary will write.
