Each chapter focuses on a famous climb by portraying the climber or climbing team in fascinating detail. Chapter 1 features George Mallory, the golden mountaineer of the 1920s whose unexplained death on Everest rocked Great Britain and the world.

 

In Chapter 2, the story of Tenzing Norgay's life frames the moment when humans first stood on top of the world. Next, in Chapter 3, the Chinese conquer the mountain from Tibet, winning glory for their country as shown through rarely seen photographs. Chapter 4 gets inside the head of Reinhold Messner, one of the greatest climbers the world has ever known, and details his two monumental Everest climbs - the first summit without supplemental oxygen and the first solo summit.

 

In Chapter 5, Americans summit via the never-before-climbed, treacherous East Face. Braving avalanches and mastering incredibly difficult technical climbing, the 1983 expedition placed two groups on the summit via this pioneering route. And last, Chapter 6 covers the heartbreaking 1996 tragedy when eight climbers lost their lives in a single storm.

 

The author has a unique perspective on this tragedy because she was at Base Camp during the event. Sidebars provide fascinating mountain information, including altitude and its effects, Everest's unique geography, the Sherpa culture, and the need for conservation on the no-longer-pristine mountain slopes. Back matter reference material includes a detailed Everest chronology, a glossary of climbing terms, an Everest Hall of Fame biography section, a chart of Everest records, a detailed bibliography and resource section, and an index.