Peter Steele had already spent several years trekking and working in the Himalayas when he reluctantly took the position of medical officer on the 1971 International Everest Expedition. He expected it to be a hard climb; what he didn't expect were the series of disasters that included a near-epidemic, a walk-out, and the death of a team member. Struggling against bad weather, hostile news reports, and violent infighting, the members still attempted to climb Everest via the treacherous, never-before-attempted southwest face.

As much an expose of Steele's colorful climbing companions -- foreign and Sherpa -- as a chronology of the perilous day-to-day challenges of attempting a difficult new route on the world's highest mountain, 'Doctor on Everest is a white-knuckle ride into an extreme environment and a compelling look at the limits of human endurance.

This enthralling first-hand account tells readers what it’s really like to climb Everest — and what happens when things go wrong. A doctor and climber, Peter Steele jumped at the offer to become chief medical officer for the 1971 International Everest Expedition. He didn’t expect the series of disasters that included a near-epidemic, a walkout and a grisly death. Dr. Steele tells his story with daring honesty, giving an unparalleled insight into the challenging world of mountaineering.

“An intensely human book which leaves the ordinary reader with a much more vivid idea of what an attempt on Everest must be like ... The drama, tragedy and high adventure are all there, but taken almost casually in the doctor’s long stride.” —Daily Telegraph

“Of the many books about Everest published during the past fifty years, Doctor on Everest is the only one to give the uninitiated the exact feeling of what it is like to be on one of these expeditions.” — Sunday Times, U.K.