London, John Murray, 1951, 1st UK edition, 324 pp, 23 plates. One of the most important figures in early Himalayan mountaineering. His ascent of Trisul (7120m) was the highest peak climbed for the next 21 years; he was the first to see into the Nanda Devi sanctuary; was on Everest 1922, etc. Hardcover, DJ Fine.
Around mountains and their climbers there exists a very special glamour; Everest is a name that never fails to thrill, and Whymper, Smythe and Somervell belong almost to a race of men apart. Adding to that glamour, and revealing a unique experience and knowledge, Tom Longstaff has given special prominence to the mountains and mountain ranges that he has encountered in long years of travel.
President of the Alpine Club, an expert naturalist, and a Doctor of Medicine, Dr. Longstaff has climbed in practically all the major mountain ranges of the world, he has added 500 square miles to the map, discovered the largest glacier on earth outside the Polar regions, and was the first recorded human being to look down upon the Inner Sanctuary of the Nanda Devi, 'the most romantic mountain in the world.'
In his book, he contrasts many infinitely varied regions and distills something of the particular atmosphere of each. The Alps, the Himalayas, the Caucasus, the Rockies and the Arctic are all very real in his pages; not only does he describe their flowers and animals, their peoples and histories, but in describing the expeditions of himself and others before him, he also shows the characteristics with which these regions have resisted man's attempts at conquest. Human, factual and most fascinating is the wide range of his experience. Dr. Longstaff's quest for knowledge is equaled only by his zest for adventure, and both are vividly reflected here.
