London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1987, 1st UK edition. 219 pp, color photos, maps, appendices, bibliography, index. Original blue cloth hardcover with dust jacket. There is no writing in the book or other flaws, and the dust jacket has no wear and is not price clipped. The Dust Jacket is protected by a removable clear plastic cover that we call a Brodart, they are the makers of the book covers. All Dust Jackets deserve Brodarts. Just google them to buy some for your books. The Dust Jacket and the book are in Fine condition.
We do not see many books signed by Jim Curran. I only met him once at a Telluride Mountain Film Festival. This original UK 1st edition is uncommon in the USA as there is a US edition that is identical.
This book tells the story of the expeditions and tragedies on K2 in 1986, when Al Rouse, Julie Tullis and many others died.
It is summer...1986. Twenty-seven climbers triumph at the K2 summit. Thirteen climbers die in their quest to conquer K2. Therein lies the tale.
The author, a photographer who calls himself a climber, though that is debatable, attempts to make sense of the events which unfolded on the mountain that summer. Relying upon the anecdotes and narratives of others, as well as his own personal observations, he tries to put the events into perspective, even though he has no firsthand knowledge of what transpired up on the mountain, for the most part. Although he was there, he rarely ventured past base camp.
The book does make for an interesting read, as we look at events as they unfold before the author. It is amazing that with all the tragedies which seemed to occur at almost every turn, the climbers still kept climbing, never losing sight of their quest. At times this singlemindedness on the part of the climbers comes across as somewhat megalomaniacal.
The author is very candid in his commentary throughout the book and, surprisingly, he does not hesitate to speak ill of the dead. His candor, while somewhat disturbing, is refreshing, and it is interesting to discover that the gods do, indeed, have clay feet.
