New York, 1962, 1st US edition. 258 pp, 88 b/w and color photos, maps end papers. Grey cloth hardcover with dust jacket. Other than the author's signature there is no writing in the book or other flaws, and the dust jacket has some light edge wear and is not price clipped. There is a previous owner's bookplate on the front paste-down, so it is not visible. The Dust Jacket is protected by a removable clear plastic book cover that we call a Brodart, who are the makers of book covers. The Dust Jacket and the Book are in Near Fine condition.
This copy is SIGNED on the title page as E.P. Hillary.
This is the story of the Himalayan Expedition led by Sir Edmund Hillary, sponsored by the World Book Encyclopedia. The goal of this expedition was the first ascent of Ama Dablam and a serious attempt on Makalu, and if possible to find the Yetis. There was also some science, to see how man's experience at high altitude can be somehow improved.
As far as the last goal, Hillary had wondered whether six months of living at 19,000 feet and above would enable his men to climb Makalu without oxygen-but it became dramatically clear that prolonged 'adjustment' saps vitality and lowers resistance.
This US edition was published one year before the UK edition, plus the US edition has color photos and more photos than UK edition. Team members Barry Bishop, Mike Ward, Wally Ramones and Mike Gill made the first ascent of Ama Dablam, which is 6,812 meters or 22,349 ft.
In this supremely exciting story of high ice and high adventure, the Master of Everest sets out on a two-part mission: (1) to find the Abominable Snowman and (2) to discover how ordinary men can survive a winter at dizzying altitudes. Although the Himalayan people's belief in the existence of the mysterious Yeti, or Snowman, is unshakable, Hillary and his companions had great difficulty at first in finding anyone who claimed to have actually seen one.
Nevertheless they were able to collect three high-domed scalps and three skins - unwillingly lent by the Nepalis -which were flown out to civilization for expert examination. In addition, they photographed a skeletal hand, alleged to be that of a Yeti. The Hillary party soon decided that they had the answer to the Snowman riddle.
Any idea that man can easily adjust to life and work at high altitudes was disproved by the murderous hardships which faced the expedition, the best equipped of its kind. In spite of the treacherous weather, one team climbed the 'unclimbable' Mount Ama Dablam. But, first Hillary, and then other members of his party were struck down by altitude induced illness. The assault on a second peak, Makalu, had to be abandoned only 400 feet from the top.
Ephemera: Loosely inserted is a handwritten letter from the mother of previous owner of this copy of High In The Thin Cold Air. She describes in vivid detail the crush of humanity she had to deal with to get Ed Hillary to sign two books.
It was to avoid this competition for both myself and all autograph seekers to have Hillary sign their books that I devoted twenty years of travel, significant donations to Hillary's Himalayan Trust, that I flew to meet with him privately all over America and from 2001 to 2007 I flew to New Zealand with boxes of books for Ed to sign. I sold all my signed copies of High In The Thin Cold Air a decade ago. This is the first one we have had to offer in a long time.
