Seattle, Mountaineers, 2003, 1st edition. 262 pp.
This anthology gathers together some of the best writings from Everest's vast literature: Gillman on Mallory, Smythe on Camp Six, Tilman on Everest 1938, Shipton on Everest 1951, Hunt on the first ascent, Whittaker on the first American ascent, Hornbein on his great West Ridge climb, Unsworth, Messner on his oxygenless climb and on his solo, Hemmleb on finding Mallory, Hahn on the second step with Anker (previously unpublished).
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary, The Mountaineers Books presents highlights of the most dramatic moments in the climbing history of this perilous peak, from some of the best-known names in mountaineering:
George Mallory and Sandy Irvine setting off for their final climb in 1924
Edmund Hillary's own account of the first historic ascent in 1953
Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Everest, on the 1963 climb
Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld's first traverse of Everest via the West Ridge and South Col routes
Reinhold Messner's revolutionary climbs in 1978 (the first ascent without supplemental oxygen) and 1980 (the first solo ascent)
The official expedition account of the discovery of George Mallory's body in 1999
Bonus selection: MountainZone.com columnist Dave Hahn's riveting first-person account of the epic 2001 high-altitude rescue
From the Author: To the Tibetans, it is Chomolungma, to the Sherpa of Nepal, Sagarmatha, but in either culture Mount Everest is 'mother goddess.' Since its discovery, the mountain has motivated climbers to take on its daunting challenge. The result is a hundred years of colorful history and unparalleled drama, full of heart-stopping tragedy and glorious triumph. Fifty years after the first successful ascent seemed an appropriate time to collect in one volume the most compelling literature that has chronicled human endeavor inspired by the mountain.
The twelve pieces included in this collection are classic tales from Mount Everest, stories that I believe will be read for decades to come, in part because they illustrate the lengths to which we will go to find new ways to challenge ourselves. The voices represented in these pieces are as diverse as they are irresistible. Frank Smythe, who climbed within a thousand feet of the summit in the 1930s, writes like the pro he is, smooth and polished. Thomas Hornbein's account of the incredible first traverse of the mountain in 1963 is told in spare, precise language. Reinhold Messner, widely regarded as a great climber rather than an inspired writer, produces a unexpectedly riveting narrative of his solo ascent.
Man's evolving approach to Everest during the past century says much about the innate human need for risk and adventure. The mountain has become a kind of crucible, where the nature of struggle against long odds has been cooked down into an essence that speaks eloquently about human striving. These stories take us there, and together, they offer food for thought, and more--an understanding of what it means to undertake something ineffably difficult.
