Asia - Peoples & Places, Sports - General & Miscellaneous
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Overview
Breathtaking photos and an intriguing narrative capture the allure of the world’s highest mountain - and the spirit of the many adventurous souls who have dared to attempt the ultimate climb.
What compels human beings to risk their lives scaling the world’s tallest peak? What challenges do they encounter along the way? Who are the Sherpas, whose guidance and skill keep foreign mountaineers safe? What does it feel like to stand atop Mount Everest, high above Tibet and Nepal?
Esteemed author and climber Stephen Venables answers these questions and many more in a fascinating narrative, accompanied by spectacular photographs from the Royal Geographical Society in London. With a special focus on the first successful climb by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953, this magnificent book touches also on the history of the mountain, earlier failed missions, and the effect that growing Himalayan tourism has had on local people and on the mysterious Mount Everest itself.
Describes many of the attempts to scale Mount Everest, including the author's own experiences.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
Both for readers who love climbing and for those who wonder why anyone would risk death to reach a mountaintop, this book overcomes its somewhat institutional appearance to offer an exciting, informed history of the exploration of the world's tallest peak. Venables, an expert climber who left his own mark on Everest in 1988, describes the rise of mountaineering as a 19th-century European pastime as it coincided with the efforts of British mapmakers to survey the Himalayas from afar (foreigners were allowed to enter neither Tibet nor Nepal). Then the author turns to the various expeditions to Everest, paying special attention to the first British team that set out to map the mountain in 1921 and to the first successful climb in 1953. Venables skillfully contrasts the past and present via carefully chosen details (e.g., the Britons' 250-mile caravan trip from Darjeeling in 1921; a 1924 mountaineer describes the "hateful duty of high altitude cooking"). The author also brings his own passion to the narrative, conveying the romance of the summit and of being "completely alone, higher than any other human being on earth." Charged descriptions of his 1988 climb, including a night spent without shelter on the mountain, will have readers on the edge of their seats. Photographs and maps enhance the narrative to some extent, but do not always do justice to the majesty of their subject. Ages 9-up. (May) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.Children's Literature
This is one of those rare works of nonfiction that reads like a can't-put-it-down adventure novel. The difference, of course, is that the adventures recounted here are true. Venables, a mountain climber and author of numerous nonfiction works for adults, brings Everest and its famous climbers to life. His vivid prose creates a captivating portrait of the awesome power of nature and the courage and ingenuity of the human will, and his detailed descriptions bring the reader up close to the action. We see the monumental effort needed to simply get dressed at 26,000 feet above sea level, the struggle to melt snow for drinking water, the jaw-clenching determination of the climbers to keep going despite oxygen-deprivation, frostbite and exhaustion. And we begin to understand the overwhelming challenges of merely surviving on Everest, let alone climbing the mountain. Venables uses his own ascent of Everest to frame the geography of the area and the history of its exploration, a technique that works well to capture the reader and heighten the tension of his story. The book is beautifully designed and the photographs throughout are stunning. This is a book that is sure to capture the imagination of even the most reluctant reader. 2003, Candlewick Press,— Barbara Carroll Roberts
VOYA
What compels people to risk their lives to climb Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world? After finishing this book, this reviewer still does not have the desire for that journey but understands what it is like to "shadow" Venables, one of the most renowned mountain climbers in the world. This book is brief but packed with many different types of information. Venables provides geologic background and a history of the discovery and exploration of Mount Everest. He illustrates the book marvelously with striking photographs and route maps that vividly show the perils of the climb. His stories of explorers such as George Mallory and Edmund Hillary show the unusual courage and resourcefulness of men who challenge this wilderness. A highlight of the book is the story of Venable's own Everest climb. In 1988 he was part of a four-person team trying to find a new route to Everest's summit. He was the only team member to make it to the top, almost perishing in the attempt. He miraculously managed to survive with no shelter, but he returned with a badly frostbitten foot. This book has several uses: It could be a source for writing reports with its glossary and nicely detailed index to help students. It is also an adventure story, a history of one of the original extreme sports. And it is a good climber's mini-biography that is highly recommended for junior high and high school collections. VOYA Codes 5Q 4P J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2003, Candlewick, 96p.; Photos. Glossary. Index. Maps., Ages 12 to 18.—Debbie Earl
School Library Journal
Gr 4 Up-Stunning photographs, some never before published, combine with a compelling narrative that chronicles 50 years of assaults on the highest peak in the world, including the author's own adventure in 1988 as the 203rd person to reach the summit. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.Book Details
Published
May 1, 2003
Publisher
Cambridge, Mass. : Candlewick Press, 2003.
Pages
96
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780763621155