The Hunt for Mount Everest
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- Create Date：2021-10-13 10:19:10
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Craig Storti
- ISBN：B08YYDS2NK
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Reviews
Paperclippe
，
One of my dirtiest secrets is that I love to read books about white dudes doin' an explore。 I mean， most of the time I prefer to read about the ones that go horribly wrong， true （see my recent review of Madhouse at the End of the Earth）， but that miasma of adventure and exploration that wafts off of the Victorian and Edwardian eras will sometimes just lodge itself into my brain and stick there。 One of the most enjoyable things about this dirty secret， however， is that recently， there have been a One of my dirtiest secrets is that I love to read books about white dudes doin' an explore。 I mean， most of the time I prefer to read about the ones that go horribly wrong， true （see my recent review of Madhouse at the End of the Earth）， but that miasma of adventure and exploration that wafts off of the Victorian and Edwardian eras will sometimes just lodge itself into my brain and stick there。 One of the most enjoyable things about this dirty secret， however， is that recently， there have been a glorious spate of books about all this - let's face it - colonialism that have been told with a wink and a nod， openly calling out all the horrible shit these dudes did and allowing themselves to be each their own lesson on why it is， in fact， a bad look to march into someone else's home and ask， "But do you have a flag？" They tell the undeniably interesting stories and histories from a more aware perspective， which， in my opinion， only makes those tales of adventure all the more riveting。 And kind of funny。 Schadenfreude is a bitch。This was not one of those books。Normally， these types of books fall into two categories: the one I mentioned above， the modern， culturally-aware kind that manages to sneak in a couple of laughs; or， of course， the Good Old Boys， the stories that glorify all the pillaging the British Empire and its questionable mustaches did。 The Hunt for Mount Everest was。。。 neither。 It seemed to come from a modern point of view where obviously the starchy invasion of countries where the people were just fine without your so-called civilizing influence is a bad thing。 But it also seemed to come from a place of almost willful naiveté when it came to the impact that the Raj and indeed the whole idea of "exploring exotic lands" might have had on the Himalayan region。 The best example I can give is that， in a section about naming （or， more accurately， ignoring the well-established Tibetan name of Chomolunga that the British definitely knew about but were just racist enough to pretend that they were doing the local people some kind of favor when they renamed） Mount Everest， Craig Storti presents first-hand sources and accounts of contemporary research into the name of the mountain， and then explains how the British were kind of just like， "Yeah， but nah，" without making a single comment about this colonial pattern of behavior。 No opinion， no investigation， no nothing。 Just， as they say， the facts， ma'am。You can't write a book like this。。。 like that。 What that says to me is that you're trying to avoid what you， the author， feel might be a political landmine， or might alienate some readers， or you're genuinely not well-informed enough to have an opinion about。 If that's the case， then you really don't have any business， in the year of sweet lord 2021， writing a book about Mount Everest。 First of all， it's been done。 Second of all， if aversion to inflammatory topics is your excuse， then you're complicit， and if it's because you aren't well-informed enough on the topic， it is literally your job to ask。 You're literally writing a book on the topic。 So yeah。 This definitely didn't sit right with me and when I realized I was half of the way in and it was still reading like an introduction， I came to the conclusion that the problem was more integral than the plot itself was。 Two stars because the historical facts are， indeed， very thorough。 It just rings more than a little hollow， man。 。。。more
Amrita
，
My thanks to Netgalley and Nicholas Brealey US for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。This book was magnificent， so much more than what I expected。 Instead of taking a linear line to the "conquest" of Everest， Storti does an amazing job of building up the series of events that led to the British first finding out about Everest and then charting the path to it。 It's a story that combines British adventurism， imperialism， the Great Game between Russia and Britain， the birth My thanks to Netgalley and Nicholas Brealey US for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。This book was magnificent， so much more than what I expected。 Instead of taking a linear line to the "conquest" of Everest， Storti does an amazing job of building up the series of events that led to the British first finding out about Everest and then charting the path to it。 It's a story that combines British adventurism， imperialism， the Great Game between Russia and Britain， the birth of mountaineering as a sport， unsung heroes， celebrated murderers， and a singular vision that united all manner of men through decades and the First World War。 It is infuriating and exhilarating and mind boggling when you think of what these men achieved。 Storti is an excellent writer， imparting a real sense of the characters and personalities at play while also attempting to place the actions of these men in their historical context without simply accepting them at their word。 It's the kind of book that can never be adequately adapted to screen because its scope is just too difficult and vast。 What a joy that such books can still be written。 。。。more
Lissa00
，
I have read so many （so many） books about attempts to climb Mount Everest but this book actually delves into the fact that they had to find the tallest mountain before they could climb it。 While surveyors could see the high peak and assume that it may be the world's tallest， they couldn't actually get to it because the countries it borders， Tibet and Nepal， were closed to foreigners。 This book details the politics of the region， the early expeditions to survey and climb the Himalayas and the int I have read so many （so many） books about attempts to climb Mount Everest but this book actually delves into the fact that they had to find the tallest mountain before they could climb it。 While surveyors could see the high peak and assume that it may be the world's tallest， they couldn't actually get to it because the countries it borders， Tibet and Nepal， were closed to foreigners。 This book details the politics of the region， the early expeditions to survey and climb the Himalayas and the interesting characters involved in the process。 This ends at the end of the 1921 Mallory expedition which means that it covers the history that I have never read about before。 Overall this was an incredibly interesting read。 I received a digital ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Cynthia
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If you've read and enjoyed books on climbing Mount Everest， you'll want to read this book。 This well-researched and comprehensive book tells the stories of how Mount Everest was discovered and first explored。 There's quite a bit of information on major surveying projects by the British at the turn of the twentieth century as well as information on the early history of mountaineering。 Even after reading "Into Thin Air" and similar books on attempts to summit Mount Everest， I learned a lot about If you've read and enjoyed books on climbing Mount Everest， you'll want to read this book。 This well-researched and comprehensive book tells the stories of how Mount Everest was discovered and first explored。 There's quite a bit of information on major surveying projects by the British at the turn of the twentieth century as well as information on the early history of mountaineering。 Even after reading "Into Thin Air" and similar books on attempts to summit Mount Everest， I learned a lot about the mountain that I didn't know and that surprised me。 I did not know that Mount Everest had not even been seen by Westerners until well into the twentieth century。 I also did not know that mountains were once considered "deserts" and were avoided by most people。 Now that mountains have become popular with tourists and adventurers， it was eye opening to learn that these are new developments in human culture。 。。。more
Dan
，
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Nicholas Brealey US for an advanced copy of this new historical tome。 Before anyone could climb Mount Everest they， meaning the British， first had to find it。 Qomolangma or Chomolungma as the Tibetans called the mountain， had been an obsession for quite a long time， after the first estimates of its height were made。 In The Hunt for Mount Everest， Craig Storti has written a very engaging history on the history of Everest quests and why so many people were My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Nicholas Brealey US for an advanced copy of this new historical tome。 Before anyone could climb Mount Everest they， meaning the British， first had to find it。 Qomolangma or Chomolungma as the Tibetans called the mountain， had been an obsession for quite a long time， after the first estimates of its height were made。 In The Hunt for Mount Everest， Craig Storti has written a very engaging history on the history of Everest quests and why so many people were driven to make this adventure。 Mr。 Storti's book covers the growth of Alpine climbing， its techniques and allure to the British and a biography on many of the major names in climbing history。 The book also covers the British in India， the Great Game， an early cold war with Russia over control of the Indian subcontinent and the opening of Tibet， which I didn't know much about， and the massive amount of casualties that entailed。 I learned quite a lot from this book about many diverse subjects， even before the English explorers made it finally to Everest。The book is very interesting with clear concise explanations of many different subjects from politics， to the use Indian computers， trained mathematicians used to figure height and distance， and the mathematics branch of geometry。 The cast of characters is eclectic and odd， as most British explorers tended to be。 The derring-do is exciting， and the elation you feel reading about finally getting close to their great white mountain is elating。 A fascinating book for armchair explorers and climbers， or for people who enjoy well written histories and love to learn new things。 。。。more
Anne-Marie
，
When Everest was first measured in 1850 and found to be the highest mountain in the world， the westerners became obsessed with conquering it by climbing to the top。 They quickly discovered that this was not going to be straight forward for a number of reasons。 First they had to convince the Nepalese and the Tibetans to let them into their countries so they could actually access the mountain that straddled these countries。 Understandably due to the British obsession with conquering countries for When Everest was first measured in 1850 and found to be the highest mountain in the world， the westerners became obsessed with conquering it by climbing to the top。 They quickly discovered that this was not going to be straight forward for a number of reasons。 First they had to convince the Nepalese and the Tibetans to let them into their countries so they could actually access the mountain that straddled these countries。 Understandably due to the British obsession with conquering countries for their empires， these countries were not going to just roll over and let the British march in。 Second， they had to calculate if human beings could actually survive at the altitude of Everest。 Third they had to establish a route to take。 Fourth they had to develop the expertise to climb the mountain as they quickly discovered that the Alps they had been used to climbing were like little hills compared to the Andes。 Fifth they needed to calculate what supplies they would need for the journey and how to get those supplies up the biggest mountain in the world。 These were just the practicalities。 There were political implications too。 In fact the story of how Mallory and Bullock even got to step foot on Everest is a long， complex and utterly fascinating one。 I really enjoyed this because it was so different from all the other books on Everest。 I learned so much about the history， politics and even the geography of Everest。 Brilliant。 。。。more
Jenny Cooper
，
In 1921 George Mallory and Guy Bullock set foot on Mount Everest。 They were probably the first people ever to do so。 Many books have been written about what happened next， providing detailed accounts of the climbing history of the mountain。 However， to celebrate the centenary of this memorable event， this book looks at what came before 1921。 It is a detailed account of the 71 year quest to find the mountain itself， complete with spy missions， massacres and political intrigues， all set against th In 1921 George Mallory and Guy Bullock set foot on Mount Everest。 They were probably the first people ever to do so。 Many books have been written about what happened next， providing detailed accounts of the climbing history of the mountain。 However， to celebrate the centenary of this memorable event， this book looks at what came before 1921。 It is a detailed account of the 71 year quest to find the mountain itself， complete with spy missions， massacres and political intrigues， all set against the backdrop of British India and the Raj， the Anglo-Russian rivalry known as the Great Game and so much more。 Exploration was very important in the late 19th and early 20th centuries， with mapping of the globe still a long way from being complete。 Once Mount Everest had been measured from a distance in 1850 and speculation became rife that it may be the highest mountain on earth， the race to find Mount Everest began。This is a fascinating story and a very interesting book。 Whilst not necessarily an easy read because it is very detailed， there is plenty of intrigue and quite a lot of very bad behaviour， all of which contribute to providing a compelling narrative。 A lot of money was thrown at the project through the Survey of India， but there were plenty of individual and unsanctioned sorties into the area， all of which contributed to the overall picture。 A large amount of determination， a huge number of personnel （not to mention the accompanying pack animals） and a lot of absorbing stories later and the search for Everest was about to reach its conclusion。 I learnt a lot about the historical and political situations that prevailed at the time， areas in which I had pretty much no prior knowledge。On the downside， this book is quite a dense read。 Due to my lack of knowledge I had to invest a lot of concentration in order to understand the ins and outs of the political environment。 I’m sure it was good for me， but it was definitely hard work at times。Despite the fact that I really have no interest in this subject whatsoever， I was fairly riveted by this book。 For that reason I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a challenging， but fascinating read。 。。。more
Teresa
，
Wow， this is quite an educational story of the discovery and desire to reach the summit of Mount Everest。 My first suggestion is to either get a piece of paper or make notes on your Kindle to help keep track of the characters or timeframes。 The author has performed wonderful research of all the players that are involved in this quest。 The story covers many years， events， and happenings。 My next suggestion is to not give up， the beginning starts out with a lot of calculations and numbers but this Wow， this is quite an educational story of the discovery and desire to reach the summit of Mount Everest。 My first suggestion is to either get a piece of paper or make notes on your Kindle to help keep track of the characters or timeframes。 The author has performed wonderful research of all the players that are involved in this quest。 The story covers many years， events， and happenings。 My next suggestion is to not give up， the beginning starts out with a lot of calculations and numbers but this is certainly worth the read if you go for the long haul。 The desire， tenacity， devotion and dedication these adventurers had is absolutely remarkable。 I thoroughly enjoyed this read。 Highly recommend especially if you like mountain climbing。 I received an ARC from Nicholas Brealey US along with NetGalley for my honest review。 This one comes in with 5 stars。 。。。more
Mark Smeltz
，
An engaging and comprehensive overview of early English attempts to scout and climb Everest。 Any good historical nonfiction must make history come alive， and Storti succeeds by showing both the deeds and personalities of the principal actors。 The history concludes with the British 1921 expedition--I would have happily kept reading had the book covered the subsequent expeditions。 Small nitpicks are that I'm not sure about calling Younghusband a "hero" or using the masculine pronoun for Jan Morris An engaging and comprehensive overview of early English attempts to scout and climb Everest。 Any good historical nonfiction must make history come alive， and Storti succeeds by showing both the deeds and personalities of the principal actors。 The history concludes with the British 1921 expedition--I would have happily kept reading had the book covered the subsequent expeditions。 Small nitpicks are that I'm not sure about calling Younghusband a "hero" or using the masculine pronoun for Jan Morris even in a historical context。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Laura
，
Questa è la storia della caccia al monte Everest。 Questo è， per usare le parole del libro， “il racconto di come una metafora si trasformò in una montagna”。Un racconto appassionante， istruttivo e a tratti divertente， pieno di personaggi straordinari e coraggiosi che non sfigurerebbero in un romanzo d’avventura。 Ed è con tale spirito che si legge questo saggio， ricco di aneddoti， stralci di lettere， descrizioni poetiche diventate iconiche e vaste ricerche bibliografiche。 Il carattere dei suoi prot Questa è la storia della caccia al monte Everest。 Questo è， per usare le parole del libro， “il racconto di come una metafora si trasformò in una montagna”。Un racconto appassionante， istruttivo e a tratti divertente， pieno di personaggi straordinari e coraggiosi che non sfigurerebbero in un romanzo d’avventura。 Ed è con tale spirito che si legge questo saggio， ricco di aneddoti， stralci di lettere， descrizioni poetiche diventate iconiche e vaste ricerche bibliografiche。 Il carattere dei suoi protagonisti si intreccia strettamente agli eventi storici， così come ai dati geografici e scientifici。Come spiega lo stesso autore， è stato scritto molto sulla conquista dell’Everest， ma molto meno su come si arrivò a quella conquista， su come un puntino bianco e lucente a quasi duecento chilometri dall’ultimo avamposto britannico in India si trasformò in un sogno， o un’ossessione， per molti。 La storia dell’Everest è lunga e affascinante， dal suo primo avvistamento， a metà ‘800， fino al momento epico in cui la montagna fu effettivamente trovata e in parte risalita， nel 1921。Ma la storia raccontata non riguarda solo una singola montagna， quanto la nascita della passione per l’alpinismo， e prende avvio molto tempo prima， quando le montagne da “pustole sulla pelle della Terra” o “serpentine e irritanti sagome e ammassi informi di granito”— come le definì impietosamente Goethe — divennero di colpo luoghi avventurosi e ricchi di fascino。La svolta avvenne nella seconda metà del ‘700， quando con gli albori del romanticismo venne coniato il concetto di “sublime”， secondo cui i paesaggi naturali potevano suscitare le emozioni più profonde， soprattutto quelli grandiosi e drammatici， come appunto le vette montane。“Una volta diventate sicure， spettacolari e fonte d’ispirazione， fu solo una questione di tempo prima che qualcuno iniziasse a desiderare di scalarle。”Dalle prime ascese sulle Alpi， come la conquista del Monte Bianco e del Cervino， si passa alla storia dell’Impero britannico in India， e alla decisione — un po’ per necessità e un po’ per orgoglio patriottico — di mappare e misurare quanto più territorio possibile。Il Nepal e il Tibet erano Paesi chiusi agli occidentali， ma per la Gran Bretagna e la Russia erano scacchiere del cosiddetto Grande Gioco: un gara per la supremazia in Asia centrale fatta di spionaggio， di mosse e contromosse， di tentativi più o meno scoperti e più o meno diplomatici di estendere la propria influenza su quei territori。 Il Grande Gioco — di cui parlò anche Kipling nel suo romanzo più famoso， Kim — durò per tutto il XIX secolo， e portò a parecchi fraintendimenti， paranoie e azioni sconsiderate basate su semplici voci。Una di queste fu l’invasione britannica del Tibet nel 1904， con la scusa di un Comitato per la tutela dei confini， ma in realtà in seguito alle voci secondo cui i lama， notoriamente xenofobi， stessero intrattenendo rapporti amichevoli con i russi。A capo della spedizione c’era Francis Younghusband， ufficiale britannico con grinta e coraggio da vendere， nonché la tendenza a ignorare o interpretare a suo modo gli ordini。 Fu grazie a lui — che in seguito divenne presidente della Royal Geographical Society — che le prime spedizioni per cercare l’Everest divennero possibili。 Il suo carattere audace e anticonformista può essere riassunto da un paio di sue citazioni:“quando le vere difficoltà sembrano cingerti d’assedio， il tuo spirito si rianima。”e “se non avessi mai commesso un errore， non avrei mai ottenuto un successo。”Ma c’è anche un altro aneddoto che riguarda Younghusband e mostra il suo lato pratico e ironico:“Una volta un gentiluomo di scienza mi domandò quale fosse l’effetto principale di stare per lungo tempo ad altitudini elevate， e gli dissi che l’effetto principale era un desiderio di scendere a un’altitudine inferiore il prima possibile。”I primi contatti con la cultura tibetana erano stati stabiliti — anche se per fare ciò si dovette fare ricorso a mezzi discutibili — e sarebbero tornati utili negli anni seguenti， specie agli alpinisti che sognavano la mitica montagna a cui， pareva， si poteva accedere solo dal Tibet， sempre che un accesso esistesse。Quella montagna， in modo poco ortodosso e molto discusso， aveva preso il nome da George Everest， un topografo che arrivò a capo del Survey of India e che fu il primo a fare delle misurazioni precise delle imponenti vette dell’Himalaya。 Il nome fu scelto dal suo successore， per riconoscenza verso un grande maestro， e contravveniva alla regola di cercare il nome con cui i locali chiamavano un luogo。 Data la posizione impervia e la difficoltà di comunicazione con nepalesi e tibetani， il nome quasi impronunciabile che questi ultimi davano alla montagna fu scoperto solo durante la spedizione del 1921， quando ormai da sessant’anni gli europei lo conoscevano come Mount Everest。 E alla fine il nome rimase。L’Alpine Club e la Royal Geographical Society progettavano da tempo una spedizione， ma la parentesi della Prima guerra mondiale costrinse a rinviare qualunque programma。 Fu quindi solo nel 1921 che， con la benedizione del Dalai Lama， che si era in qualche modo abituato alla presenza inglese e anzi la vedeva come una difesa contro la prepotenza cinese， la spedizione poté partire。Ne facevano parte grandi alpinisti e geografi， ma su tutti spicca il nome di George Mallory， la cui figura ha acquisito un fascino leggendario。 Era uno che fin da piccolo， secondo la sorella， “si arrampicava su tutto quello su cui era possibile arrampicarsi”， un giovane insegnante che aveva la passione per la montagna， anche se fino a quel momento si era limitato alle Alpi。 Mallory è forse il personaggio più affascinante nella grande epopea dell’Everest。 Giovane — nel 1921 aveva 35 anni — di bell’aspetto， ma soprattutto pieno di un’energia e una fame di vita e di emozioni da far impallidire qualunque altra persona al suo fianco。 Emotivo， gentile e carismatico， nonché uno dei migliori alpinisti britannici della sua generazione， metteva in ombra chiunque gli si trovasse accanto。 Non era mai stato sull’Himalaya， ma la sua mentalità aperta e curiosa fece sì che gli bastasse scorgere la montagna da lontano per esserne ammaliato per sempre。 Aveva anche una vena poetica， e sue sono le descrizioni più belle e iconiche。“All’improvviso， ci fu il miracolo。 Scorgemmo il bagliore della neve dietro la grigia foschia。 Un’intera catena montuosa iniziò a palesarsi in giganteschi frammenti。 [。。。] finché， più alta nel cielo di quanto si osasse immaginare， apparve la bianca vetta dell’Everest。”Era decisamente un anticonformista， e il lavoro di insegnante gli stava stretto， tanto che scrisse a un amico， riguardo al dover spiegare il Paradiso Perduto di Milton:“Immaginami mentre spiego ai bambini più piccoli la caduta dell’uomo！ Cosa diavolo si dovrebbe dire？ Era una questione completamente ammirevole， e Dio si comportò così male。。。”Un altro protagonista， spesso ingiustamente trascurato， fu Alexander Kellas。 Era un medico e un naturalista， oltre che un alpinista， e le sue ricerche si focalizzarono sui problemi fisici dovuti all’altitudine e alla mancanza di ossigeno。 Cercava di stabilire fino a quale quota un essere umano potesse arrivare senza subire danni。 Nonostante l’aspetto modesto da professore e il carattere schivo， possedeva una grande energia e tutti quelli che arrivavano a conoscerlo lo amavano。 Aveva， come Mallory， una mente aperta e sensibile， cercava di capire le culture straniere （aveva molti amici tra gli sherpa che l’avevano accompagnato nelle sue spedizioni scientifiche） e amava la natura in tutte le sue forme。 Qui ci viene presentato per la prima volta attraverso un aneddoto che ce lo rende immediatamente simpatico。“Alexander Kellas era a caccia di un record。[。。。]Al momento， tuttavia， nel suo accampamento sulle pendici basse del Pauhunri， era più preoccupato di due piccole allodole che sembravano essere state abbandonate dai genitori。”Le ricerche e le fotografie di Kellas furono fondamentali per trovare l’Everest e scalarlo， ma il suo nome rimase in ombra， perché fu molto sfortunato e morì prima di poter vedere i risultati。 Solo negli ultimi decenni la sua importanza è stata rivalutata， anche grazie alla scoperta che il Pauhunri （7128 metri）， una montagna da lui scalata nel 1911， era in realtà più alta di nove metri rispetto al record di allora， e quindi， senza saperlo， aveva detenuto il primato della cima più alta mai raggiunta per ben diciannove anni， fino al 1930。Molti altri nomi costellano questa grandiosa epopea umana （dopo il Polo Nord e il Polo Sud， raggiunti rispettivamente nel 1908 e nel 1911， l’Everest era considerato il terzo polo）， alcuni notevoli per spirito e capacità， ma quelli che a me sono rimasti più impressi sono Kellas， e la sua preoccupazione di aver disturbato un nido di allodole， e Mallory， con la sua smania di salire sempre più in alto， fino a sparire tra le nuvole ed entrare per sempre nella leggenda。“Ma adesso la vista della montagna fece svanire ogni pensiero。 [。。。] Senza fare domande né commenti， restammo lì a guardare。”Di tanto in tanto ho bisogno di una lettura diversa， che possa farmi staccare ma al tempo stesso coinvolgere e ispirare。 Questo libro è senz’altro perfetto， perché pieno di informazioni che non conoscevo e di dettagli storico/geografici molto interessanti， così come di vicende umane fuori dall’ordinario， in grado di farci sorridere， emozionare， ma soprattutto sognare， con la loro tenacia nell’andare sempre avanti， quali che siano gli ostacoli。Una lettura insolita e molto bella， che consiglio anche a chi non è particolarmente amante della montagna， perché questo libro potrebbe farvi cambiare idea， e guardare le cime rocciose e innevate con altri occhi。 。。。more
Ajitabh Pandey
，
This book is the story of finding Mount Everest。 The finding which ultimately led to the conquest。The book starts by providing the reader a background in the colonial times of East India Company and how the Great Game was instrumental in the hunt for mount everest。 The British exerciseof creating maps of India had a crucial role to play in this hunt。 This hunt for mount Everest actually started when some British surveyors at Darjeeling trained their theodolites towards Tibbet and they noticed th This book is the story of finding Mount Everest。 The finding which ultimately led to the conquest。The book starts by providing the reader a background in the colonial times of East India Company and how the Great Game was instrumental in the hunt for mount everest。 The British exerciseof creating maps of India had a crucial role to play in this hunt。 This hunt for mount Everest actually started when some British surveyors at Darjeeling trained their theodolites towards Tibbet and they noticed this tall mountain。 Because of its geo location Mount Everest was practically inaccessible to not only the western world but also to the British India。 This inaccessibility also could not stope few individuals from attempting to conquer it。 There are many books out there which have covered the various historical events meantioned in the book， however， there are few books which have stiched these events together and presented as a single integrated event。 Thanks NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an advanced review copy of this book。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book。 。。。more
Amanda Witt
，
Starting in the 1800's when the British first saw Everest， and ending in 1921 when George Mallory died on another attempt to the summit， this book describes the detail required to ascend an as-then unknown part of the world， with the limited resources and tools available at the time。 Starting in the 1800's when the British first saw Everest， and ending in 1921 when George Mallory died on another attempt to the summit， this book describes the detail required to ascend an as-then unknown part of the world， with the limited resources and tools available at the time。 。。。more
Annie
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I am not a Mountineer & neither have I climbed anything much for a huge number of years ， last thing being Great Gable in the Lake District with my husband & children。 But I have always admired those who have a passion no mater how crazy it may seem to the rest of us。I have learnt so new Historical & Geographical facts while reading this Book。I did find the start rather long winded & drawn out ， but soon became enthralled in it。 "It would be necessary in the first place to find the Mountain"" Ge I am not a Mountineer & neither have I climbed anything much for a huge number of years ， last thing being Great Gable in the Lake District with my husband & children。 But I have always admired those who have a passion no mater how crazy it may seem to the rest of us。I have learnt so new Historical & Geographical facts while reading this Book。I did find the start rather long winded & drawn out ， but soon became enthralled in it。 "It would be necessary in the first place to find the Mountain"" George Mallory ！In fact the Mountain already existed but was known on either side of the 1，000 mile Himalayan range by other names。 ， the first Westener's to encounter these majestic & magnificent Mountain Boarders were the Soldiers of Alexander the Great in 326BC。 These Peaks but especially Everest tower above the Earth looking down on Mankind to show just how tiny & insignificant we truly are in Mother Nature's Eyes ，to her we are like tiny Ants trying to scale the tallest Cathedral， I was shocked & horrified by some of Western man's predacious， domineering of the native Asian peoples， they seemed to believe it was their `GOD' given right to domineer，& also the horrific atrocities carried out by all parties during these years of Empire ！Also it proves that mankind still hasn't learned her lessons ， maybe that's why men （ plus women now ） may climb Mountains & reach the Summit but they can never truly conquer them ，as the Mountain always has some surprise in store ， which is why sadly since 1927 so many have lost their lives in their attempts to do just that。#， #， #， #FB， #Instagram，#GoodReads， #NetGalley， #Amazon。co。uk。 。。。more
Shona
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Thank you to Netgalley and to Nicholas Brealey US for this ARC。What an excellent read！ So well-written！ I could not put this down。 This was a fascinating insight into the evolution of the myth of Everest， into its entry into popular consciousness， and the history of the first westerners on the mountain。 I enjoyed very much the details about the mountaineers themselves， as well as the political events that led up to the first exploration （by westerners）。 I spent a lot of time after I put the book Thank you to Netgalley and to Nicholas Brealey US for this ARC。What an excellent read！ So well-written！ I could not put this down。 This was a fascinating insight into the evolution of the myth of Everest， into its entry into popular consciousness， and the history of the first westerners on the mountain。 I enjoyed very much the details about the mountaineers themselves， as well as the political events that led up to the first exploration （by westerners）。 I spent a lot of time after I put the book down trying to find out more about what happened to these larger-than-life humans after 1921 （Mallory 🥺💔）， and about the mountain that has so captured our imagination。 I mean， I want to summit Everest too， just as soon as there's a cable car or teleportation to the top ♡Highly recommend！ 。。。more
Alison Starnes
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A fascinating book， exploring the history surrounding British attempts to locate and conquer the world's highest mountain。 For many years， Everest was undiscovered and inaccessible， mainly due to the known access being via Tibet， a country that was reluctant to allow entry to the British。The stubbornness and determination of a number of individuals finally led to permission being granted for an expedition in 1921， among the members of which was George Mallory who disappeared near the summit thre A fascinating book， exploring the history surrounding British attempts to locate and conquer the world's highest mountain。 For many years， Everest was undiscovered and inaccessible， mainly due to the known access being via Tibet， a country that was reluctant to allow entry to the British。The stubbornness and determination of a number of individuals finally led to permission being granted for an expedition in 1921， among the members of which was George Mallory who disappeared near the summit three years later。 Mallory was a natural climber， a charismatic and driven man - he and Guy Bullock were possibly the first Westerners to set foot on the mountain。 Although the route to the summit was initially missed due to a misunderstanding of local geology， this was later corrected by another member of the party， but the harsh winds on the upper slopes prevented an attempt on the summit at that time。The mountain was finally conquered in 1953， news of the feat reaching London on the eve of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II。Craig Storti lays out in great detail the diplomacy - sometimes chaotic， but never dull - that led to the 1921 expedition， and the characters who came together to make the first foray into the Himalayas that revealed the majestic splendour of Everest， recalled in evocative prose by Mallory。 Tibet emerges as a country full of natural wonders， but also difficult weather conditions that proved almost as much of a challenge as the mountains。There were names here I had never heard of but became fascinated by， not least Alexander Kellas， a Scottish chemist and ardent mountaineer， who sadly died on the 1921 expedition。There weren't any photographs to enhance the visual aspect， but these may have been left out of the ARC。 The maps at the beginning were useful and I liked the use of quotations before each of the chapters。I was sent an advance review copy of this book by Nicholas Brealey US， in return for an honest appraisal。 。。。more
Agoston K
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I loved reading this book， though I could not speed through it like I would normally。 Often， I found myself pausing and thinking about these mountaineering men， the feats they achieved， the way the Raj， India， the British， the locals worked on a daily basis and how things that happened even as long as a century ago added little by little to the bagging of Everest。 I loved Craig Storti's dry wit and wisdom in presenting the hunt and the hunters for Everest， and all the underlying political and ge I loved reading this book， though I could not speed through it like I would normally。 Often， I found myself pausing and thinking about these mountaineering men， the feats they achieved， the way the Raj， India， the British， the locals worked on a daily basis and how things that happened even as long as a century ago added little by little to the bagging of Everest。 I loved Craig Storti's dry wit and wisdom in presenting the hunt and the hunters for Everest， and all the underlying political and geographical intricacies with Nepal and Tibet and its rulers。 Storti did a marvellous research and was able to weave a lot of his findings into the story - without making it quotation-heavy or broken。 Still， having the participants speak for themselves allowed us， readers， a wonderful insight into the minds of these extraordinary （or， sometimes， extraordinarily petty） people。An absolutely enjoyable account。 。。。more
Mark Jochim
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An excellent and highly detailed account of the history of the discovery， measurement and searches for the route to find the highest mountain in the world。 The book culminates with the 1921 expedition -- which is the point when most， if not all， other books about the mountain begins。 George Mallory was a part of that expedition， becoming the first European -- quite possibly， the first human being -- to ever set foot on the great Qomolungma， "Goddess Mother of the World"， itself。 An excellent and highly detailed account of the history of the discovery， measurement and searches for the route to find the highest mountain in the world。 The book culminates with the 1921 expedition -- which is the point when most， if not all， other books about the mountain begins。 George Mallory was a part of that expedition， becoming the first European -- quite possibly， the first human being -- to ever set foot on the great Qomolungma， "Goddess Mother of the World"， itself。 。。。more
Nicole
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Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review！If you're interested in the history of mountaineering， exploration， or Mount Everest， this is definitely a book for you。 It takes a narrower view than I was expecting - it focuses on the time period between when Everest was first measured in 1850， to when the first westerner expedition actually reached the mountain in 1921。 Everest wasn't actually summited until 1953， so if you're expecting to see names like Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review！If you're interested in the history of mountaineering， exploration， or Mount Everest， this is definitely a book for you。 It takes a narrower view than I was expecting - it focuses on the time period between when Everest was first measured in 1850， to when the first westerner expedition actually reached the mountain in 1921。 Everest wasn't actually summited until 1953， so if you're expecting to see names like Hillary and Norgay in this book， they're not within the focus。 I definitely learned a lot - I had zero knowledge of this topic before reading this， so everything was new information for me。 Some of the historical figures were really interesting， especially Francis Younghusband and Alexander Kellas - I would seek out further books on them in the future。 The hubris and imperialism of the time are on full display， of course。In terms of writing， this was matter-of-fact and dry - the author wastes no time and dives right into the subject matter， and it's presented in a very straightforward manner。 I do think that having a pre-existing interest in the subject would make this a more entertaining read， instead of just an educational one。 。。。more
Alexandra
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I received this as a review copy via NetGalley。 I am not a mountaineering or climbing person。 I am， though， fascinated by tales of 'discovery' and history in general and finding out about bits I know nothing of。 'Discovery' in quotes because， of course， while this story is about the hunt for "Mt Everest"， it's not like the mountain was unknown to the people of Tibet or Nepal or， I imagine， people in China or （what is now） India。 And thankfully Storti makes this clear fairly often - that this is I received this as a review copy via NetGalley。 I am not a mountaineering or climbing person。 I am， though， fascinated by tales of 'discovery' and history in general and finding out about bits I know nothing of。 'Discovery' in quotes because， of course， while this story is about the hunt for "Mt Everest"， it's not like the mountain was unknown to the people of Tibet or Nepal or， I imagine， people in China or （what is now） India。 And thankfully Storti makes this clear fairly often - that this is discovery only for westerners and， in particular， the British。 Storti is under no illusions that some of the things done by the British in both India and Tibet were despicable， and I think he keeps an even hand in explaining the contemporary reasoning （I learned more about "the Great Game" of Britain v Russia in this one book than ever before; the 19th century is so not my period）， while simultaneously not excusing or approving of， for instance， sending spies into Tibet when it was explicitly closed to foreigners。 So: the book！ The overall point is the discovery that what the British decided to call Mt Everest turns out to be the highest peak in the world。 （Yes， there's a section on why it's called Mt Everest， and the fact that didn't even match contemporary expectations of using local names。） There's a digression into the 'discovery' of mountains as beautiful - until the early 19th century they were generally dismissed as being a waste of space and just getting in the way; and also about the development of mountaineering as a hobby， and people climbing in the Alps。 Also a whole bit about the great trigonometric survey of India， which was fascinating and absolutely relevant and also bonkers as an undertaking。 Within all of that is the colonial attitude towards India， and towards Tibet in particular - the fact that Tibetans didn't want the British within their borders and what some men did in contravention of that （Mr Younghouse， I'm looking at you， arrogant bastard）。 And eventually， there's the expedition in 1921 that finally means westerners got a look at Mt Everest from close up。 Storti writes a really engaging narrative， explains issues clearly， and balances storytelling with historicity。 As someone on the outside of mountaineering I'm unconvinced that George Mallory is more important than Edmund Hillary in the whole Everest saga， but I'll allow him to champion the man now I know a bit more about him （interesting to read about， probably a right pain in the bum to actually spend time with）。 。。。more
Aravind
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I had written this review originally for NetGalley， at https://www。netgalley。com/book/217770。。。Standing tall—taller than everything else on the planet—and aloof， there was a mountain， mighty and majestic， unknown to the humans for the best part of their history。 It still stands tall—in fact a bit taller than before—but is no longer left alone; besieged by thousands of people willing to risk their lives just to set foot on its summit， Mount Everest is the most famous mountain on earth today。 The I had written this review originally for NetGalley， at https://www。netgalley。com/book/217770。。。Standing tall—taller than everything else on the planet—and aloof， there was a mountain， mighty and majestic， unknown to the humans for the best part of their history。 It still stands tall—in fact a bit taller than before—but is no longer left alone; besieged by thousands of people willing to risk their lives just to set foot on its summit， Mount Everest is the most famous mountain on earth today。 The Hunt for Mount Everest by Craig Storti tells the story of this transformation from obscurity to renown， from the moment when some British surveyors on the hills near Darjeeling in British India trained their theodolites on this blotch on the horizon a hundred-odd miles away， up to the day seventy-one years later when a group of mountaineers and explorers stood at the foot on this colossus。 Situated on the Tibet-Nepal border， Mount Everest was inaccessible to the western explorers—particularly to the British rulers of the neighbouring India—due to political considerations。 But that did not deter some enterprising individuals， drawn by the irresistible allure of the mountain， from doing all that was possible to find it， reach it and climb it。 The account of these efforts is full of absorbing drama， political intrigue and espionage， wars and treaties， acts of cleverness and foolishness， feats of determination and endurance， and a lot of breath-taking adventure。 Spanning across several decades and featuring an eclectic cast of characters—some well-known， like Sir Francis Younghusband， Lord Curzon and George Mallory， and some unsung， like Alexander Kellas， Sir Charles Bell and Guy Bullock—The Hunt for Mount Everest is a magnificent picture set on the immense canvass of the Himalayas。While much has been written about Mount Everest and the attempts to climb it， beginning with the first attempt in 1921， there is little publicised information about the decades prior to that， and this book fills that void pretty nicely。 In addition to telling the Everest story， the author generously touches upon the history of mountaineering itself—beginning with alpine climbing in late eighteenth century—providing a detailed background to the core of this book。Backed by meticulous research and written in an appealing prose， The Hunt for Mount Everest is an essential read for all those who love mountains， mountaineering and adventure in general。 My heartfelt thanks to Craig Storti， Nicholas Brealy Publishing and NetGalley， for the privilege to read and review the e-ARC of this engaging and enlightening work。 。。。more
Steve
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Great book with a broad scopeI enjoyed this book。 The story about Mount Everest is more complicated than I had imagined。 The book explores these complications through a brisk， conversational discussion of the history， geography and politics of the region。 This is a much broader scope than I was expecting。 I also enjoyed all the biographical information。 Overall this book is a great look at the discovery of the great mountain。 Thank you to Netgalley and Nicholas Brealey US for the advance reader Great book with a broad scopeI enjoyed this book。 The story about Mount Everest is more complicated than I had imagined。 The book explores these complications through a brisk， conversational discussion of the history， geography and politics of the region。 This is a much broader scope than I was expecting。 I also enjoyed all the biographical information。 Overall this book is a great look at the discovery of the great mountain。 Thank you to Netgalley and Nicholas Brealey US for the advance reader copy。 。。。more
Alisha
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This history of Mount Everest's early years in the public imagination is nonfiction at its finest！The average reader may know a little about the 20th/21st century story of Everest。。。 the summit conquered， the lives claimed， the burgeoning waste and crowding problems。 A reader may know about George Mallory， one of the first and most famous climbers who lost his life on the mountain in the 1920's。 Most histories of Everest would begin with him。But in a fascinating rewind， this book treats Mallory This history of Mount Everest's early years in the public imagination is nonfiction at its finest！The average reader may know a little about the 20th/21st century story of Everest。。。 the summit conquered， the lives claimed， the burgeoning waste and crowding problems。 A reader may know about George Mallory， one of the first and most famous climbers who lost his life on the mountain in the 1920's。 Most histories of Everest would begin with him。But in a fascinating rewind， this book treats Mallory as the end of the story， a story decades in the making， in which Everest is all but invisible to human eyes。And it all begins with math。 For decades， no Westerner could approach the mountain closer than about 100 miles due to the political restrictions enforced by Nepal and Tibet。 And it's so remote that very few Easterners had ever gotten close to it either。 From Darjeeling， India， on a clear day， the tip of Mount Everest could be seen， although it looks lower from there than other mountains due to the curvature of the earth。 This book describes the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India， a British project that took most of the 19th century to complete。The calculations that led to the discovery， the frustrating attempts to get closer， the clandestine forays into Tibet， the fights and bloodshed that changed the political landscape， the countless feats of human strength and derring-do， and the humanizing of those early explorers all make for absolutely compelling reading。 （I still want to know how close Alexander Kellas got in 1913！） The Googling kept me up late at night。The book focuses mostly on the all-consuming goal of getting to the mountain， with all the bravery and persistence that required。 But it also drops in a few thought-provoking observations about why these men were so driven to reach it。 The spirit of exploration （"we climb it because it's there"） was at its zenith， but there were some darker philosophies at work too。 The author notes that it was "imperial hubris" that supported the British in their attitude that they must be the finders， climbers， and conquerors of the mountain。 And one of the most ardent explorers described it as an effort to dispel "the ridiculous idea of the littleness of man。" Yes， there's much to think about here。I could have done with a little condensing of the political context， but this book was well written and gripping throughout。 Easily one of the best works of nonfiction I've read！Thanks to NetGalley and Nicholas Brealey US for this advance review copy！ 。。。more
Diana Zheng
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