Sunday, February 15, 2009
Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes
Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes
The first successful ascent of Mount Everest in 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa teammate Tenzing Norgay is a familiar saga, but less well known are the tales of many other adventurers who also came to test their skills and courage against the world’s highest and most dangerous mountains. In this lively and generously illustrated book, historians Maurice Isserman and Stewart Weaver present the first comprehensive history of Himalayan mountaineering in fifty years. They offer detailed, original accounts of the most significant climbs since the 1890s, and they compellingly evoke the social and cultural worlds that gave rise to those expeditions.
The book recounts the adventures of such figures as Martin Conway, who led the first authentic Himalayan climbing expedition in 1892; Fanny Bullock Workman, the pioneer explorer of the Karakoram range; George Mallory, the romantic martyr of Mount Everest fame; Charlie Houston, who led American expeditions to K2 in the 1930s and 1950s; Ang Tharkay, the legendary Sherpa, and many others. Throughout, the authors discuss the effects of political and social change on the world of mountaineering, and they offer a penetrating analysis of a culture that once emphasized teamwork and fellowship among climbers, but now has been eclipsed by a scramble for individual fame and glory.
Product Details
Editorial Reviews
Review
"This survey history establishes base camp for readers interested in the history of Himalayan climbing expeditions. Its strength lies in the way it puts each undertaking within the context of evolving styles of high-altitude mountaineering."-Booklist
Review
"In Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes, Maurice Isserman and Stewart Weaver share unforgettable stories of the history of the world's highest peaks and the climbers who challenged their lofty summits. Their in-depth research gives us unique insights into previously unknown controversies, mysteries, and dramas. This thoughtful book, from a scholarly perspective, introduces us to the greatest peaks and personalities of mountaineering. The new information, intriguing details, insightful interpretations and dry humor make this a must read for armchair mountaineers as well as all who aspire to the heights."-Arlene Blum, author of Breaking Trail: A Climbing Life (Arlene Blum 20080915)
"Fallen Giants captures the spirit of Himalayan climbing. It is wonderfully written and will become an indispensable reference."-Charles S. Houston, co-author of K2: The Savage Mountain (Charles S. Houston )
"This book fills a void in the history of mountaineering, and it will appeal not only to climbers but also historians. The authors have done a prodigious amount of research."-John T. Reilly, Mount Saint Mary College (John T. Reilly )
"This will be the definitive history of mountaineering in the Himalaya, clear, free of jargon, and readable, and so thorough that it will not be worth anyone''s time to repeat this effort."-Nick Clinch, leader, 1958 American Hidden Peak expedition, and past president, American Alpine Club (Nick Clinch )
"Isserman and Weaver, both unassuming wanderers of high hills, have pulled off a great first ascent: a scholarly, grippingly readable history of Himalayan mountaineering that not only captures the tenuous essence of great successes and failures, but places the accounts of these climbs into historical context."-Tom Hornbein, author of Everest: The West Ridge (Tom Hornbein )
"This would be a great first book to expose a reader to the amazing stories and sacrifices held within the body of mountaineering literature. Additionally, the historian, scholar, and collector will delight in the unique, in-depth look at the evolution of climbing, and its driving factors, in the Himalaya."-Greg Glade, owner, Top of the World Books (Greg Glade )
"This survey history establishes base camp for readers interested in the history of Himalayan climbing expeditions. Its strength lies in the way it puts each undertaking within the context of evolving styles of high-altitude mountaineering."-Booklist (Booklist )
"Fallen Giants is the book of a lifetime . . . an awe-inspiring work of history and storytelling. . . . Armchair mountaineers will give the book pride of place in their collections."-Bruce Barcott, New York Times Book Review (Bruce Barcott New York Times Book Review )
About the Author
Maurice Isserman is James L. Ferguson Professor of History, Hamilton College. He lives in Clinton, NY. Stewart Weaver is professor of history, University of Rochester. He lives in Rochester, NY. Both authors are enthusiastic hikers and mountain climbers.
Customer Reviews
Moutaineering Classic
This well written and balanced history of Himalayan Mountaineering entertainly describes the adventures,personalities, and climbing culture of a truely facinating place and era . I think that anyone who has climbed in North America and the Himalayas and had had the pleasure of meeting or reading the accounts of the individuals covered in this history will highly enjoy this book. The numerous notes and cited materials are a great resource for readers of climbing literature.
Perfection
I even got the author's signature + Tom Hornbein at the American Mountaineering museum in Golden, Colorado!
Generally excellent but needs better maps
Isserman and Weaver do a generally admirable job of surveying a broad subject in readable prose. The treatment of the heroic era of Himalayan mountaineering that ended in the early 1960s is particularly appealing. One thing that emerges from their treatment is the influence of different national cultures on the way various expeditions conducted themselves. The British are defined most clearly; they long occupied a privileged position because of their status in the Indian subcontinent. One detects a slight degree of Anglophilia toward the end as well.
The big problem is the maps. The few in the text are murky and lacking in detail. If there is ever a second edition, the publisher should correct this fault in what otherwise is a fine piece of work.
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