Science and courage on the world’s highest mountain
This is a fascinating study of the history of Everest climbs describing in
some detail the struggle to conquer the mountain and the advances in
scientific knowledge that made it possible. Expeditions to the Himalaya are
reviewed, in particular the famous British expeditions of the 1920’s and the
efforts made immediately after the end of the second world war culminating in
the successful of Hillary and Tenzing in 1953 – subsequent expeditions,
including the extraordinary ascent by Messner and Habelar without the use of
oxygen are also studied.