Annapurna: A Woman's Place (20th Anniversary Edition) [Paperback]

Arlene Blum (Author), Maurice Herzog (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 1998

In August 1978, thirteen women left San Francisco for the Nepal Himalaya to make history as the first Americans—and the first women—to scale the treacherous slopes of Annapurna I, the world’s tenth highest peak. Expedition leader Arlene Blum here tells their dramatic story: the logistical problems, storms, and hazardous ice climbing; the conflicts and reconciliations within the team; the terror of avalanches that threatened to sweep away camps and climbers.
On October 15, two women and two Sherpas at last stood on the summit—but the celebration was cut short, for two days later, the two women of the second summit team fell to their deaths.
Never before has such an account of mountaineering triumph and tragedy been told from a woman’s point of view. By proving that women had the skill, strength, and courage necessary to make this difficult and dangerous climb, the 1978 Women's Himalayan Expedition’s accomplishment had a positive impact around the world, changing perceptions about women’s abilities in sports and other arenas. And Annapurna: A Woman’s Place has become an acknowledged classic in the annals of women’s achievements—a story of challenge and commitment told with passion, humor, and unflinching honesty.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In 1978, 13 women set out to climb Annapurna I in the Nepal Himalaya, achieving the first ascent of the world's 10th highest mountain by an American and by a woman. By proving that women had the skill, strength, and courage necessary to make this difficult and dangerous climb, the 1978 Women's Himalayan Expedition's accomplishment had a positive impact around the world, changing perceptions about women's abilities in sports and other arenas. Twenty years later, Arlene Blum has republished her account, offering her story to a new generation. Blum writes in the introduction,

Annapurna has become for me a metaphor for difficult and important goals. Striving to achieve such objectives draws on all of our abilities and brings out the best in us. There are still many 'Annapurnas' to be climbed in the world--such as protecting our natural environment; decreasing the gap between rich and poor; providing basic necessities for everyone on this planet; and raising our children to live with love and good values.

Impressive black-and-white photos record the women's journey from Katmandu to the summit and back again. This book documents the personal triumphs and tragedies of these women with insights that only a firsthand account can offer. --Kathryn True

Review

Arlene Blum led the first American and first women's expedition to climb Annapurna I in the Himalayas. Annapurna is her story of the climb: from fund-raising (remember the t-shirts that said "A Woman's Place is on Top"?); to organizing thirteen women, more than 150 boxes of gear, thousands of pounds of food and numerous Nepalese guides and porters; to the summit ascent itself and the death of two climbers. Perhaps because it is told from the perspective of the leader of a team, this is as much a book about management and decisions as it is about a mountain. There are poetic passages about the beauty of the ice, the fantasy of cloudwalking, the terrors of avalanches and crevasses - but more time is spent on the delicate balance that must be kept between native male guides and foreign women climbers, as well as among the women themselves. This is a book about working together under extraordinary conditions where the temperature in your tent can drop to ten degrees below zero and a tiny hole in a glove can mean the possible loss of a finger. It is about making decisions while an avalanche rushes by you with a wind that knocks you over. It is about risking death knowing that you have a daughter, a partner at home; for a few it means working for years and years, and then choosing at the last minute not to go to the top. At times confusing (keeping track of all the base camps, sherpas, and climbers is a job in itself), at times preachy, this is, in the end, the compelling story of thirteen very different women - ranging in age from 19 to 50 - each determined to get women to the top of a mountain whose name means "the goddess rich in sustenance." -- For great reviews of books for girls, check out Let's Hear It for the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14. -- From 500 Great Books by Women; review by Erica Bauermeister --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Sierra Club Books; 20th anniversary edition (October 13, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578050227
• ISBN-13: 978-1578050222
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #191,414 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #22 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Miscellaneous > Women in Sports
  • #24 in Books > Travel > Asia > Nepal

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Annapurna is so much more than an adventure story, August 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Annapurna: A Woman's Place (20th Anniversary Edition) (Paperback)

I'm not sure if Annapurna: A Woman's Place most appeals to the part of me that is a writer, an outdoorsman, or simply a human being. In a nutshell, it's the finest and most moving book I've ever read about mountain climbing.

Yet the book goes much deeper than merely being an adventure story -- which is why it captivates me on so many levels. Since I first read the book, I have been ordering copies to send to friends for special occasions. At first I just sent it to friends who also happened to be female, then realized that its message was too universal to be gender specific. The male friends I have given copies of the book to have been just as impressed, just as moved, and just as inspired as my women friends.

What the climbers went through -- not just the rigors of the climb itself, but the preparation, the determination, the obstacles, and, eventually, the sadness and pain -- has a universal connotation far removed from mountain climbing that all of us can feel at some level. Like the bumblebee, who doesn't know it can't fly, these daring women never fell back on their own limitations, as most of us are wont to do when the road seems unpassable.

I just can't find the words to express how much the book impressed me and what an inspiration it has been. Ms. Blum did a superb job of writing it. The book and the people come alive. I personally felt like one of her party and couldn't help but feel exalted at their success any more than I could keep from crying with them at the end.

I'll never climb a mountain like Annapurna, but this book should make anyone realize that life is full of mountains and that we can climb more of them than we think we can if we don't give up before we start.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A WOMAN'S PLACE IS ON TOP..., July 21, 2000

By 

Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Annapurna: A Woman's Place (20th Anniversary Edition) (Paperback)

This is, without a doubt, one of the best books written about a specific mountain climbing expedition. This particular book is a lyrical and moving account of the the first women's expedition to climb Annapurna in the Himalayas. It provides great detail and insight into their two month odyssey in the mountain and chronicles the challenges that they faced in trying to reach the summit.

The leader of the expedition authored the book and her characterizations of her fellow expeditioners are interesting and engaging. Her description of life on an expedition is filled with a myriad of detail that will enthrall all armchair climbers, as well as climbing enthusiasts. These details make for gripping reading, at times, and her descriptive narrative is always evocative of another time and place. In reading it, one realizes just how far women have come in terms of acceptance in the mountain climbing arena.

Their time spent on the mountain is illustrated by photographs that beautifully resonate with the lyricism of the author's chronicle. The obstacles they overcame, their day to day travails, the bonding and alliances that formed amonst the different members of the expedition, all add to the beauty of the book. The photographs memorialize those moments in time that best evoke the nuances of what it was like on the expedition and, at the same time, give one a sense of the beauty and majesty of the mountain.

The success of the expedition in terms of their having actually reached the summit, however, is clouded by the tragic loss of two of its members on a second, ill-advised attempt to reach the summit. Nonetheless, the quest of the American Women Himalayan Expedition to reach the summit of Annapurna is a testament to courage and commitment. It is also a great read.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We've Come a Long Way..., April 4, 2002

By 

Book Junkie "clubhouse9" (Salt Lake City, UT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Annapurna: A Woman's Place (20th Anniversary Edition) (Paperback)

This is one of the best climbing narratives I have read. Arlene Blum gives us a glimpse into each climber's strengths and idiosyncracies. We are treated to an intimate look at how each member contributes to the team as a whole.

I enjoyed seeing how each member of the team overcame personal challenges with the mountain, whether it was to climb higher than she ever had before, or to make the summit. Sadly, two climbers met their challenges with the ultimate price -- their lives.

I was impressed with Arlene's leadership ability and organization. By the end of the book, Arlene's growth as a leader was obvious -- she made some difficult decisions (both good and bad) and learned from each of them.

Several times I was annoyed by the Sherpas' insubordination, but perhaps that was due to a clash of cultures, etc. It's wonderful to see how the times have changed in the climbing world today as compared to back then.