Climbing Everest: Tales of Triumph and Tragedy on the World's Highest Mountain [Hardcover]

Audrey Salkeld (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Climbing Everest is a stunning illustrated history of climbing on the world's highest mountain. Divided into six chapters and featuring six sidebars and maps, this volume is packed with information and reads like the best page-turner. Triumphant summits and tragic failures are all here. Each chapter focuses on a famous climb by portraying the climber or climbing team in fascinating detail. Chapter 1 features George Mallory, the golden mountaineer of the 1920s whose unexplained death on Everest rocked Great Britain and the world. In Chapter 2, the story of Tenzing Norgay's life frames the moment when humans first stood on top of the world. Next, in Chapter 3, the Chinese conquer the mountain from Tibet, winning glory for their country as shown through rarely seen photographs. Chapter 4 gets inside the head of Reinhold Messner, one of the greatest climbers the world has ever known, and details his two monumental Everest climbs - the first summit without supplemental oxygen and the first solo summit. In Chapter 5, Americans summit via the never-before-climbed, treacherous East Face. Braving avalanches and mastering incredibly difficult technical climbing, the 1983 expedition placed two groups on the summit via this pioneering route. And last, Chapter 6 covers the heartbreaking 1996 tragedy when eight climbers lost their lives in a single storm. The author has a unique perspective on this tragedy because she was at Base Camp during the event. Sidebars provide fascinating mountain information, including altitude and its effects, Everest's unique geography, the Sherpa culture, and the need for conservation on the no-longer-pristine mountain slopes. Back matter reference material includes a detailed Everest chronology, a glossary of climbing terms, an Everest Hall of Fame biography section, a chart of Everest records, a detailed bibliography and resource section, and an index.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books (May 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792251059
• ISBN-13: 978-0792251057
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 0.5 x 10.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #846,070 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #53 in Books > Children's Books > Sports & Games > Camping

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Straightforward Read for Young People, February 11, 2008

By 

Elizabeth Bridges - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Climbing Everest: Tales of Triumph and Tragedy on the World's Highest Mountain (Hardcover)

I ordered this book not noticing it really is for young readers, but it was probably the most straightforward reading I've done in a while. Ms. Salkeld clearly knows her stuff and I actually learned some information not previously read elsewhere. I recommend this book for any school library.