Customer Reviews

Ghosts of Everest: The Search for Mallory & Irvine

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I thought it had all been said about this expedition and Everest in general until I read this book. The accounts published by the authors in magazines such as National Geographic, and Outside are good but pale in comparison to the quality of the presentation of this book. The photos of the primitive equipment Mallory, Irvine and their colleagues used almost 100 years ago tell a compelling story. I cannot imagine achieving the heights they achieved with the hobnail boots. I had never seen a pair up close. The photos of the mountain from each expedition are remarkable and unique. This book is more than just a climbing tale. The author does a superb job of portraying the people on the 1924 and 1999 expeditions, and the cultures in which they immersed themselves. Mountaineers Books also did an outstanding job of producing the best quality Everest book I have seen to date. It is beautifully designed and executed. It is one of those rare books that I hated to finish and will no doubt refer to and savor again. You will want a quality hardback copy for your library or coffee table.

This is a wonderful look back in time to the amazing geographic curiosity of the British in the 1920s. Coupled with it is the incredible and true story of another group of curious American explorers who set out in 1999 to accomplish the impossible by attempting to find traces of the 1920s expedition.

That all these characters are mountain climbers is only part of the story. That the 1999 team DID find the body of a member of the 1924 expedition is also only part of the story. The real story is the human drama of both eras. The 1999 team does a great job in this book of paying their tribute to heroes of a by-gone era of exploration, while demonstrating that the will to seek and find new truth and explore new horizons is still alive and well in some of us. The rest of us can live it vicariously through great books like this one!

The authors of Ghosts of Everest manage to gracefully pull off the telling of two fascinating stories at the same time: one about the historic 1924 expedition of Mallory and Irvine, and the other about the authors' own expedition in 1999 to search for clues and pay homage to the 1924 climbers. The two stories work wonderfully together and are set within the context of interesting and appropriate photos and poignant quotes from Mallory himself. The whole work flows flawlessly and is not only a "must read" for Everest afficionados, but also for the broader reading public sharing admiration and interest in the human spirit of adventure. The spirit of risk and adventure and human grit demonstrated within this book is truly compelling. Of special note also is the tasteful way in which the authors present a few photos of the body of Mallory as found on Everest 75 years after his disappearance. Despite early public criticisms for the publishing of these photos, I saw them as a deeply moving, almost breathtaking, but absolutely necessary part of the story. Without them, the impact of the team's find, the sights and the moments they shared upon the discovery, would be lost to the reader. No words can begin to tell us what those men experienced with Mallory up there that day. The reverence toward Mallory has been well documented, and the photos of Mallory's final resting pose do him justice. All in all, a research job well done, a book well written, a story well told!

The 1999 Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition is already becoming known as one of the great mountaineering events of this century. This official team account is a library must for Everest fans and climbers. The photography is respectful and beautiful. Plus, it's a good mystery and a grand adventure story. I strongly recommend it.

This is a beautifully and lavishly illustrated, textually rich book. Its pages demand the reader's undivided attention and are sure to enthrall all mystery lovers, Everest aficionados, nostalgia junkies, history buffs, and climbing enthusiasts. This book is sure to provide the reader with many hours of enjoyment.

The book chronicles the search for George Mallory and Andrew Irvine by the 1999 Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition. It juxtaposes the dramatic turn of events during their expedition with those of the 1924 British Everest Expedition which saw Mallory and Irvine attempt a summit climb, only to disappear into the mists of Everest, never to be seen again. It makes for a spell binding narrative, as past events are woven through present day ones.

The 1999 Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition was a meticulously well prepared and well organized venture. With its discovery of George Leigh Mallory's body, it enjoyed much success. The research and analysis that went into its ultimate, well thought out conclusions were comprehensive and fascinating, with its strong reliance upon forensics and deductive reasoning. Their reconstruction of Mallory's and Irvine's last climb is riveting. Unfortunately, the ultimate question still remains unanswered. Did they or did they not reach the summit of Mount Everest back in 1924?

The beautiful photographs of the personal effects found upon Mallory's person underscore a certain poignancy about the discovery of Mallory's well preserved body. The photographs which memorialize this discovery are amazingly lovely and tasteful, considering its subject matter, and hauntingly illustrate the finality with which Everest may deal with mountaineers, no matter how accomplished.

The photographs also highlight how ill equipped for the harsh climatic conditions were the early Everest expeditions. It is amazing, and a credit to those early expeditioners' courage and fortitude, in braving such an inhospitable and harsh terrain with the inadequate clothing and equipment available to them at the time. Mallory and Irvine were certainly intrepid explorers!

This book is a fitting tribute to two men who sought to make a historic summit and, in their attempt, would forever be a part of Everest.

One superlative comment that needs to be made is related to the book, and those who put it together. I don't believe that a more dignified, respectful documentation could have been done.

What/who was found, and the conduct of those who accomplished this trek is beyond reproach. This easily could have been a sensationalist, tabloid bit of exploitation, but there is none at all. The respect extended to Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, not once was a word uttered that detracted from them as people, nor what they accomplished.

The book itself is extremely well finished, photography is superb, and this book deserves to be displayed, not just consigned to a shelf.

I don't know how Mr. Mallory and Mr. Irvine even made it 10% of the way up Everest. There are few, if any persons, who would venture outside to ski or shovel the driveway wearing only what these men wore. I have read of many contemporary climbs, and the contrast to what is used today as compared to what was used in 1924, makes these climbers all the more remarkable.

I have read all the books on Everest I have come across. This book is without peer, it stands as a memorial to two of the bravest of men, and a testament to those who sought to solve the mystery of their deaths, and did so in a manner that defines true professionals, and for lack of a better word, class.

In the words of Sherlock Holmes - "When you have eliminated what cannot be, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, is what must be." So did Sir Mallory and Irvine reached Everest almost 30 years earlier than Sir Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing ? The book attempts to answer this question. The book reconstructs the whole 1924 Mallory expedition as well as the 1999 search expedition. The idea of writing both the ascents together is what makes the book so interesting. The pictures and the maps are really superb. The descriptions of the mountain is so detailed that even you know nothing about mountain climbing (like me) you will have little trouble in imagining the scenes. The last chapter is the conclusion of this Sherlock Holmes detective story. With just some (apparently inconsequential) noting on an old envelope found in Sir Mallory's pocket, the writers/researchers are able to put forward a plausible theory about what may have happened. Interestingly, the broken wrist watch considered to be the an important discovery told the researchers little. At the end, you are free to draw your own conclusions at the end. As for me, I believe that Sir Mallory and Irvine were able to make it. For the simple reason that his wife's photo and letters were not found on his body. Sir Mallory seemed devoted to Ruth (his wife) and had brought a photoframe of his wife to place on the summit. He wasn't carrying it simply because he had placed it at the summit. And he was too meticulous to have left them behind anywhere else. Also, it is proven without doubt that Sir Mallory fell on the descent. Maybe, the success had made him so happy and relieved that he may have dropped his guard just a little bit (out of sheer fulfillment of a difficult purpose) which could have resulted in a fatal lapse of concentration during the descent.

This is a beautifully and lavishly illustrated, textually rich book. Its heavy, glossy pages demand the reader's undivided attention and are sure to enthrall all mystery lovers, Everest aficionados, nostalgia junkies, history buffs, and climbing enthusiasts. This book is sure to provide the reader with many hours of enjoyment.

The book chronicles the search for George Mallory and Andrew Irvine by the 1999 Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition. It juxtaposes the dramatic turn of events during their expedition with those of the 1924 British Everest Expedition which saw Mallory and Irvine attempt a summit climb, only to disappear into the mists of Everest, never to be seen again. It makes for a spell binding narrative, as past events are woven through present day ones.

The 1999 Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition was a meticulously well prepared and well organized venture. With its discovery of George Leigh Mallory's body, it enjoyed much success. The research and analysis that went into its ultimate, well thought out conclusions were comprehensive and fascinating, with its strong reliance upon forensics and deductive reasoning. Their reconstruction of Mallory's and Irvine's last climb is riveting. Unfortunately, the ultimate question still remains unanswered. Did they or did they not reach the summit of Mount Everest back in 1924?

The beautiful photographs of the personal effects found upon Mallory's person underscore a certain poignancy about the discovery of Mallory's well preserved body. The photographs which memorialize this discovery are amazingly lovely and tasteful, considering its subject matter, and hauntingly illustrate the finality with which Everest may deal with mountaineers, no matter how accomplished.

The photographs also highlight how ill equipped for the harsh climatic conditions were the early Everest expeditions. It is amazing, and a credit to those early expeditioners' courage and fortitude, in braving such an inhospitable and harsh terrain with the inadequate clothing and equipment available to them at the time. Mallory and Irvine were certainly intrepid explorers!

This book is a fitting tribute to two men who sought to make a historic summit and, in their attempt, would forever be a part of Everest.

This is an extremely good, compulsive read. Many have found the photos in bad taste, but they are another point of interest in a fascinating book which tries hard (and succeeds) to remain faithful to its subject. Where the book falters slightly is in its concentration on the behaviour of the BBC. Whilst it was obvious the team were, perhaps justifiably, peeved with some of the BBC's antics, this proved a distraction from both the main purpose of the expedition and the book. A final conclusion is not drawn as to whether Mallory and Irvine 'made it' or no, but a succession of scenarios is presented and discussed. This, together with a poignant synthesis of what probably happened when they perished is the finest part of the book. In the final analysis, a conclusion cannot be drawn, but one puts the book down feeling that the odds that they reached the summit just improved from three to one against to even steven.

This is a great, upbeat narrative about how one person's dream, and a group of sincere, committed (not to mention extremely likeable) mountaineers came together to add a chapter to one of history's most enduring adventure mysteries. The book is well written--paralleling the 1924 and 1999 expeditions interestingly and entertainingly--and incorporates tons of beautiful photographs from both. The team's conclusions are inconclusive, but they came a lot closer to drawing a picture of what may have happened to Mallory and Irvine. I recommend this book highly for people who love a good mystery, adventure, or who are fascinated by Everest.

BTW - My book didn't have the above-mentioned gutter problem. Maybe that one was mis-bound?