Customer Reviews

The Mountains of My Life (Modern Library Exploration)

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Along with Ricardo Cassin, Bonatti is perhaps the most outstanding Italian climber of all time! How ironic that he should become embroiled in one of the longest lasting (almost 50 years) controversies in mountaineering history, and how gratifying that he finally is clearly vindicated in this fascinating book.

The book is an autobiographical account of Bonatti's major climbs, including several sections on the much-discussed 1954 Italian expedition on K2. Bonatti clearly comes across as a committed climber, seeking purity and excitement in his climbs, who is often at a loss when faced with public criticism (on several accounts described in the book). As is often the case in the lives of people with outstanding talent, Bonati's life is beset by other people's envy and underhanded tactics, most frequently by his own compatriots. Yet, the book succeeds in demonstrating Bonatti's passion, drive and determination, while retaining the purity of mind and spirit that the mountains bestow on all!

Aside from being a highly personal account by one of the greatest mountaineers of all time, three things make this book outstanding:

(1) The beautiful translation by Robert Marshall (an Australian, who learned Italian for the sole purpose of reading mountaineering accounts!), who introduces each chapter with a short summary of the significance of the peak or route undertaken. Marshall also plays a key role of an "investigator" pointing out several pictures, which show that Compagnioni's and Desio's accounts of the K2 expedition are clearly false and manipulative;

(2) The book finally sets the record straight about the 1954 K2 expedition -- the fact that Lacedeli and Compaginoni used oxygen all the way to the top; the fact that they recklessly (if not intentionally) abandoned Bonatti in the bivouac, just feet from their warm tent above 8,000 meters; the fact that they manipulated accounts of the expedition to go as far as claiming that Bonatti wanted to charge ahead to the top on his own, endangering others. Two pictures, ironically published by Desio in an article immediately following the expedition clearly show Lacedeli and Compagnioni wearing oxygen masks at the top -- pictures, which are subsequently removed from Desio's book; and are only by accident discovered and brought forward by Rpbert Marshall only almost 50 years later! What a horrible thought that such an incredible climber, only in his 20s, could have been lost high up on K2, and we would have never come to know Bonatti as one of the all time greats! What a great feeling it is to know that truth sooner or later triumphs!

(3) the book is a true mountaineering story; it shows the aspirations, achievements and excitement of climbing in the immediate post- WW II era in Europe and Italy -- a period full of what is best about mountain climbing -- hope, innocence and passion!

This is a highly recommended book for everyone! My compliments to John Krakauer for including this wonderful book in the new Exploration series!

Bonatti is one of the boldest and leading figures in mountaineering of the 20th century; he is also one of the most creative of his peers in communicating his feelings on the subject. This book is interesting in the context of the author's youth in post war Europe and the effects this had on his life. Unfortunately, the author was subject to a smear campaign regarding his contributions to the first ascent of K2 for reasons outside of his control and this book reveals the injustice and presents a convincing case as to how the whole episode originated. So, part mystery story, part eloquent ode to mountains and climbing. It's a winner on both fronts and Bonnatti emerges as a champion not only of technical mastery of climbing, but mountaineering ethics and of mans relationship to the outdoors. I rate this as a must read.

The Mountains Of My Life is such a dense and intense work that even the experienced alpine climber is likely to slip into a stupor while reading of Walter Bonatti's incredible climbs. The only solution is to plan on reading it twice. Otherwise, you can expect to miss some of the subtlety in Walter's economical writing style. I can now claim to have followed my own advice.

One can read here many details of the big climbs Bonatti did in the Alps and only get a hint of the level of suffering, fear and intensity of the experience, even though the text focuses much on just those aspects. Only by going out onto the big alpine walls and experiencing those emotions yourself can you expect to have even the slightest clue as to just how understated The Mountains Of My Life really is. But that's still only an approximation unless you climbed routes such as these back in the day, using the primitive gear that Walter and his partners had - and then only if your ethical stance was as strict as theirs. These dudes had mondo cajones, to say the least.

But you don't need to trust me - I've never climbed anything of significance. But would you dare not trust the opinions of Reinhold Messner and Doug Scott? Go read what they have to say about Walter's climbs. Then sit back and imagine what it was like to solo big routes back then. I've done just enough soloing to understand just how much more of a mental game it is.

I can't forget to mention how important Robert Marshall's role was in this book. Not only did he translate, but he played a key detective role in the K2 controversy. Once one has fully digested what transpired on the hill, then after, then one can begin to better understand just how driven Bonatti was, and why. This is an incredible story, but it is also incredibly sad to think how horribly one person can treat another. Even pursuits such as climbing are victim to those that are dishonest and apparently without a conscious. Clearly, evil men are capable of much greater evil when acting to conspire. I for one was happy to see all of the details of K2 be brought to the forefront, to have the liars exposed and for the truth to finally have its day.

The next to last chapter is the true gem of this book. Years after retiring from extreme mountaineering, Walter climbed a route on Mt. Blanc solo. The description of the landscape, the place and the space in this chapter are truly incredible. The reader is transported, smelling the air, sensing the dangers and feeling the coarse granite on the palm. This chapter is a true high point inmountaineering literature. I wonder if this writing was only possible after the wounds of the K2 debacle had adequate time to heal?

English is not my first language, yet, the quality of the translation is evident. Walter speaks himself and reading the book I felt he looked at my eyes and told me the very essence of his life like an intimate friend.
I am not surprised that such an extraordinary climber Bonatti proved to be a moral and sensitive man. It could not be different !
Bravo to all who have contributed to this book, especially the translator who investigated ingeniously the affair.
As a human, a mountaineer and a reader I storngly recommend this book.
I would appreciated a few more photographs in the book but for its price it is still a bargain.
Only one question remains unanswered in my mind: Why Walter does not comment on the Camp9 spot ? Was it due to the darkness he could not reach it ? I guess there were no steps left from the other two that explains why he followed a different path.

With my full respect to the man
P.a.

Walter Bonnati was born in Bergamo, Italy in 1930. By the time he was invited to join the Italian expedition that completed the first ascent of K2 in 1954, Bonatti had already completed a number of climbing routes in the Western Alps that others had deemed unclimbable or impossible. Bonatti often climbed solo and with a panache and minimalist approach that amplified the magnitude of his accomplishments. Along the way, he was inducted into the French Legion of Honor. Despite (or perhaps because of) his astonishing talent and climbing feats, Bonatti was controversial and often found himself at odds with others in the climbing community. Having accomplished much and become jaded with the climbing community, Bonatti moved on to a new career as photojournalist and explorer.

"The Mountains of My Life" is a wonderful translation of stories about climbs that few other climbers would even dare contemplate. The book also examines the controversy about events of the Italian expedition to K2 that reads with the intrigue of a "who dunnit." The book is illustrated with Bonatti's breathtaking photos of mountains and routes he climbed.

Doug Scott, one of the greatest British mountaineers, described Bonatti as "perhaps the finest alpinist there has ever been." Jon Krakauer considers Bonatti a "personal hero." Those are mighty strong statements, but after reading this immensely readable collection of tales, it is hard to argue with the assessments of Bonatti. Robert Marshall did a wonderful job in translating Bonatti's beautifully written stories. Definitely an important addition in the library of mountaineering classics.

Walter Bonatti is an Italian mountaineer, famous in climbing circles if not with the general public. This collection of his essays describing his most famous climbs - and discussing a nasty controversy involving the first ascent of K2 - is a terrific read. Anyone who has enjoyed best sellers such as "Into Thin Air" should give serious consideration to this volume. The clean, even elegant translation represents a wonderful example of the translator's art (and why doesn't the publisher give translator Robert Marshall credit on the book's cover?). There is an in-depth analysis of a famous (in Italy) libel trial over accusations against Bonatti that reads almost like a whodunit instead of a climbing saga. All in all, this book is inspirational, exciting, and a stirring way to get some sense of the thrill of extreme adventure without leaving the comfort of your centrally-heated home. This is the second book I've read in the Modern Library Exploration Series edited by Jon Krakauer (the other is The Last Place on Earth, about Scott's and Amundsen's race to the South Pole) and this series is a five-star winner for me so far.

This book collects the classic writings of world-famous mountaineer Walter Bonatti (many from On The Heights and The Great Days). The cover is Bonatti's route on the south-west pillar of the Aiguille du Dru. The book has 26 pages of b/w photos, an additional 3 b/w photos, and 8 route maps.

The book starts with his climbs on Grande Jorasses, Grand Capucin and Lavaredo in winter. He was then invited on the 1954 Italian K2 expedition, where Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni became the first to summit K2. Controversy struck when the expedition leaders accused him of turning back before delivering needed oxygen to them below the summit. After staying quiet for 50 years, Lacadelli finally published his view of what happened, collaborating Bonatti's story.

Bonatti continued on to execute many great climbs, including a solo climb of a new route on the south-west pillar of the Aiguille du Dru, Cerro Torre, the first ascent of Gasherbrum IV, the North Face of the Grande Jorasses in winter, an unprecedented solo ascent of the north face of the Matterhorn in winter, and the tragic story of the death of four mountaineers from exhaustion attempting to be the first to climb the Central Pillar of Freney in June 1961.

This is one of my top 10 favourite mountaineering books of all time. The photos are good. Bonatti packs his pages with a total punch, introspective, exciting, and dangerous. You can just about feel the bitter cold.

About a quarter of the book is dedicated to K2 and the aftermath. Walter Bonatti and Mahdi carried the oxygen bottles to Camp IX on July 30, 1954. But Campagnoni had intentionally moved the camp from the planned site so Bonatti could not try for the summit. Bonatti and Mahdi survived the bivouac at 8100m, but Madhi had frostbitten toes.

In 1964 a reporter printed a 10th anniversary article finally bringing out into the open Desio and Campagnoni's views of what really happened. They accused Bonatti of treachery, trying for the summit and using the oxygen. Bonatti filed a libel suit held in Turin in 1966, and was exonerated. Bonatti then does his own analysis and uses diagrams and charts to prove that the oxygen had not run out. In The Price Of Conquest from 2004, Lacedelli disagrees with Bonatti, saying that the oxygen had in fact run out.

Marshall concludes quite convincingly: "The whole affair started because Mahdi thought he and Bonatti were making an independent attempt on the summit. ... Bonatti made a very convenient villain and an ideal sacrificial goat. He was never able to defend himself because he was never accused directly."

In 2008 the Club Alpino Italiano recognised officially that Bonatti's version of the ascent was correct. Compagnoni and Lacedelli reached the summit with oxygen after putting the life of Bonatti and the hunza Madhi in serious risk by denying them help at 8100m while they carried the oxygen supplies to the last camp.

Walter Bonnati was born in Bergamo, Italy in 1930. By the time he was invited to join the Italian expedition that completed the first ascent of K2 in 1954, Bonatti had already completed a number of climbing routes in the Western Alps that others had deemed unclimbable, impossible. Bonatti often climbed solo and with a panache and minimalist approach that amplified the magnitude of his accomplishments. Despite (or perhaps because of) his astonishing talent and climbing feats, Bonatti was controversial and often found himself at odds with others in the climbing community. Having accomplished much and become jaded with the climbing community, Bonatti moved on to a career as a photojournalist and explorer. Along the way, Bonatti received the French Legion d'Honneur and numerous other recognitions for his achievements.

"The Mountains of My Life" is a wonderful translation of stories about climbs that few other climbers would ever dare contemplate. The book also examines the controversy about events of the Italian expedition to K2 that reads with the intrigue of a "who dunnit." The book is illustrated with Bonatti's breathtaking photos of mountains and routes he climbed.

Doug Scott, one of the greatest British mountaineers, described Bonatti as "perhaps the finest alpinist there has ever been." Jon Krakauer considers him a "hero." These are strong statements, but after reading this immensely readable collection of tales, it is hard to argue with Scott's and Krakauer's assessment of Bonatti. Definitely an important addition in a library of mountaineering classics. Kudos to Robert Marshall for an outstanding job of translating Bonatti's stories to English.

This book is extremely well written and easy to read. It is a chronicle of Bonatti's life in the mountains from the Alps to the Himalaya to Patagonia. Bonatti became famous for being on the 1954 Italian expedition in which Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli made the first ascent of K2. The ascent became infamous ten years later when Compagnoni -- for unknown reasons -- made what later proved to be false allegations about Bonatti's conduct on the expedition. Bonatti sued the People's New Sunday Gazette for libel. After a prolonged trial Bonatti succeeded in proving the allegations about his conduct to be false and libelous. However, following the verdict, Bonatti was unjustly shunned by the mountaineering establishment.
Expertly edited by Jon Krakauer, the book does justice to Bonatti's achievements as a mountaineer and were it not for the vicious attack on his character by Compagnoni may have been celebrated as one of the great Italian mountaineers. He was certainly one of the greaest of his era. You can judge for yourself after reading this book which I highly recommend.

Excellent condition of delivery.This was my first purchase and I'm satisfied.Also a very pleasant reading,albeit it's intended mostly for people familiar with mountains,rock climbing techniques,etc.
Recommended for climbers, who want to read about first climbs on the Alps and abroad and especcially to read the story of the first climb on K2 from Bonatti's point of view.