Together on Top of the World: The Remarkable Story of the First Couple to Climb the Fabled Seven Summits [Hardcover]

Phil Ershler (Author), Susan Ershler (Author), Robin Simons (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 2007

On May 16, 2002, Phil and Susan Ershler reached the
top of Mt. Everest and became the first couple in history
to scale the fabled Seven Summits. What made
their achievement all the more remarkable was that Susan
was not a mountain climber, but a high-powered
Fortune ® 500 executive who had never hiked or climbed
until she met Phil at the age of 36. Phil, a professional
mountain guide who was the first American to summit
Everest from its treacherous north face, had climbed his
whole life with Crohn's disease, a chronic, debilitating
illness. Adding to these challenges, just before their final
summit, Phil was diagnosed with colon cancer, and the
resulting surgeries and complications were expected to
end his career. This is Susan and Phil's story: a tale of
love set in the mountains, a story of triumphal highs
and devastating lows in quest of a seemingly impossible
dream.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

On May 16, 2002, Phil and Susan Ershler stood atop the highest mountain in the world. Theirs, too, is a story of overcoming great odds: Susan had only started climbing in her mid-30s, and Phil, a veteran climber (and the first American to reach the top of Everest from the north face), suffered from Crohn's, a disease that would have kept most men on the ground their whole lives. When a cancer diagnosis threatened to end Phil's mountain-climbing career, the Ershlers fought back the only way they knew how. Rather than using a single narrative, the authors each contribute their own first-person accounts (which appear in differing typefaces). While skipping back and forth between narrators can be a bit jarring, the effect is to tell two stories simultaneously, which allows readers to contrast Phil's and Susan's perspectives as events unfold. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

PHIL and SUSAN ERSHLER live
in Kirkland, Washington.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1ST edition (April 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044657905X
• ISBN-13: 978-0446579056
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 1 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,189,871 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you want to be inspired, buy this book!, June 10, 2007

By 

S. Ferrara, LL.B., B.A. (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Together on Top of the World: The Remarkable Story of the First Couple to Climb the Fabled Seven Summits (Hardcover)

I read "Together on Top of the World" in 2 nights - I just could not put it down! Incredible story! The best book that I have read in a while and I'm a voracious reader. Certainly one of the best mountaineering books I have ever read, in part, because it is not just another mountaineering book. It deals realistically and holistically with the lives of two inspirational people - their individual histories, their partnership and love. It's about adventure, highs and lows, overcoming life's seeming insurmountable hurdles, success, vision, goals and dreams. Very motivational! This book has got it all!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars not for me, December 24, 2009

By 

H. hamel (houston, texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Together on Top of the World: The Remarkable Story of the First Couple to Climb the Fabled Seven Summits (Hardcover)

I like to read climbing/mountaineering books and saw this on Amazon but kept putting it off because it was written by a ghost writer. I finally broke down and bought it simply because there was nothing else new out there to read. I went into it with little expectations and unfortunately I was not pleasantly surprised. The story is about Phil and Susan Ershler's life together and their pursuit of the Seven Summits. They seem like two very nice, over achieving people in love and I applaud their accomplishments, however I found that the story lacked soul and at times felt too self promotional. I was never really moved by their story and found myself skimming the last section of the book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read For Climbers and Lovers, October 3, 2009

By 

Big Horn Bret (Big Horn, WY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Together on Top of the World: The Remarkable Story of the First Couple to Climb the Fabled Seven Summits (Hardcover)

What an incredible account of two people growing together in the setting of mountaineering. They were very open and honest with the struggles that they confronted individually and together. The writing made this an easy and enjoyable book that keep me interested with the flip of every page. I finished the book in just two sittings and couldn't put it down. Very different from similar books about mountaineers (e.g. Mountain Madness, No Shortcuts to the Top, etc.). While the setting is alpine mountaineering and the stories of climbs are inspiring, the true story is about two people falling in love and learning how to grow into one.