We Aspired: The Last Innocent Americans [Paperback]

Pete Sinclair (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1993

The emeritus English professor from Evergreen State College in Washington uses his skills as a literary scholar combined with his life experiences to describe the climbing scene of his era. A lot of soul searching and candid revelations make this book one of the most interesting volumes about these youthful Americans, traveling and climbing all around the world. We Aspired was first published in 1994 and won a second place in the highly acclaimed Boarderman-Tarker Mountaineering Literature.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sinclair, a former climber and ranger at Grand Teton National Park in the 1960s and now a professor of English at Evergreen State College, has written a book mainly for mountaineers, a memoir of how some young men of the post-World War II generation found themselves in the mountains out West. His dramatic, well-told narrative encompasses a climb up Mt. McKinley in Alaska, a sometimes perilous trek to Mexico and many tales of life as a ranger, including some poignant and not always successful rescue efforts. As a Dartmouth '58 dropout influenced by political activist Allard Lowenstein, Sinclair went to Wyoming, where, after living as a ski bum, he embraced rescue work as a way to make his contribution to society and found many virtues in mountain-culture camaraderie. Sinclair ultimately left Wyoming for academia and parenthood; his son, without any push from his father, has also sought out the "sacred" mountains. Sinclair's subtitle seems a bit broad, but he suggests, with a measure of conviction, that his was a generation "that aspired to be heroes but ended up in the hero business." Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The golden age of American climbing lasted a mere dozen years, during which it burgeoned in several centers, one of them the Tetons. Sinclair's (English, Evergreen State Coll.) account is an autobiographical history of that time and place. The book is worth considering for purchase for several reasons. First, as the work of a literate, intelligent writer, it explains more clearly than any other recent mountaineering book why climbers climb. Also, it deals with a decade, 1959-69, when all serious climbers knew each other. Finally, it reports on one aspect of climbing that no other book does: mountain rescue. This is recommended for most libraries.
- Paula M. Strain, MLS, Rockville, Md.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Utah State University Press (July 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874211662
• ISBN-13: 978-0874211665
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,438,779 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I'm ambivalent about this book, December 16, 2010

By 

Jim Morrison (Hansville, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: We Aspired: The Last Innocent Americans (Paperback)

I'm ambivalent because while there are some great stories here, yet there is also a pattern of self indulgence. The book starts out with a really great story about climbing a challenging route on Mount McKinley. Okay, good adventure story. Rescue stories are of interest to me and there are several rescues in the Tetons that he covers from his perspective. One of the things I didn't like was how he injected his own (somewhat convoluted I thought)philosophy. I didn't like the name dropping. For some reason he had the need to assure us he was associated with the great names in climbing. Other books I have read recently about true climbing adventures were better written and I appreciated their more subtle views on the philosophy of climbing. So I saw the book as a combination of mountain climbing stories, autobiography, and an essay of what the author thought was right and true and important. Three of my friends read this book before it was handed down to me and none gave it rave reviews. I thought it was very average. Two and half stars if there were such a thing.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the wait, February 8, 2008

By 

L. Galey (Wyoming) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: We Aspired: The Last Innocent Americans (Paperback)

Although it took a long time to get the book, it was worth the wait. Excellent book. I appreciate the fact that I was kept informed with the constant changing delivery time.