Paths of Glory (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "If you had asked George why he'd begun walking toward the rock, he wouldn't have been able to tell you..." (more)
Key Phrases: general sahib, climbing leader, team tent, Sir Francis, General Bruce, Geoffrey Young (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A real-life mountaineering mystery serves as the springboard for bestseller Archer's abysmal latest. The plot begins promisingly with the body of mountaineer George Mallory discovered on the slopes of Mt. Everest in 1999, possibly having been the first man to have reached the summit. But hopes of an adventurous yarn are soon dashed as the novel becomes a long flashback, offering stock vignettes of Mallory's childhood, Cambridge days and mountaineering adventures. These passages are hampered by phoned-in writing, clumsy attempts at verisimilitude and a notable lack of psychological depth. Along the way, Mallory marries, becomes a father, serves in WWI and finds himself pitted against Australian mountaineer George Finch as a potential leader of Britain's push to conquer Everest. Archer does eventually offer his opinion as to whether Mallory summited Everest, but by that point all but his most devoted fans will have fled the icy crags of this lifeless novel. (Mar.)
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Review

Praise for Jeffrey Archer:

“A dynamite commercial novel … Archer brings it off with panache.”
---The Washington Post on A Prisoner of Birth

“Bestseller Archer pays homage to Dumas’s The Count of Monte Cristo in this delicious updating of the adventure classic.… The author’s firsthand knowledge of prison life and legal maneuvers help make this a thoroughly enjoyable entertainment.”
---Publishers Weekly on A Prisoner of Birth

“Like other Archer thrillers, the book is compulsively readable.”
---Library Journal on A Prisoner of Birth

“A worthy successor to the still bestselling The Da Vinci Code.”
---Liz Smith, New York Post, on False Impression

“One of the top ten storytellers in the world.”
---Los Angeles Times

 

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1 edition (March 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312539517
• ISBN-13: 978-0312539511
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (79 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #29,663 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3 1/2 Stars -- Interesting But Easy To Put Down! , March 16, 2009

By	bobbewig (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews

(What's this?)

Paths Of Glory is Archer's attempt to fictionalize the story of George Mallory and his dream of being the first person to climb to the top of Mt. Everest. It covers a thirty-two year period ranging from Mallory's childhood to his third attempt to climb Everest in 1924, at age thirty-seven. In real life, it remains a mystery as to whether Mallory ever achieved his goal, as he was last seen four hundred feet from the top. Archer does a decent job in "covering all the bases" of Mallory's life. However, in trying to pack all of the major historical events in his life in just an average length book, Archer, in my opinion, doesn't provide sufficient depth in most of these areas to create a full sense of who Mallory was and what motivated him. Further, Archer provides, at best, only superficial characterizations of the key people in Mallory's life (e.g., his wife, his children, his climbing partners, etc.). Overall, Paths Of Glory is an entertaining read -- particularly if you have an interest in mountain-climbing -- but it is not one that will keep you glued to the edge of your seat to find out what happens next. Given Jeffrey Archer's successful career as a novelist it will not be surprising to find Paths Of Glory on major bestseller lists, although be forewarned that it doesn't deserve to reach the summit of these lists.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, no attention to detail, September 8, 2009

By	Green Ibis "msiv" (Pune, India) - See all my reviews

I do usually like Jeffrey Archer in the best seller fiction category, but this book is quite a disappointment.

"Paths of Glory" is somewhere in the grey zone between true-life chronicle and fiction. Mountaineering enthusiasts might want to read Sir Francis Younghusband's excellent account of the same events, in his book "The Epic of Mount Everest".

Though a very engrossing topic, Archer seems to have let slide several details, which I found quite irritating (I wondered briefly whether I had picked up a "fake" Archer)...
- the so-called medical examination before the 1922 expedition, in which the participants were put through intense and accelerated changes in pressure, temperature, and wind speed - from sea level to 29,000 ft in 60 mins. Really? It takes several days to acclimatize on the mountain, even between base camp and higher altitudes. It doesn't seem plausible that any participant lived after such a medical examination!
- the 1922 expedition lands in Bombay and at the docks, they go about selecting sherpas and mules!! This is ridiculous - even for fiction - why would the already poor sherpas, whose home is in the hills, travel all the way to Bombay and then go back with the expedition? And transporting mules from Bombay to Everest Base Camp?? Even back in the 20's no one would do that.
- the blithe reference to distance between Bombay and Siliguri - supposedly to be covered in 6 hrs, and Mallory in a letter to his wife, complains that it took 16 hrs..... this is impossible. Bombay to Calcutta takes over 36 hrs by train (about 1000 miles!) and an overnight train journey from Calcutta to Siligury.

Apart from factual errors, there are no descriptions of real mountain climbing. Archer makes it seem like a "very tough walk in the snow" - where climbers can walk together stopping to munch on digestive biscuits along the way. Nowadays when there are tens of well written mountaineering real life stories, this is a little too superficial.

The characters are two dimensional and sketchy, except for Mallory - whose character seems quite inconsistent - sometimes the ideal larger than life hero, sometimes an alpha male child wanting to be the first.

Archer ought to stick to regular fiction, and not try to blend the fiction and mountain climbing genres.. it leaves both wanting.

24 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This was an extraordinary read, March 7, 2009

By	Kathleen Wagner "~have book~will read~" (SWPA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

(What's this?)

The story of George Leigh Mallory, a novel based on history. I had never been drawn to read about Mr Mallory prior to this. I had never read anything by Jeffrey Archer either. For some reason, when given the opportunity to read this book, I enthusiastically took it.

The story begins when George Mallory was a child living in his fathers house. His father was a conservative clergyman of limited means who wanted to provide the best possible life for his three children. For George, this included the best education he could manage.

From a young age, Gorge showed a lack of fear, and a love of climbing. His father encouraged his sons sense of adventure, even to the point of accompanying him on ever more rigorous climbs, at least accompanying his as best he could. This trust and encouragement surely contributed to the self confident young man George became.

During his years at school, he knew that his mountain climbing had to take a backseat to his education, and so it did. TO his satisfaction, there were others who shared his interests, thus enabling him to continue with what brought joy to his life, scaling mountains.

I became so invested in the people portrayed in this book, I had a hard time putting it down. I had a vague and passing knowledge of Mallory and his Everest climbs, but nothing more than that. After reading about his life and family, as well as his dreams. I am searching for more information on this clearly incredible man.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good read, or is interested in mountaineering. I will be reading more books by this author very soon, as well as more books about George Mallory and Everest. A book that inspires a new interest is the very best kind of book.