A Life on the Edge: Memoirs of Everest and Beyond (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "The Tooth" is a 5,605-foot fang of rock that thrusts up from the jawbone of a ridge in the Cascade Mountains of western Washington State..." (more)
Key Phrases: peace climb, blind climbers, glacier floor, Mount Rainier, Dianne Roberts, National Geographic Society (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

Whittaker, the first American to summit Everest, tells here the story of his life thus farhe has managed to reach 70which has been lived with the kind of intensity that only his adrenal glands can truly appreciate. Whittaker never actively courted peril; indeed, as he tells it, though luck has been his friend, its also ``something you make happenby extending yourself into situations of risk but also by preparing yourself to succeed under those risky conditions.'' He didn't just climb Everest in 1963 (he deadpans his way through the tribulations of that feat), but had been unknowingly preparing for it as a mountain guide and rescue team member in the Pacific Northwest. Hed been in enough precarious situations to know the difference between objective dangers (avalanches, rock falls) and subjective gamble, when risky business becomes flagrant exposure. Though Whittaker gained wide recognition for his climb of Everest and his expedition to K2, the mountaineering community will also remember him as the force behind REI, the funky climbing-supplies cooperative that did so much to give climbing its antiestablishment, bohemian tone. His personal life has had just the same rugged topography as his preferred landscapes, and he reveals it to his readers in a lean, patient voice. There was divorce and separation from his children, financial ruin, the loss of friends to climbing accidents. And there was remarriage and connecting with his children, both young and old, and so much time outdoors doing what he loved, embracing not just the high peaks but all of nature transient: ``It was just after midnight. The temperature was twenty degrees below zero, a soft quilt of powder snow covered everything, and ice-dust sparkled in the moonlight. I sat in a small aspen grove . . . in awe of the beauty around me.'' Whittaker has a knack for finding such silent, sublime places. Now he's off sailing around the world with his family, trusting again to that angel who has watched over his shoulder. (24 pages color photos, 50 b&w photos, not seen) (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review

An engaging memoir -- Gilber Taylor, Booklist, September 1, 1999

Big Jim [Whittaker] has written a blunt, consistently interesting book. -- Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Sept. 13, 1999

His story is as rich and inspirational as the actual events that he's experienced and written about. -- Sports Etc.

It is fascinating to accompany him vicariously on his treks to some of the world's most formidable peaks ... His discussion on the physical, technical and emotional challenges of mountain climbing is insightful, occasionally humorous, and periodically terrifying. -- Barbara Lloyd McMichael, Tacoma News Tribune

My father's greatest living heroes were John Glenn and Jim Whittaker-a physical giant with a huge heart, a decent soul, and inspirational courage. We can all be grateful that Whittaker has finally put his extraordinary life on paper. Whittaker's story is a riveting saga of high adventure by one of history's greatest climbers. -- Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

There's much, much more than one summit in Whittaker's memoirs. His life's stories mirror the changes in this country in many areas: recreation, environment, presidents, peace efforts and nuclear bombs ... This is a book by a man who knows the importance of a well-lived life.(Everett (WA) Herald) -- Everett (WA) Herald

This is the life story of a Northwest icon. One cannot totally understand the outdoor history of this region... -- Spokesman-Review [Spokane, WA]

Transcends the usual adventure tale because it focuses on the attachments to the outdoors and the challenges and frustrations of life. -- Klamath Falls Herald and News

Whittaker shows a fine knack for retrieving from memory small outdoors sensations we all relate to in unexpectedly emotional ways. -- Ron C. Judd, The Seattle Times, Sept. 16, 1999

Whittaker writes engagingly about many topics--politics, business, the environment, religion--while displaying keen curiosity about the world. -- Hood River News

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 271 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books; later printing edition (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898865409
• ISBN-13: 978-0898865400
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #660,293 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, March 26, 2000

By	Ross Capdeville "jiadar" (San Francsico, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm a 20 year old guy about to graduate from college, and have thus been thinking a lot about the future and how I want to live my life.. I just finished reading the book and wrote in my journal about it, which will sum up how I feel about it pretty well:

Wow... I just finished reading a really good book, a book that has brought together and solidified a lot of the things I've been thinking about the past few weeks. The name of the book was "Life on the Edge" by Jim Whittaker, the first american to reach the summit of Everest. When Chris and I went to the bookstore for our weekly visit, I was looking for an true-life adventure book, but I also wanted something that had a sense of "living" to it as well. I read "Into Thin Air" and it was like a drama novel, seeming almost like fiction. "Life on the Edge" hits much closer to home, describing the realities of a life well lived.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A thought-provoking, inspiring story of a courageous man, September 9, 1999

By	G. Chevassus "Chevy" (Enumclaw, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've worked for REI for over 13 years and had heard a lot about Jim. Until reading his story, I never knew just how instrumental his leadership was in starting our Coop. His humble leadership style is evident in his outdoor accomplishments as well, bringing people together of differing personalities in sometimes-dangerous circumstances. Many lessons can be learned from Jim in this book that can be applied to business situations as well as everyday life. I found it an easy and interesting read from both a philosophical as well as a hard core mountaineering standpoint. I read part of it on a backpacking trip around Mt. Rainier, and read it to my 13 year old son who enjoyed it as well!

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An American legend told from the first person., September 9, 1999

By A Customer

Jim Whittaker's book, A Life of the Edge, is an entertaining autobiography of the first American to summit Mount Everest. In it, Jim Whittaker talks about the highlights of his life with a great sense of humor. Unlike other autobiographies which tend to be dry to read, Mr. Whittaker sprinkles his tale with interesting facts and light hearted descriptions of events. Especially interesting is his account of his first ascent to the summit of Everest, in the midst of an incredible snow storm and the interesting problem he faced on his way down. His accounts are vividly described and would interest any mountain climber or outdoors person.

This is a great book to read and enjoy. With the sudden re-surgence of interest in Mount Everest, this is not a book to be missed. Especially when it is written by the first American to summit Everest. A great book to include in any autobiography library!