History of the Great Mountaineering Adventures (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This stunning volume highlights the best of mountaineering history with striking color photos and illuminating text.

A collector’s book for climbers and armchair adventurers Large-format, full-color pictorials of the world’s highest peaks

Vast fields of ice and slender limestone towers, slim crests of snow and massive granite columns. From Everest to Mont Blanc, from Patagonia to the Dolomites, the highest and most impressive peaks on earth have always challenged and attracted humans.

With a blend of dramatic color photographs, historical black-and-white images, and early paintings and illustrations of the world’s most illustrious peaks, this large-format volume brings together the greatest adventures that have been undertaken in the mountains since the ancient Greeks made their first forays to Mount Olympus. All the biggest names in climbing-and the highest mountains-are here. In illustrating the adventures of such climbers as Mummery, the Duke of the Abruzzi, Bonatti, and Messner, this lavish volume also reveals that now, as always, the primary elements in any attempt on the most difficult peaks are the individual’s courage, intelligence, and fear.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books (November 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898867223
• ISBN-13: 978-0898867220
• Product Dimensions: 13.8 x 10.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,195,197 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great pictures, great history, December 27, 2002

By	Frank Paris (Beaverton, OR USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This gorgeous picture book presents an excellent history of world mountaineering. I'm really particular about the mountain picture books I buy. All too many of them have fuzzy or poorly printed photos. Not this one. The photographs, both color and black and white, are printed on high quality, glossy paper with a very fine line screen, probably well above 200 lpi. Many of the photographs are absolutely outrageous. Check out the chapter on the Patagonian Andes. That chapter alone is worth the price of the book for extensive coverage of perhaps the most jaw-dropping mountain landscape in the world. Besides the modern color photographs, there are many historical black and white photographs of equal quality and sharpness, plus many early engravings of mountain scenes by 18th century explorers. The text itself is well-written with a satisfying level of detail that makes you want to keep reading, page after page. Most mountain picture books I wind up buying I just skip the words and relish the pictures. But you'd be missing a lot not to actually READ this one. Even if you don't, however, the pictures alone are more than worth the price of this book. Given the high quality of the reproductions and the quality of the compositions chosen, this book is a bargain.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a book which arouses my desire for mountaineering, October 8, 2005

By	Hsu Liang Heui "sean" (taiwan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

this book is so amazing!! it seems that it's filled with great history, leading me to the mountaineering world. i love it!!