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Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes
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Product Description
The first successful ascent of Mount Everest in 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa teammate Tenzing Norgay is a familiar saga, but less well known are the tales of many other adventurers who also came to test their skills and courage against the world’s highest and most dangerous mountains. In this lively and generously illustrated book, historians Maurice Isserman and Stewart Weaver present the first comprehensive history of Himalayan mountaineering in fifty years. They offer detailed, original accounts of the most significant climbs since the 1890s, and they compellingly evoke the social and cultural worlds that gave rise to those expeditions.
The book recounts the adventures of such figures as Martin Conway, who led the first authentic Himalayan climbing expedition in 1892; Fanny Bullock Workman, the pioneer explorer of the Karakoram range; George Mallory, the romantic martyr of Mount Everest fame; Charlie Houston, who led American expeditions to K2 in the 1930s and 1950s; Ang Tharkay, the legendary Sherpa, and many others. Throughout, the authors discuss the effects of political and social change on the world of mountaineering, and they offer a penetrating analysis of a culture that once emphasized teamwork and fellowship among climbers, but now has been eclipsed by a scramble for individual fame and glory.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #185766 in Books
- Published on: 2008-07-11
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Hardcover
- 592 pages
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
This survey history establishes base camp for readers interested in the history of Himalayan climbing expeditions. Its strength lies in the way it puts each undertaking within the context of evolving styles of high-altitude mountaineering. It has the additional attribute of pithily capturing the driven, not to say sometimes nutty, personalities attracted to an extremely perilous sport. Written by professional historians with an alpine avocation, the narrative opens with nineteenth-century identifications of the 8,000-meter titans of the Himalayas that became the mesmerizing goals of most expeditions. Why outfits picked K2, Annapurna, or Kangchenjunga are stories in themselves, in which Isserman and Weaver insightfully engage factors of organization, nationalism, and even aesthetics. The unique obsession with Mount Everest sums up Isserman and Weaver’s divisions of Himalayan mountaineering history: its name reflects the sport’s birth in empire building, its conquest in 1953 symbolized climbing’s most spectacular moment, and its littered slopes testify to climbing’s decline from because-it-is-there ineffability to contemporary commercial enterprise. Including photography of personages and majestic scenery, Isserman and Weaver’s history is well worth any library’s consideration. --Gilbert Taylor
Review
"In Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes, Maurice Isserman and Stewart Weaver share unforgettable stories of the history of the world's highest peaks and the climbers who challenged their lofty summits. Their in-depth research gives us unique insights into previously unknown controversies, mysteries, and dramas. This thoughtful book, from a scholarly perspective, introduces us to the greatest peaks and personalities of mountaineering. The new information, intriguing details, insightful interpretations and dry humor make this a must read for armchair mountaineers as well as all who aspire to the heights."-Arlene Blum, author of Breaking Trail: A Climbing Life (Arlene Blum 20080915)
"Fallen Giants captures the spirit of Himalayan climbing. It is wonderfully written and will become an indispensable reference."-Charles S. Houston, co-author of K2: The Savage Mountain (Charles S. Houston 20081104)
"This book fills a void in the history of mountaineering, and it will appeal not only to climbers but also historians. The authors have done a prodigious amount of research."-John T. Reilly, Mount Saint Mary College (John T. Reilly 20081215)
"This will be the definitive history of mountaineering in the Himalaya, clear, free of jargon, and readable, and so thorough that it will not be worth anyone''s time to repeat this effort."-Nick Clinch, leader, 1958 American Hidden Peak expedition, and past president, American Alpine Club (Nick Clinch )
"Isserman and Weaver, both unassuming wanderers of high hills, have pulled off a great first ascent: a scholarly, grippingly readable history of Himalayan mountaineering that not only captures the tenuous essence of great successes and failures, but places the accounts of these climbs into historical context."-Tom Hornbein, author of Everest: The West Ridge (Tom Hornbein )
"This would be a great first book to expose a reader to the amazing stories and sacrifices held within the body of mountaineering literature. Additionally, the historian, scholar, and collector will delight in the unique, in-depth look at the evolution of climbing, and its driving factors, in the Himalaya."-Greg Glade, owner, Top of the World Books (Greg Glade )
"This survey history establishes base camp for readers interested in the history of Himalayan climbing expeditions. Its strength lies in the way it puts each undertaking within the context of evolving styles of high-altitude mountaineering."-Booklist (Booklist )
"Fallen Giants is the book of a lifetime . . . an awe-inspiring work of history and storytelling. . . . Armchair mountaineers will give the book pride of place in their collections."-Bruce Barcott, New York Times Book Review (Bruce Barcott New York Times Book Review )
"It''s difficult to find fault with this exceptionally well-written tome, a must-read for any fan of climbing literature."-Kathleen A. Ervin, Failure (Kathleen A. Ervin Failure )
"Heroism, death, and drama abound. . . . The author''s thoroughness and range make this hefty volume nearly encyclopedic in scope; the details on the ''how'' of climbing, the no-margin-for-error experience, and the bonus of Vittorio Sella''s unmatched photographs make for a great book."-Foreward Magazine (Outstanding University Press Books 2008) (Foreward Magazine )
About the Author
Maurice Isserman is James L. Ferguson Professor of History, Hamilton College. He lives in Clinton, NY. Stewart Weaver is professor of history, University of Rochester. He lives in Rochester, NY. Both authors are enthusiastic hikers and mountain climbers.
Customer Reviews
An Uplifting Read
This is an excellent history of mountain climbing in the Himalaya. Isserman and Weaver do a masterful job, not just of recounting the history, but placing the efforts in political and cultural context. There were long periods where access to these mountains was restricted or forbidden. There has also always been a competitive thread to the missions, as climbers tried for all kinds of "firsts." Of course the history is filled with both triumphs and tragedies, and the authors tell these stories in a most engaging way. I have only two small nits with the book. First, it ends in the mid 90s, even though the book was published this year. And second, while there are lots of photos and maps, I wish there were more of the latter, as I kept looking for the mountains, glaciers, towns, and other geographical entities. But these aside, this is an altogether wonderful book.
Needs better maps!
I'm about 150 pages into this book. It's been excellent so far but sadly lacking in one area - a good map of the Himalaya, from K2 in the west to Kangchenjunga in the east - and the many towns and villages mentioned in the book. It would have been ideal for the authors to include one on the endpapers. Then the reader could quickly flip there for reference. There are smaller maps throughout but many of them frustratingly do not include many of the place names mentioned. I have ordered the only map I could find - by Nelles Verlag - and will pick up the book again when it arrives. I actually bought it for a gift, so I'll be including the map with the book.
The Age Of Adventure
Mountain climbing has always had a last frontier quality. The race to the North and South Poles ended in the early 1900's, Africa and South America were explored by the 1930's, leaving the Himalayan Mountains as the last challenge for adventure. Mr. Isserman and Mr. Weaver has written a comprehensive history of the conquests of the world's highest peaks. Starting from the competitive nationalist expeditions of this century to the solo attempts of today, the book is clearly written and well-researched, with over 100 pages of documentation and notes. The reader can read as a follow-up Maurice Herzog's "Annapurna" (1952), an epic tale of the French harrowing attempt to be the first to conquest a Himalayan peak.
