Rating: 
Summary: Get this one !!!
Review: Look, if you're going to read one book on Everest, make it this one. The story and photos in it moved me so much. Who cares whether Mallory & Irvine made it to the top ? This is a monument to Human Endeavour. The picture of the body of Mallory still gripping the mountain after seventy years really says a thousand words...
Rating:
Summary: Get this one !!!
Review: Look, if you're going to read one book on Everest, make it this one. The story and photos in it moved me so much. Who cares whether Mallory & Irvine made it to the top ? This is a monument to Human Endeavour. The picture of the body of Mallory still gripping the mountain after seventy years really says a thousand words...
Rating:
Summary: Ghosts of Everest
Review: Many thanks for a new look at Everest history. I hope that all of you some day find the camera, I think Mallory and Irvine made it. Thanks John A.
Rating:
Summary: Every Detail Redefines The Concept Of Incredible.
Review: One superlative comment that needs to be made is related to the book, and those who put it together. I don't believe that a more dignified, respectful documentation could have been done. What/who was found, and the conduct of those who accomplished this trek is beyond reproach. This easily could have been a sensationalist, tabloid bit of exploitation, but there is none at all. The respect extended to Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, not once was a word uttered that detracted from them as people, nor what they accomplished. The book itself is extremely well finished, photography is superb, and this book deserves to be displayed, not just consigned to a shelf. I don't know how Mr. Mallory and Mr. Irvine even made it 10% of the way up Everest. There are few, if any persons, who would venture outside to ski or shovel the driveway wearing only what these men wore. I have read of many contemporary climbs, and the contrast to what is used today as compared to what was used in 1924, makes these climbers all the more remarkable. I have read all the books on Everest I have come across. This book is without peer, it stands as a memorial to two of the bravest of men, and a testament to those who sought to solve the mystery of their deaths, and did so in a manner that defines true professionals, and for lack of a better word, class.
Rating:
Summary: Virtual reality...
Review: Reading this book was not only informative. It actually gave me the shivers; it was almost like I was there myself. It is one of the most riveting accounts of a mountaineering expedition that I have ever read. It is concise and to the point; there are no wasted pages. Everything is relevant. I am only a trekker with no hope over ever reaching an altitude of over 6000m, but this book put me right there on Everest. After finishing it, I pulled out almost all my other books on Everest, scanning every photograph of the North Face I could find to try and visualize what the 1999 team experienced up there the day they found Mallory. The book reads like a fast-paced detective story, with the exception that one knows the outcome....yet when it comes to the moment of discovery, one is still left breathless. What this book has done, is to persuade me to go and visit the Tibetan side of Everest myself. I want to sit there at Base Camp and just try to picture in my mind the events of 1924 and 1999. I have been to the Nepalese side in 1990, and I thought I had my fill of Everest. Not any more! My congratulations to the climbers and authors....they did an exceptional job. I have every intention now to go and buy the hardcover version, because this story is without doubt a collector's item (not that I'm going to throw away the paperback!).
Rating: 
Summary: A lurid title but a nice read.
Review: Several books have been written on the search for Leigh-Mallory and Andrew Irvine. The forerunner of them all is Tom Holzel's The Mystery of Mallory and Irvine which is a faithful biography that is not surpassed save for David Pye's 1927 opus. When the Mallory and Irvine Research Expedition (MIRE) discovered Leigh-Mallory's remains in 1999 it was inevitable that an account be put on paper. Ghosts is the official account of this adventure. Not wanting to be outdone Conrad Anker (the climber who found Leigh-Mallory's remains) and Peter Firstbrook (the BBC producer of the joint Anglo-American enterprise) decided to pen their own works. Thus the respective competing interests rushed to be the first to get their book on the shelf. Consequently all of these tomes suffer from lacking the input of all participating members. Each tells a separate story and only by reading all will one get a more complete picture. Firstbrook does a good job relating the history of Leigh-Mallory but fails to deliver on the search attempt. Conrad Anker manages to write a surprisingly good overall work which sheds more light upon the actual events of search day, something which the others avoid (for fear of seeming ghoulish one must believe). But Ghosts is the illustrated version and is therfore more likely to garner the public interest. The book is a wonderful pictorial guide to the MIRE. Its obvious attractions are the photographs of the remains and the "artifacts" taken from it. Pictorially it is inhibited by not reproducing more photos from the British Mount Everest Expedition archives and its related collections of which there are many pertinent photographs. This is perplexing because there is ample room in the wide margins to accomodate these. In terms of the approach to writing the work, I would question the method of interpolating MIRE's story between the Leigh-Mallory biographical data. This becomes frustrating at times, especially when the author/s tend to adopt an US versus them (British/BBC) attitude. It seems totally out sorts with the cohesiveness of the 1920's expeditons. It really does MIRE down the story but is often saved by the exploits of Leigh-Mallory and Co., which is why we're reading the book in any event. There is little attempt to analyse the data acquired during this search, probably because the book was rushed out before that could be done properly. I am amazed that no one has picked up on the fact that the extensive blood splatter down the front of Leigh-Mallory's windproof tends to indicate that he was upright when the blood was flowing. As his remains were found face down in a position of self arrest it points to the likelihood that he either suffered an injury prior to the fatal fall or managed to scramble up slope before collapsing where he now lies. At least Firstbrook takes a shot at making sense of some of this new data, I only wish that Ghosts showed the same spirit. Despite its flaws (one never gets a comprehensive account of who conducted the search of Leigh-Mallory's body nor how it was done. This is not unexpected because they have come under considerable condemnation for ransacking the corpse. Can anyone really condone ripping off his remaining boot?) this book will please the adventure seeking couch potato.
Rating:
Summary: A classic!
Review: The 1999 Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition is already becoming known as one of the great mountaineering events of this century. This official team account is a library must for Everest fans and climbers. The photography is respectful and beautiful. Plus, it's a good mystery and a grand adventure story. I strongly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: What a great read!
Review: The authors of Ghosts of Everest manage to gracefully pull off the telling of two fascinating stories at the same time: one about the historic 1924 expedition of Mallory and Irvine, and the other about the authors' own expedition in 1999 to search for clues and pay homage to the 1924 climbers. The two stories work wonderfully together and are set within the context of interesting and appropriate photos and poignant quotes from Mallory himself. The whole work flows flawlessly and is not only a "must read" for Everest afficionados, but also for the broader reading public sharing admiration and interest in the human spirit of adventure. The spirit of risk and adventure and human grit demonstrated within this book is truly compelling. Of special note also is the tasteful way in which the authors present a few photos of the body of Mallory as found on Everest 75 years after his disappearance. Despite early public criticisms for the publishing of these photos, I saw them as a deeply moving, almost breathtaking, but absolutely necessary part of the story. Without them, the impact of the team's find, the sights and the moments they shared upon the discovery, would be lost to the reader. No words can begin to tell us what those men experienced with Mallory up there that day. The reverence toward Mallory has been well documented, and the photos of Mallory's final resting pose do him justice. All in all, a research job well done, a book well written, a story well told!
Rating:
Summary: INSPIRING STORY OF A MAN'S DREAM, MYSTERY OF HIS FATE
Review: The book is focused on the search conducted to find out what happened to Mallory and Irvine, the two British climbers who disappeared on Everest in the 1930s. Mallory is basically a legend in mountaineering. The authors tell the story of their own search expedition by making it parallel to Mallory's. For example, we see the logistics it took this expedition in 1999 to get everyhitng to Everest base camp. In contrast, we see the long trek the expedition in the 1930s had to face, with sickness and much more difficult terrain and logistics. It was amazing that they had the energy to climb once they got to base camp. The book switches between a technical archeology mystery and the history known of the expedition. It is very interesting to see the 1999 expedition trace back the steps of the earlier one. We see the tremendous difficulties they went through in the 1930s, with clothing that was hardly appropriate and the best equipment at the time. Ultimately, the authors find Mallory's body, but it is still not clear if he reached the summit before falling. He fell and broke a knee, which is a death sentence at that altitude. Irvine was not found. The book ends with the authors making their own summit bid, and only two of them making it. This is one of the best mountaineering books, especially as it brings in the mystery of what happened. I highly recommend it for the armchair mountaineer.
Rating:
Summary: INSPIRING STORY OF A MAN'S DREAM, MYSTERY OF HIS FATE
Review: The book is focused on the search conducted to find out what happened to Mallory and Irvine, the two British climbers who disappeared on Everest in the 1930s. Mallory is basically a legend in mountaineering. The authors tell the story of their own search expedition by making it parallel to Mallory's. For example, we see the logistics it took this expedition in 1999 to get everyhitng to Everest base camp. In contrast, we see the long trek the expedition in the 1930s had to face, with sickness and much more difficult terrain and logistics. It was amazing that they had the energy to climb once they got to base camp. The book switches between a technical archeology mystery and the history known of the expedition. It is very interesting to see the 1999 expedition trace back the steps of the earlier one. We see the tremendous difficulties they went through in the 1930s, with clothing that was hardly appropriate and the best equipment at the time. Ultimately, the authors find Mallory's body, but it is still not clear if he reached the summit before falling. He fell and broke a knee, which is a death sentence at that altitude. Irvine was not found. The book ends with the authors making their own summit bid, and only two of them making it. This is one of the best mountaineering books, especially as it brings in the mystery of what happened. I highly recommend it for the armchair mountaineer.
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