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Summary: The Search for Mallory
Review: This is a collaborative effort of the men who put together an expedition to Everest in 1999 for the purpose of obtaining more evidence on whether or not George Mallory and Sandy Irvine reached the summit of Everest in 1924 before they both mysteriously perished.This is a beautifully produced book. The paper is heavy and glossy, the photographs are fantastic and the makeup is flawless. The content I would have to say is uneven. The electrifying discovery of Mallory's body is well written and in good taste. The trials and tribulations of getting financial support are well done. The duplicity of the good and gray BBC is an eye-opener. No punches are pulled about the various expedition team's strengths and weaknesses. However, it shows the faults of a book written by committee and the continuity is sometimes poor. I felt the pages and pages devoted to oxygen tanks were, to put it kindly, far too many. The 1999 expedition uncovered a treasure lode of documents and artifacts about Mallory and Irvine's last day on earth and can be considered a total success. The big question: Did Mallory and Irvine summit Mr. Everest some 29 years before Sir Edmund Hillary? Maybe. To this reader the most compelling evidence was what was not found on Mr. Mallory's body: the picture of his wife that he always carried in his billfold. He had said he was going to leave her picture on the summit of Everest. Maybe he did.
Rating:
Summary: Adding a Chapter to History
Review: This is a great, upbeat narrative about how one person's dream, and a group of sincere, committed (not to mention extremely likeable) mountaineers came together to add a chapter to one of history's most enduring adventure mysteries. The book is well written--paralleling the 1924 and 1999 expeditions interestingly and entertainingly--and incorporates tons of beautiful photographs from both. The team's conclusions are inconclusive, but they came a lot closer to drawing a picture of what may have happened to Mallory and Irvine. I recommend this book highly for people who love a good mystery, adventure, or who are fascinated by Everest. BTW - My book didn't have the above-mentioned gutter problem. Maybe that one was mis-bound?
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Summary: Really makes you wonder...
Review: This is a haunting, mysterious book focusing on Mallory and Irvine, the first men to attempt conquering Everest. Leading you through their story, the novel points out evidence suggesting they made it to the summit, and also evidence suggesting they did not. This will make a good holiday gift for those with good minds for deep thinking. The answer will be in your head upon seeing both sides after completing "Ghosts of Everest": did they make it? The mystery will haunt us until we know...
Rating: 
Summary: a gripping story
Review: This is a taut and fascinating look into the Mallory expedition.The message teaches one to consider going beyond the realm(s) that you might ordinarily.By including the 1924 original trip and the 1999 expedition,the reader gets a sense of comparioson and the differences in technology and equipment that 75 years have brought.I think that this book will fascinate many types of readers,including those who have never climbed. Like The Perfect Storm, the appeal transcends the active participant audience.
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Summary: History and Adventure on Mount Everest
Review: This is a wonderful book that combines the history of the early British attempts in 1922 and 1924 to summit Mount Everest and the business and adventure of undertaking an expedition today. Interesting reading that reawakened the interest I had when the National Geographic mounted the first successful American expedition. In short, a book that will have me reading more about Everest and the remarkable George Mallory. I await the next phase of the expedition: the search for Irvine.
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Summary: A gem of a story, well-written!
Review: This is a wonderful look back in time to the amazing geographic curiosity of the British in the 1920s. Coupled with it is the incredible and true story of another group of curious American explorers who set out in 1999 to accomplish the impossible by attempting to find traces of the 1920s expedition. That all these characters are mountain climbers is only part of the story. That the 1999 team DID find the body of a member of the 1924 expedition is also only part of the story. The real story is the human drama of both eras. The 1999 team does a great job in this book of paying their tribute to heroes of a by-gone era of exploration, while demonstrating that the will to seek and find new truth and explore new horizons is still alive and well in some of us. The rest of us can live it vicariously through great books like this one!
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Summary: An inspiring story for ALL readers!!
Review: This is an amazing tale of selfless and dedicated people. A beautiful mix of detective story, climbing epic and historical drama this is not just for climbers. The interweaving of the 1924 expedition on which Mallory & Irvine were lost, w/ this 1999 hunt for their fate brings an immediacy and sense of having "been there" to the reader, as well as important understanding to those who are not frequent readers of the mountain genre.
Even among the tightly knit cadre of high altitude climbers and support people, this group stands out for their cooperation and respect, not only of each other, but for the men they seek to find. I was struck with the haunting beauty of this endeavour, through the glorious photos, the wonderfully descriptive recollection of the '99 participants, and the words from the past men of '24. There is an awe inspiring feeling of monumetalism best typified by Dave Hahn's likening of his first view of George Mallory's body to a statue of ancient Greek or Rome. The tenacity and tenderness of the 99 crew leads one to feel that "fate" conspired that only THIS group, at THIS time, (75 years forward of the tragedy) could rightly be the ones to discover and tell of Mallory's last moments, and with deep respect and a sense of being very privileged, lay their great man to rest.
Truly inspiring, and a delicious winter night read, and reread!
Rating:
Summary: What a find!
Review: This is an excellent book for the mountaineer in your life. The recap of events is well done. Photos are excellent and the author's conclusions are thought provoking. Enjoy!
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Summary: Case not quite solved
Review: This is an extremely good, compulsive read. Many have found the photos in bad taste, but they are another point of interest in a fascinating book which tries hard (and succeeds) to remain faithful to its subject. Where the book falters slightly is in its concentration on the behaviour of the BBC. Whilst it was obvious the team were, perhaps justifiably, peeved with some of the BBC's antics, this proved a distraction from both the main purpose of the expedition and the book. A final conclusion is not drawn as to whether Mallory and Irvine 'made it' or no, but a succession of scenarios is presented and discussed. This, together with a poignant synthesis of what probably happened when they perished is the finest part of the book. In the final analysis, a conclusion cannot be drawn, but one puts the book down feeling that the odds that they reached the summit just improved from three to one against to even steven.
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Summary: Hard to Read
Review: Very good book, pictures excellent, but I, too, had a gutter problem. Type too close to the spine especially since there is over a three inch unused margin on alot of the pages. It is also an awkard size and pages are high glossy and when the light hits it is hard to read. Can't prop it up and eat a sandwich!
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