Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Adventure/Mystery Page-Turner
Review: A very well-written book. Provides a well-balanced account of the 1920's British Everest expeditions (particularly the 1924 expedition) and the 1999 expedition. Reads like a cross between an adventure story and a mystery. I couldn't put the book down, and had to keep reading to find out what the authors concluded regarding the fate of Mallory and Irvine. Good photos and illustrations to accompany the story.
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: Superb, Yet Haunting
Review: This book is truly transcendentally remarkable, in both spiritual and metaphysical form. It has inspired me to reach even greater heights in all that I do. From the story of two brave outdoorsmen who valiantly put their fates on the line, one can have the introspective to self-examine themself and see what it is that they are missing out on in their own life. This book could make anyone gung-ho in the pursuit of adventure. Grab a copy today!
Rating:
Summary: Conquering The Summit of Mysteries
Review: Hemmleb, Johnson and Simonson collaborate to give the reader an immensely engaging and objective account of the 1999 expedition to Everest to discover the fate of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine. The superb illustrations, photography and documentation are outstanding complements to inticing mystery surrounding Mallory and Irvine's disappearance. (For those who find the typeset too close to the gutter, enjoy the story and get a life!) The book eloquently juxtapositions the story of the 1924 British expedition with that of the 1999 team's. There is no sensationalism here. The 1999 team's sense of history and respect is profound as it discovers, documents and dedicates the remains of the great British mountaineer before making its own summit attempt. As you climb higher on the mountain you feel the cold, the shortness of breath, the precipitous heights and personally drawn closer to the seventy year old mystery. I especially enjoyed the authors' objectivity. Pre-expedition knowledge and research is clearly presented. Evidence is placed in perspective to both 1924 and 1999 capabilities and experience. Why should you read this book? Because it takes you there!
Rating:
Summary: Triumph
Review: Having read all of the 1999 Expedition's books, I have to recommend this one as the very best of those written about the expedition as a whole. Brilliantly illuminating both the 1924 and 1999 expeditions, it stands as a remarkable permanent record of both, the interweaving of experiences of 75 years. The sensitive re-examination of old data in light of new is worth the price of the book, but nothing was more moving than the reverence with which the search team handled the remains of George Leigh Mallory. May equal success attend them in 2001 in the search for Andrew Irvine.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific
Review: I also have read lots of books about Everest and I am reluctant to say it is the "best" book on the subject because I think there are many good books. But this one is special. The quality of production is excellent - beautifully illustrated with photos integrated throughout the text. And a simply fascinating story, well told. Maybe one day I will read the Anker and Firstbrook stories (always stimulating to get different points of view on a subject) but for now I am satisified with this.
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: Great Read
Review: I have read several books on Everst climbs and this book is the best.The facts on both climbs makes for a great story.
Rating:
Summary: An enthralling account of the power of mind and body
Review: This book carried me back in time to 1924 and put me on the treacherous slopes of Mt. Everest with Mallory and Irvine! It is a splendid juxtaposition of the 1924 and 1999 expeditions. My palms became sweaty as I turned each page, eager to find the answers to the mystery of Mallory and Irvine. Ghosts of Everest inspires one to experience life to its fullest as the explorers of 1924 and 1999 so eloquently have shown us. I thoroughly recommend this well written, beautifully photographed masterpiece of history, mystery and inspiration!
Rating:
Summary: The Best Book on Mallory I have read.
Review: I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the 1924 expedition and the mystery that surrounds the lost climbers. Great pictures and descriptions of what was found. Also goes into the examination of Mallory face and head which i didnt know had happened. Great Book Buy and Read.
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