<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Detectives on Everest
Review: After reading "Into Thin Air" I wanted more.....but this book was nothing but a "he said, she said". Very poor writing style and the facts were not even correct. 12 people perished in 1996...wonder about the other facts....a historian?
Rating: 
Summary: To the reader
Review: Dear reader,
Could you really believe that mountaineers climbing at 29000 fts. during nightime and on unknown terrain without torchlighs are able to reach the summitt of Everest? The point is this and, please, don't try to make me believe that Chineses' accurate report of terrain is genuine, because aerial surveys and photos were made in 1960 too and, moreover, mountaineers could have reached a point between the second step and the summit, but to summit in pitch dark seems too much even for the more optimistic.I'm astounded by the accuracy and by the affection that you, reader, seem to feel for Hemmleb's account: have I reached someone near Jochen or Eric? Maybe I'm not expert in history, but geography tells that South Tirol, that is Alto Adige is within the boundary of Italy, keep an atlas at hand and you'll see that this is not a nation represented at the United Nations Organization and that on Messner's passport it's stamped "Italy"... There are many people in Italy who wants the entire northern part of the Country separated from the rest of us: Would you call an Everest ascent from a Milanese an ascent of Padanian Country? Let me tell you that these particularisms in a time of a united Europe sounds a little parochially-minded and anti-historic. But, I was forgetting... Hemmleb is from Germany, so he is sensible to other German speaking people...
Rating: 
Summary: A 'must-have' book about Everest's early pioneers
Review: For over 50 years I have been fascinated by the story of Mallory and Irvine on Everest. During that time, I have compiled and studied a large collection of books, videos, and pictures related to climbs on Everest from Tibet. In my opinion, "Detectives on Everest" is a `must-have' book for anyone caught up in the history of the mountain. It should also appeal to the general reader as well.The text is well-written and provides a good review of the British and Chinese climbs that took place on the north side of the mountain during the last century. The pictures that trace the routes of these expeditions are the clearest I've seen. The many photos included in the book allow the armchair explorer to see the traditional north-side routes from new perspectives. I especially appreciated the pictures taken at various points along the north ridge. Jochem Hemmleb and Eric Simonson are to be commended for their efforts to shed new light on the story of Everest's pioneers. Their respect for and emotional connection to the British and Chinese climbers and their commitment to accurately document what happened is very much in evidence. I hope Hemmleb and Simonson will be able to return to Everest in the near future to investigate the new search area defined in the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Careful research, careless readers
Review: Giancarlo Passarini's review (see below) shows an undercurrent problem certain readers seem to have with the research Hemmleb et al. have done. Passarini doesn't like the possibility that the Chinese climbed Everest in 1960, so he attacks the author and suspects that statements approving of the Chinese claim were a "trade-off" for the information Hemmleb and Simonson received about Irvine. Nonsense! Passarini ignores that "Detectives" is very careful in its analysis of the 1960 Chinese expedition, including qualifying comments such as "Here is the story as the three (Chinese) later put it on record" (p. 156) or "Of the terrain (between the Second Step and the summit) the Chinese could provide only verbal descriptions" (p. 157) - all a far cry from flatly stating "the Chinese did it", as Passarini thinks the book has done. If careful, distinguished research is treated this way, the fault doesn't lie with the author but with the reader. (As for the issue of "South Tyrol", a more impartial view of its history and semi-autonomous status is advisable, but is beyond the scope of this review)
Rating:
Summary: Historically accurate - a must for all Everest enthusiasts
Review: I take issue with Mike Golden's comments that cast doubt on Jochen Hemmleb's research skills. First of all, when Hemmleb wrote that eight climbers were killed in 1996, he mentioned specifically that this was during the storm of May 10/11. The TOTAL number of fatalities on Everest in 1996 was indeed twelve. Secondly, Hemmleb and his colleagues have carefully documented the early ascents of Everest and are the pioneers in the area of high-altitude archeology. The revelation at the end of the book opens a new chapter in the mystery of Mallory and Irvine. Written in an easy narrative style, I devoured this book in one sitting. A must read.
Rating:
Summary: Great scoop without much more
Review: The most interesting part in this book is the scoop from Chinese mountaineers that they discovered a body during the 1960, maybe Irvine's one and this revelation triggered another expedition this year( March 2004). But Chinese do nothing for nothing, so we read Hemmleb admitting that in 1960 the expedition reached the summit, even if in unreal conditions (...summit reached at 02.00 AM without torchlights, come on, Jochen, don't fool us!).This sounds a little like a reward for the Chinese, you guys tell us your secret, we aknowledge officially your expedition...Wanna bet? This year's expedition will find finally Irvine's body but there will be no trace of the camera, because the Chinese had already taken it in 1960 or in 1975 and kept it under their famous iron curtain not to spoil their epic mountaineers.Oh, Jochen, please, keep yourself updated: Reinhold Messner was born and raised in Italy, so his first solo ascent of Everest in 1980 should be reported as "Reinhold Messner, Italy" not, as you wrote, "South Tirol" that is "Alto Adige" that is a province of an Italian region
Rating:
Summary: Excellent read all around
Review: This is a great follow-up to Ghosts of Everest. A similar format with outstanding photographs, the book tells the whole story of the 2001 expedition. The story of the high-altitude rescue is amazing, and the new information - uncovered by Simonson & Hemmleb while speaking with members of the 1960 Chinese expedition in Beijing - is astonishing. A must read for the Everest buff and adventure lover!
Rating:
Summary: Careful research, careless readers
Review: This is a most significant book which fills in much of the detail about the early British expeditions to the North Face of Mount Everest. Yes, the 2001 climb failed to locate Irving's body and with it the missing cameras which may determine for once and all whether or not Mallory and Irvine did reach the summit in June of 1924. But the 2001 Expedition did uncover the several of the camps used by these early climbs and Hemmleb recounts how this makes our understanding of these early expeditions much more complete than it previously was. For instance, Hemmleb describes how it can now be determined that Mallory did not relocate his high camp, a point of great interest to and debate among Everest scholars for decades. And, what is most crucial in this book is Hemmleb's description of the patient and persistent work with veterans of the earlier Chinese climbs which has made the future location of Irvine's remains much more likely -- including a revelation that the Chinese had located Irvine's body not just in 1975 but also in 1960. Jochen Hemmleb is to be congratulated for his clear and concise writing, his brilliant scholarship, and the dogged devotion which keeps bringing him back to uncover ever more secrets, however reluctantly surrendered, on the 1921, 1922, and 1924 British expeditons. And this book, in short, is a necessary read for all with even a peripheral interest in the history of Mount Everest and of these early expeditions. Bravo, Jochen!
Rating:
Summary: Marking Time While Finding History
Review: This is a most significant book which fills in much of the detail about the early British expeditions to the North Face of Mount Everest. Yes, the 2001 climb failed to locate Irving's body and with it the missing cameras which may determine for once and all whether or not Mallory and Irvine did reach the summit in June of 1924. But the 2001 Expedition did uncover the several of the camps used by these early climbs and Hemmleb recounts how this makes our understanding of these early expeditions much more complete than it previously was. For instance, Hemmleb describes how it can now be determined that Mallory did not relocate his high camp, a point of great interest to and debate among Everest scholars for decades. And, what is most crucial in this book is Hemmleb's description of the patient and persistent work with veterans of the earlier Chinese climbs which has made the future location of Irvine's remains much more likely -- including a revelation that the Chinese had located Irvine's body not just in 1975 but also in 1960. Jochen Hemmleb is to be congratulated for his clear and concise writing, his brilliant scholarship, and the dogged devotion which keeps bringing him back to uncover ever more secrets, however reluctantly surrendered, on the 1921, 1922, and 1924 British expeditons. And this book, in short, is a necessary read for all with even a peripheral interest in the history of Mount Everest and of these early expeditions. Bravo, Jochen!
<< 1 >>
|
