Rating: 
Summary: Good Mountaineering Saga
Review: I would like to retract a little of my previous review of Arlene Blum's book. I said that no amount of bad writing can ruin some stories. On reflection I must say that this book is actually well written as these books go. Her writing is clear and concise and her descriptions of the mountain are good. It is her personality and strident feminism that I found difficult, as they intrude into almost every topic she discusses. Their great triumph and deep tragedy are very moving.
Rating: 
Summary: Annapurna is so much more than an adventure story
Review: I'm not sure if Annapurna: A Woman's Place most appeals to the part of me that is a writer, an outdoorsman, or simply a human being. In a nutshell, it's the finest and most moving book I've ever read about mountain climbing. Yet the book goes much deeper than merely being an adventure story -- which is why it captivates me on so many levels. Since I first read the book, I have been ordering copies to send to friends for special occasions. At first I just sent it to friends who also happened to be female, then realized that its message was too universal to be gender specific. The male friends I have given copies of the book to have been just as impressed, just as moved, and just as inspired as my women friends. What the climbers went through -- not just the rigors of the climb itself, but the preparation, the determination, the obstacles, and, eventually, the sadness and pain -- has a universal connotation far removed from mountain climbing that all of us can feel at some level. Like the bumblebee, who doesn't know it can't fly, these daring women never fell back on their own limitations, as most of us are wont to do when the road seems unpassable. I just can't find the words to express how much the book impressed me and what an inspiration it has been. Ms. Blum did a superb job of writing it. The book and the people come alive. I personally felt like one of her party and couldn't help but feel exalted at their success any more than I could keep from crying with them at the end. I'll never climb a mountain like Annapurna, but this book should make anyone realize that life is full of mountains and that we can climb more of them than we think we can if we don't give up before we start.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing adventure
Review: One of my New Year's Resolutions was to start reading non-fiction books this year (I'm a sci-fi junkie!). As someone who loves the outdoors, I thought _Annapurna: A Woman's Place_ would be a good place to start. I was not disappointed. Told in a straightforward, autobiographical manner without a lot of embellishment, this book was none-the-less fascinating. I found it very difficult to put down, and I constantly wanted to know what happened next. I was surprised that Ms. Blum stressed the climbing aspect of her team's adventure and actually downplayed the fact that they were a FEMALE climbing team, but I found this added to the appeal of her story. This is one of the few books I will unhesitatingly recommend to family & friends.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing adventure
Review: One of my New Year's Resolutions was to start reading non-fiction books this year (I'm a sci-fi junkie!). As someone who loves the outdoors, I thought _Annapurna: A Woman's Place_ would be a good place to start. I was not disappointed. Told in a straightforward, autobiographical manner without a lot of embellishment, this book was none-the-less fascinating. I found it very difficult to put down, and I constantly wanted to know what happened next. I was surprised that Ms. Blum stressed the climbing aspect of her team's adventure and actually downplayed the fact that they were a FEMALE climbing team, but I found this added to the appeal of her story. This is one of the few books I will unhesitatingly recommend to family & friends.
Rating:
Summary: Enthralling story of first women to climb Annapurna.
Review: One of the best books ever written about women's climbing. The author, Arlene Blum, the group leader, has written a wonderful book about the first Americans, and the first women, to climb Annapurna. They were also the first women to climb to 8,000 meters. In 1978, this international group, from America, England, and Poland, set out to climb one of the highest mountains in the world. They helped to finance their expedition by selling 15,000 t-shirts printed with an outline of the peak, and the motto, "A Woman's Place Is On Top." Contrary to some recent highly publicized climbs in the Himalayas, led by professional guides for substantial fees from inexperienced climbers, all ten climbing members were capable climbers who led some routes, carried full packs, and entertained dreams of summiting without Sherpa support. Arlene Blum, a professor at Berkeley, was chosen as the group leader, and she tells of the struggle to raise money and organize members and e! ! quipment. Once in Nepal, she had to deal with conflicts in the group, and with Sherpas who were dubious of women's ability to climb high. One center of conflict was the desire of some members to climb for the summit without Sherpa support. Blum, ever concerned with safety, prevailed, and Sherpas supported the summit effort. (Hillary, after all, had Tenzing Norgay.) A thrilling story, and thrilling photographs. A video of the expedition exists somewhere. A must read for any one interested in Himalayan climbing.
Rating:
Summary: Good writing.
Review: One of the better expedition books written. Blum just describes the major events and issues. She skips over minute stuff that a lot of other expedition books tend to bog down in. Chris Bonington comes to mind. Blum writes very well, unusual for a mountaineer, and kept me interested thorough out the book. I usually don't get sentimental, but even I felt a pull at the heartstrings. An interesting look at seventies women issues and its affect on mountaineering. An overall very good read.
Rating: 
Summary: A truly pioneering book for its time
Review: Reading "Annapurna" by Arlene Blum is in many ways like standing atop a mountain and surveying the path already hard won. Written in a strident style, at times, for women's rights and tackling the seemingly insurmountable odds of fielding an all-woman team to one of the highest peaks in 1978, the book is dated. But, upon re-release in the 20th anniversary edition, it should be seen within the context of its times. And, yes, women have climbed mountains in that time. Yes, there no longer is the need to "prove" a woman's worth. And, yes, a woman's place is on top! as their mountaineering slogan ran, but with the 1990s, into the 21st century proviso today: Or, anywhere else she chooses. "Annapurna" is perfectly timed in its re-release with the hit "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer being such a hit and with its rebuttal, "The Climb" by the late Anatoli Boukreev. All three should be read for a better understanding of the strains and accomplishments of mere mortals -- male and female -- climbing their own personal mountains.
Rating:
Summary: A truly pioneering book for its time
Review: Reading "Annapurna" by Arlene Blum is in many ways like standing atop a mountain and surveying the path already hard won. Written in a strident style, at times, for women's rights and tackling the seemingly insurmountable odds of fielding an all-woman team to one of the highest peaks in 1978, the book is dated. But, upon re-release in the 20th anniversary edition, it should be seen within the context of its times. And, yes, women have climbed mountains in that time. Yes, there no longer is the need to "prove" a woman's worth. And, yes, a woman's place is on top! as their mountaineering slogan ran, but with the 1990s, into the 21st century proviso today: Or, anywhere else she chooses. "Annapurna" is perfectly timed in its re-release with the hit "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer being such a hit and with its rebuttal, "The Climb" by the late Anatoli Boukreev. All three should be read for a better understanding of the strains and accomplishments of mere mortals -- male and female -- climbing their own personal mountains.
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Story!
Review: Slightly dated it's true, but the story loses nothing of it's compelling quality. This story of the first American women's ascent of Annapurna I belongs next to the classic accounts of summit attempts on K2 and Everest. Very much worth the read, and the trade-paper format includes some amazing pictures as well.
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Story!
Review: Slightly dated it's true, but the story loses nothing of it's compelling quality. This story of the first American women's ascent of Annapurna I belongs next to the classic accounts of summit attempts on K2 and Everest. Very much worth the read, and the trade-paper format includes some amazing pictures as well.
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