Everest: Triumph and Tragedy on the World's Highest Peak

by Matt Dickinson

This book brings the world's mightiest peak alive in a way no traditional book can. Readers can chart a route on an early map of Everest, hold a Tibetan prayer flag like the ones generations of mountaineers have left at Everest's summit, and examine a dossier (complete with survival tips) for commercial clients attempting to climb the mountain. The pre–war attempts, the dangerous conditions, the recent discovery of long–lost climber George Mallory's body are featured, along with the history of the mountain, its geography, and the myths and legends which surround it.

Genres: Nonfiction, Adventure, Climbing, Mountaineering

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 22, 2002

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short, interactive book that was remarkably intact for being 13 years old and a library copy. There are many documents in pockets to pull out or examine - an old diary, a form for what to do with your body if you die on Everest, a list of items to bring on your summit attempt, the envelope found on Mallory's body in 1997, a Tibetan prayer flag. . . .except that's the one item that was stolen from the book. Bummer.

There are some nice pictures and it's a quick history lesson of summit attempts and what it's like to climb Everest now. Also some speculation on the future of climbing this mountain.

[Rahmadiyanti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beli buku ini di Mandala, toko buku (yang asyik banget!) yang terletak tak jauh dari Phewa Lake, Pokhara, 3 tahun lalu. Sempat mengira buku ini hilang, ternyata ada masih ada di rumah emak, dan hampir mau dikiloin sama emak yang lagi beberes rumah, hiikk.

Jadi, buku ini tipis saja, tak sampai 40 halaman. Tapi informatif dan interaktif. Bertutur tentang Sagarmatha, alias Everest, puncak tertinggi di dunia. Tentang bentang alam, kultur masyarakat di sekitar Everest, dan terutama beberapa kisah manusia yang berusaha menaklukkannya. Yang gagal dan berhasil, bahkan jadi tragedi, salah satunya tragedi Mei 1996 (yang menginspirasi penulisan buku Into Thin Air dan film Everest).

Nah, soal interaktif yang bikin buku ini keren. Ada banyak pop up yang berisi informasi-informasi menarik, disebar di tiap halaman. Amplop berisi peta geografi Everest, diary salah satu pendaki, surat lusuh, selipan tentang sejarah pendakian, hingga bendera doa dan uang Nepal (uang mainan tentunya). Buku yang sangat kreatif untuk mengenal Everest.

[Lea Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book delivers information about Everest in an entertaining and easily-digestible way. Matt Dickinson's appreciation and reverence for the mountain is evident, and he's definitely piqued my interest in a topic that I hadn't thought much about before reading his book. Also the interactive features are really fun!

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short but interesting "introduction" to Everest; and...it's interactive! It has flaps to life and documents to view; a sample of a prayer flag, and other interesting "finds" that enhance the written text. The focus is mostly on the mountain itself, with some shortened accounts of expeditions of note. I very much enjoyed this book and all the little extras it contained.