The Second Death of George Mallory: The Enigma and Spirit of Mount Everest

by Reinhold Messner

The legendary mountain climber chronicles the adventures of two of his predecessors, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, and their tragic efforts to scale Mount Everest in 1924. 15,000 first printing.

Genres: Mountaineering, Nonfiction, Adventure, Climbing, Travel, Sports

205 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Reinhold Messner (born September 17, 1944) is an Italian mountaineer and explorer from South Tyrol, often cited as the greatest mountain climber of all time. He is renowned for making the first solo ascents of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen and for being the first climber to ascend all fourteen "eight-thousanders" (peaks over 8,000 metres above sea level). He is the author of at least 63 books (in German, 1970–2006), many of which have been translated into other languages.

Reviews

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This relatively brief book is quite interesting...giving very succinct accounts of the Everest expeditions that included George Mallory, plus the expeditions after Mallory's death that in some way related to it, such as the Chinese attempt during which the ice axe was found and the expedition formed to attempt to locate the bodies of Mallory and /or Irvine. I have read other books about all of these expeditions and the controvery surrounding whether or not Mallory and Irvine did in fact make it to the summit of Everest, but this book bring in a different angle. For the early expeditions, Messner draws on Mallory's journals and accounts from other expedition members to recreate the scenes. But the truly interesting part is the scenes that take place when Mallory and Irvine go missing and when the expedition locates Mallory's body. Messner inserts thoughts that Mallory might have had, as if Mallory were looking down and commenting on the scenes as they were happening. What a unique perspective! Of course, it is all the author's conceptualization, but very thoughtfully executed.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the way that this book was written with a blend of Mallory's writings, as well as some speculative portions. Everything was well blended and made me feel as if I were along for each expedition.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the first half I was disappointed at how much of it is fictionalized. Then I accepted it for what it is: a fictionalized account of Mallory's expeditions and fate imagined by Reinhold Messner, one of the greatest mountaineers ever. He knows a thing or two about mountains ... In the end it's a pretty good read.

[Aaron Brewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. World class mountaineer bemoans the dying spirit of climbing for the thrill and sense of discovery (though it can certainly be argued Messner has profited quite well from the commercialization of Everest and other mountains).

[Sarah (Presto agitato) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reinhold Messner may be a mountaineering legend, but his account of Mallory's Everest expeditions of the 1920s misses the mark. He interweaves Mallory's letters and writings with fictional narration from Mallory's . . . ghost (?) commenting on controversies in modern climbing in a literary device that is jarring and at times even confusing. The real Mallory was far more eloquent than his spirit apparently is (perhaps his knack for catchy turns of phrase faded in the afterlife). This book is short, a quick read for those who want a brief synopsis of the expeditions, but there are many better books out there for those interested in this topic.

[Linandara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The reason I have picked this book was the quote fromMy Life at the Limit , the previous book by Reinhold Messner I've been reading:

"You say that you see Mallory as a kind of soul mate." "That's right, there's a spiritual kinship. I only have to read what he wrote." "Why is that?" "I don't know. It's just a feeling."

I know almost nothing about the history of alpinism, but interested in this unexplainable feeling of kinship, people's lives and personalities. I really enjoyed reading the book although it took me a while to get used to it and I would prefer if the text from original letters and diaries was more clearly marked and separated from the rest. It took me quite a few pages to figure out that the italic text was as if from the ghost of George Mallory. This is an original literary device and shows how much the author felt connected to the person he recreated. I feel I would like to know at least a little bit about Mallory's wife, who's letter was found on his dead body, and also about his life at home, between the expeditions.

I feel I learned quite a lot on the subject and had a good time reading. Will read more books by Reinhold Messner.

[Charit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short book but brings Mallory’s voice to life and the challenge it must have been nearly a 100 years ago trying to climb Everest w/o any serious modern gear.

[David]

Saggio

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

These days, there is nothing like a quick 200-page adventure book to fill up a quiet weekend and motivate me to get outside more. This is my fourth Mt. Everest book, a subgenre that has captivated me in recent weeks. This is also my least favorite.

When reading about Mt Everest, you quickly notice that one ghost has risen to preeminence: George S. Mallory. He is to mountain climbing what Amelia Earhart is to aviation, an early pioneer who vanished in pursuit of a lofty goal, and whose fame only increased with time and rumor. Author, and legendary climber, Reinhold Messner, dedicates this book to reconsidering Mallory’s legend in the context of modern climbing. His thesis remains that Mallory’s unsuccessful climb, in spite of his demise, remains the greatest feat ever accomplished on Everest.

For me, the best part of this book is the first section, which details the 1921 British reconnaissance expedition to Everest. This was long before establishment of well-tested routes that climbers follow today. And Messner wisely lets Mallory’s personal correspondence do the talking. We meet the mountain as Mallory did--a vast, towering and as yet unexplored mystery.

However, the longer the book goes, the hastier it feels. Messner employs fictional narration to imagine what Mallory might say if he spoke to us from beyond the grave. Some of these fictional interjections are thought-provoking, others amount to redundancy and overstatement of material provided from other sources. Still, it adds up to a great introduction to one of Everest’s most mythical figures, the man who said he was going to climb Everest “because it is there.”

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been intrigued by George Mallory's story since I was a kid. I liked the viewpoint of Messner, who is a world-class mountaineer himself, and I liked how Mallory's own letters & journal entries were infused into the story, but I found some of the style confusing and unnecessary. Mainly where Messner fabricates what Mallory should have or would have said. Another reviewer on here asked if these "quotes" came from Mallory's Ghost. Maybe these thoughts had been channeled to Messner...

At any rate, not the best work on Mallory and his three Everest expeditions, but still a good read on "What had been a symbol of the impossible into a mere matter of the affordable." Messner makes a case that "Scaling Mount Everest has now become the ultimate extreme vacation for adventure seekers... everyone knows the price of the highest peak in the world, and no one knows its value."

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a recap of Mallory’s attempts on Everest. I was attracted to Messner’s thesis- that it is misguided to focus on the question of did Mallory reach the summit. What Mallory gave the world was not the summit but the enthusiasm and idealism of the amateur adventurer. Messner says the “glorious solitude of Everest has been compromised by climbers catering to the immediate gratification…we may have found Mallory’s body…but we have killed off his spirit.” I agree totally with this premise. However, the book does not really deliver what is promised. Still worth reading if you are a climbing book addict but it does not have deep discussion of the ethics.

[Luca Cresta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Appassionante come un romanzo.
Originale la cronaca di Messner dell'avventura mitica di Mallory, lo scalatore inglese entrato nella leggenda dopo la sua morte sull'Everst negli anni 20. Una lettura immancabile per gli appassionati.

[Giulio · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly this book has been out dated since it was written before Malory's body was found.

[Randy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book

[Lynn Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting factual account of finding George Mallory's body on Mount Everest some 70 years after he perished there.

[Carole]

read to long ago to remember much.

[Vicki Christensen]

Really interesting account of George Mallory's quest to reach the top of Mt. Everest.

[Bhushan Shet]

It's not a book, but a day wise account of Mallory's expedition. And fails to connect happened and unhappened things. Good read to know some shocking facts of a different era of mountaineering. But as a book it fails.