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The Everest Mystery: Sandy Irvine, George Mallory and the Truth Still Buried on Everest
The definitive book on Sandy Irvine and the mystery of his and Mallory’s disappearance on Everest in June 1924.
The fate of George Mallory and Sandy Irvine, who were last seen disappearing into the clouds as they headed for the summit of Mount Everest on 8 June 1924, still grips the imagination over 100 years later. Mallory’s body was found in 1999 and Sandy Irvine’s boot and foot were discovered in 2024, becoming an international news story.
Drawing on previously unpublished material and new discoveries, Irvine’s great-niece Julie Summers and mountaineering historian Jochen Hemmleb (who was part of the team that found Mallory’s body) have written the definitive account of the expedition from twenty-two-year-old Sandy’s perspective, challenging misconceptions about his role. They also bring to life all the remarkable characters involved in the attempt on Everest and reveal fascinating discoveries about what really happened on the men’s final climb.
Beautifully written, The Everest Mystery is a powerful story of adventure and courage – and an intriguing detective story.
The fate of George Mallory and Sandy Irvine, who were last seen disappearing into the clouds as they headed for the summit of Mount Everest on 8 June 1924, still grips the imagination over 100 years later. Mallory’s body was found in 1999 and Sandy Irvine’s boot and foot were discovered in 2024, becoming an international news story.
Drawing on previously unpublished material and new discoveries, Irvine’s great-niece Julie Summers and mountaineering historian Jochen Hemmleb (who was part of the team that found Mallory’s body) have written the definitive account of the expedition from twenty-two-year-old Sandy’s perspective, challenging misconceptions about his role. They also bring to life all the remarkable characters involved in the attempt on Everest and reveal fascinating discoveries about what really happened on the men’s final climb.
Beautifully written, The Everest Mystery is a powerful story of adventure and courage – and an intriguing detective story.
Audible Audio
Expected publication August 25, 2026
About the author
Julie Summers
19 books104 followersI was born near Liverpool and grew up first on the Wirral and then in Cheshire. Although the greater part of my childhood was spent outside pursuing any number of outdoor activities, I have always wanted to be a writer.
I am passionate about writing and unembarrassed to be so. I love researching my books, especially when they involve meeting people and finding out about their lives. I have a little study in the attic of our house with one of the best views in Oxford – the dreaming spires seen from Iffley. I write in the mornings after the children have gone to school and find the problem is not sticking to the routine but tearing myself away from writing at the end of the day. I describe myself as a biographer and historian but the most important thing for me is to be a story teller.
I am passionate about writing and unembarrassed to be so. I love researching my books, especially when they involve meeting people and finding out about their lives. I have a little study in the attic of our house with one of the best views in Oxford – the dreaming spires seen from Iffley. I write in the mornings after the children have gone to school and find the problem is not sticking to the routine but tearing myself away from writing at the end of the day. I describe myself as a biographer and historian but the most important thing for me is to be a story teller.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 8, 2026
I have a strange obsession with all things Mt. Everest. I am captivated by these true stories of risktaking and danger.. I can’t even imagine undertaking such an endeavor myself. I just find it fascinating. What drives people to do these highly risky activities, meet near death obstacle after near death obstacle, and keep going back for more? I love reading books about this and watching all the documentaries. And the earliest explorers like George Mallory and Sandy Irvine, who attempted it so long ago without the advanced equipment and technology we have today and tragically lost their lives in the endeavor – just heartbreaking, while also so awe-inspiring. If you’re like me, and enjoy reading about high adventure, this one is right up your alley! I especially loved that it is more focused on Irvine as so much of the focus historically has been on Mallory. This book focuses more on Sandy’s life. Co-author Julie Summers is, after all, Irvine‘s great niece, which gives the story that much more emotion and meaning. It covers the details of the expedition, but also includes detailed information about Irvine’s private life, and excerpts from personal correspondence between him and family members. Meticulously researched, this is an excellent account of the tragic Mallory expedition. Highly recommend. The audiobook narration by co-author Julie Summers was excellent and lends an even more personal feel to the experience.
July 24, 2026
Extremely well researched. Fascinating insight into the lives of Mallory and Irvine, and a compelling account of everything that has happened since.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book that is both an exploration of why people venture out of their safe zones, climb mountains, explore the unknown, a biography of a man whose fate is still uncertain and the obsession we have to closure to know things that might be unknowable, and the drive we have to understand.
As a person who loves his couch, I am a huge fan of books about nature and man's attempt to conquer it. Nautical tales, tales of exploration, from the tops of mountains to the deepest depths of the sea I am a huge fan. I love the science, the tech needed, to read about explorers setting off without even a compass, something in our GPS days we really don't understand. The risks that people took to see the unknown, to know what was in the jungle, to see the depths, and take in the view from the highest points on the planet. What never factored into these stories, at least to me is the cost to those who were left behind. The families and friends. Those who never saw the tops of the mountains, and in fact never saw their loved explorers ever again. The loss they carried, and the world carried these explorers as lost heroes. And what a obsession knowing what these last moments of these brave adventurers lives were, and how these drove so many to enter these same places not for glory, but for answers. The Everest Mystery: Sandy Irvine, George Mallory, and the Truth Still Buried on Everest by Julie Summers and Jochen Hemmleb is the story of a man, an expedition to the top of the world, what might have happened, and the need to understand what did, something that has driven many over the last century.
The book is a look at the life of Sandy Irvine, the Everst Expedition of 1924, and what came after. The first part is a biography of Sandy Irvine who accompanied George Malloy an attempt at climbing Everest. Irvine came from a large family, and might have had dyslexia, which made regular learning uninteresting, but science and tinkering came naturally, a gift that helped him into Oxford. Irvine was a sportsman, and had gained a love of adventure on a exploration of Norway, which put him in the running for a part of the Everest Expedition, where Irvine and Malloy met their fate. The book looks at what might have happened to the two men. Did they make the summit? Did only one? To answer these questions many have made theories, even searched the mountains, but still only questions remain.
A fascinating book that is a bit biography, a bit adventuring tale, and a tale of what mysteries and that lack of closure do to people. The author Julie Summers is the great-niece of Sandy, and goes deeply into what the death of Sandy did to his family. Irvine's sister could never talk of Sandy, even to her children, her husband was also Sandy's best friend, and openly mourned his loss. Jochen Hemmleb the other writer became fascinated with the Everest Expedition at a young age, buying books, looking at maps, and taking an interest in mountain climbing. The book is really well written. The climbing scenes have a taste of authenticity, with a real understanding of what life is like at high altitudes. The hacking out of the lining of throats due to the cold, the confusion of snow, lack of sleep and oxygen. Along with the many, many theories of what might have been. And mysteries. Numerous body sightings. Even a rumor of Chinese climbers not wanting to lose their spot in the record books, bringing Irvine's body down the mountain. All of this is detailed, and told in a way that never becomes overwhelming of repetitive.
A book for couch adventurers, and for those who want to understand how people can ger wrapped up in things. As one person in the book says, I hope we never find out what happened. To many that is unacceptable. There needs to be answers. Even when only the dead know the truth.
As a person who loves his couch, I am a huge fan of books about nature and man's attempt to conquer it. Nautical tales, tales of exploration, from the tops of mountains to the deepest depths of the sea I am a huge fan. I love the science, the tech needed, to read about explorers setting off without even a compass, something in our GPS days we really don't understand. The risks that people took to see the unknown, to know what was in the jungle, to see the depths, and take in the view from the highest points on the planet. What never factored into these stories, at least to me is the cost to those who were left behind. The families and friends. Those who never saw the tops of the mountains, and in fact never saw their loved explorers ever again. The loss they carried, and the world carried these explorers as lost heroes. And what a obsession knowing what these last moments of these brave adventurers lives were, and how these drove so many to enter these same places not for glory, but for answers. The Everest Mystery: Sandy Irvine, George Mallory, and the Truth Still Buried on Everest by Julie Summers and Jochen Hemmleb is the story of a man, an expedition to the top of the world, what might have happened, and the need to understand what did, something that has driven many over the last century.
The book is a look at the life of Sandy Irvine, the Everst Expedition of 1924, and what came after. The first part is a biography of Sandy Irvine who accompanied George Malloy an attempt at climbing Everest. Irvine came from a large family, and might have had dyslexia, which made regular learning uninteresting, but science and tinkering came naturally, a gift that helped him into Oxford. Irvine was a sportsman, and had gained a love of adventure on a exploration of Norway, which put him in the running for a part of the Everest Expedition, where Irvine and Malloy met their fate. The book looks at what might have happened to the two men. Did they make the summit? Did only one? To answer these questions many have made theories, even searched the mountains, but still only questions remain.
A fascinating book that is a bit biography, a bit adventuring tale, and a tale of what mysteries and that lack of closure do to people. The author Julie Summers is the great-niece of Sandy, and goes deeply into what the death of Sandy did to his family. Irvine's sister could never talk of Sandy, even to her children, her husband was also Sandy's best friend, and openly mourned his loss. Jochen Hemmleb the other writer became fascinated with the Everest Expedition at a young age, buying books, looking at maps, and taking an interest in mountain climbing. The book is really well written. The climbing scenes have a taste of authenticity, with a real understanding of what life is like at high altitudes. The hacking out of the lining of throats due to the cold, the confusion of snow, lack of sleep and oxygen. Along with the many, many theories of what might have been. And mysteries. Numerous body sightings. Even a rumor of Chinese climbers not wanting to lose their spot in the record books, bringing Irvine's body down the mountain. All of this is detailed, and told in a way that never becomes overwhelming of repetitive.
A book for couch adventurers, and for those who want to understand how people can ger wrapped up in things. As one person in the book says, I hope we never find out what happened. To many that is unacceptable. There needs to be answers. Even when only the dead know the truth.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
On the whole an interesting and very thorough treatment of the famous "mystery" of Mallory and Irvine's disappearance on Mt Everest. Quite a few years ago I read a lot of mountineering/adventure narratives, kicked off by a fascination with Krakauer's Into Thin Air, but somehow I never knew all that much about this, probably because I was more focused on modern stories about the mountain. But I've always had a deep interest in Everest, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
It starts with a bit of history on British attempts at Everest, including the 1922 expedition that Mallory was a part of, and the background for selection for the 1924 expedition. Once our main players get underway, there's a section where the story of their trek from Darjeeling through Tibet was interspersed with chapters that were more biographical about Sandy Irvine. I understand why—it does give context to who Sandy was and the background that led him to this and, perhaps more importantly, one of the coauthors of this book is his grand-neice. So it's only natural that it focuses more on Sandy than Mallory, complete with some family stories. However, it does end up feeling a little unbalanced in that first third, because the same consideration is not provided for any of the other members of the expedition. I can understand why the majority of the members were not focused on, but Mallory is the second name in this subtitle. It would have been nice for him to get equal billing in the narrative, too.
Summers and Hemmleb carefully reconstructed every movement on the mountain based on the climbers' notes, which sometimes got a little confusing to be honest—back and forth from this camp and that—but it was very thorough and painted a vivid picture of how excruciating that experience would have been. The back half of the book is all about how the mystery has unfolded, following each thread of rumor and evidence, through the finding of Sandy Irvine's boot and foot. Unfortunately there's still some withheld information about that find that even Summers hasn't been privy to. I would have liked perhaps a bit more theorizing at the end about how Sandy's foot could have ended up where it did (even roughly), because it was a little hard to parse how this find fit into all the other evidence. In the end, the mystery still lives on and, as Summers points out, it probably always will.
I feel like this was a fair, balanced, and thorough coverage of the events, and I learned quite a bit, including about things like the Chinese north face attempts. The "mystery" part in the last half I could hardly put down. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone interested in the history of Everest, mountain climbing, or just intrigued by real life mysteries.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
It starts with a bit of history on British attempts at Everest, including the 1922 expedition that Mallory was a part of, and the background for selection for the 1924 expedition. Once our main players get underway, there's a section where the story of their trek from Darjeeling through Tibet was interspersed with chapters that were more biographical about Sandy Irvine. I understand why—it does give context to who Sandy was and the background that led him to this and, perhaps more importantly, one of the coauthors of this book is his grand-neice. So it's only natural that it focuses more on Sandy than Mallory, complete with some family stories. However, it does end up feeling a little unbalanced in that first third, because the same consideration is not provided for any of the other members of the expedition. I can understand why the majority of the members were not focused on, but Mallory is the second name in this subtitle. It would have been nice for him to get equal billing in the narrative, too.
Summers and Hemmleb carefully reconstructed every movement on the mountain based on the climbers' notes, which sometimes got a little confusing to be honest—back and forth from this camp and that—but it was very thorough and painted a vivid picture of how excruciating that experience would have been. The back half of the book is all about how the mystery has unfolded, following each thread of rumor and evidence, through the finding of Sandy Irvine's boot and foot. Unfortunately there's still some withheld information about that find that even Summers hasn't been privy to. I would have liked perhaps a bit more theorizing at the end about how Sandy's foot could have ended up where it did (even roughly), because it was a little hard to parse how this find fit into all the other evidence. In the end, the mystery still lives on and, as Summers points out, it probably always will.
I feel like this was a fair, balanced, and thorough coverage of the events, and I learned quite a bit, including about things like the Chinese north face attempts. The "mystery" part in the last half I could hardly put down. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone interested in the history of Everest, mountain climbing, or just intrigued by real life mysteries.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
August 13, 2026
In 1924, there was a British Expedition to summit Mount Everest. On this expedition, three attempts to summit were made; with Edward Norton setting a world altitude record on the first two attempts. The third attempt, and perhaps the most famous and mysterious attempt, was done by George Mallory and Andrew "Sandy" Irvine. George Mallory and Sandy Irvine would never leave the mountain after this attempt. Mallory and Irvine disappeared close to the summit on June 8, 1924. They were seen "going strong" to reach the peak, but 100 years later and there is still no definitive answer on if they reached the summit, how they died, or what exactly happened to them. In 1999 George Mallory's frozen remains were found, showing fatal injuries. But where was Sandy Irvine? This answer would be somewhat answered 25 years later. September 2024, on the Central Rongbuk Glacier of Mt. Everest--several miles from Mallory's location--, a climber found an old boot containing a foot and a sock with a nametape. On this tag read A.C. IRVINE. Sandy had been found.
Over 100 years since their expedition and deaths, the question of whether Mallory and Irvine reached the summit (which would've made them the first) has never been answered. Sandy Irvine carried a camera to document their attempt, but where is it? 100 years later and there are still more questions than answers.
5/5 stars.
The Everest Mystery was written by Julie Summers and Jochen Hemmleb. Jochen Hemmleb, who was fascinated by the mystery and was on the expedition in 1999 that found George Mallory and three expeditions to find Sandy Irvine. Julie Summers, a historian and biographer of Sandy Irvine, the Irvine family spokesperson, and (most-importantly) the great-niece of Sandy Irvine himself. Summers and Hemmleb explore Irvine's life, his relationship with George Mallory, their eventual find, and the theories surrounding their attempt. Not only that, but Sandy Irvine's legacy in the expedition is brought back to light.
Prior to this book, I had only ever truly known the name George Mallory. The finding of his body was so famous. The fact that there have been bodies on Everest for years has never been a secret. I remember vaguely hearing about the foot that was found in 2024, but it feels like a blip in my mind. The Everest Mystery does great on reminding everyone that Sandy Irvine was just as important on the expedition, and that he was a part of this mystery. He shouldn't be lost to history. He and George Mallory ascended together. Summers and Hemmleb do a great job bringing attention to his life and his part in the expedition. Perhaps one day, the mystery of what happened and if they summited will be answered. And I sincerely hope Julie Summers and Jochen Hemmleb are here to see it.
Over 100 years since their expedition and deaths, the question of whether Mallory and Irvine reached the summit (which would've made them the first) has never been answered. Sandy Irvine carried a camera to document their attempt, but where is it? 100 years later and there are still more questions than answers.
5/5 stars.
The Everest Mystery was written by Julie Summers and Jochen Hemmleb. Jochen Hemmleb, who was fascinated by the mystery and was on the expedition in 1999 that found George Mallory and three expeditions to find Sandy Irvine. Julie Summers, a historian and biographer of Sandy Irvine, the Irvine family spokesperson, and (most-importantly) the great-niece of Sandy Irvine himself. Summers and Hemmleb explore Irvine's life, his relationship with George Mallory, their eventual find, and the theories surrounding their attempt. Not only that, but Sandy Irvine's legacy in the expedition is brought back to light.
Prior to this book, I had only ever truly known the name George Mallory. The finding of his body was so famous. The fact that there have been bodies on Everest for years has never been a secret. I remember vaguely hearing about the foot that was found in 2024, but it feels like a blip in my mind. The Everest Mystery does great on reminding everyone that Sandy Irvine was just as important on the expedition, and that he was a part of this mystery. He shouldn't be lost to history. He and George Mallory ascended together. Summers and Hemmleb do a great job bringing attention to his life and his part in the expedition. Perhaps one day, the mystery of what happened and if they summited will be answered. And I sincerely hope Julie Summers and Jochen Hemmleb are here to see it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Review of advance copy from NetGalley.
*
Julie Summers is the ideal narrator for “The Everest Mystery: Sandy Irvine, George Mallory, and the Truth Still Buried on Everest” because she is not simply reading a history—she is telling her own family’s story. As the great-niece of Andrew “Sandy” Irvine, the young mountaineer who disappeared alongside George Mallory high on Everest in June 1924, Summers brings an authority and emotional authenticity that few professional narrators could hope to match. She has spent decades researching Irvine’s life, serving as the family’s spokesperson, and previously wrote his biography, “Fearless on Everest”. That intimate connection is audible throughout the performance, lending the audiobook a quiet emotional gravity without ever slipping into sentimentality.
Summers relates the story with the measured assurance of an experienced historian rather than an actor. Her voice is clear, composed and intelligent, allowing the evidence, diaries and eyewitness accounts to retain their authority while drawing listeners steadily into one of mountaineering’s greatest unsolved mysteries. She understands instinctively where to linger over a revealing detail, when to accelerate through moments of expedition drama, and when to allow silence to underline the poignancy of lives cut short.
One of the narration’s greatest strengths is its balance between scholarship and storytelling. The audiobook combines painstaking historical research with the momentum of a detective story, following new discoveries—including the remarkable 2024 identification of Irvine’s boot and foot—and re-examining long-standing theories about whether Mallory and Irvine reached the summit before their deaths. Summers’ restrained delivery helps listeners absorb the technical details without losing sight of the human drama at the heart of the investigation.
Summers’ recounting is also notable for its emotional honesty. Because she has lived with this mystery for much of her life, moments concerning Irvine’s letters home, his optimism, and the family’s decades-long search for answers resonate with quiet conviction. Yet she never overplays these passages. Instead, her calm, thoughtful performance allows listeners to experience both the exhilaration of exploration and the enduring ache of uncertainty.
The result is an audiobook that feels personal while remaining objective. Julie Summers’ combination of historical expertise, familial connection and understated vocal performance makes “The Everest Mystery” an absorbing listening experience, one that honours Sandy Irvine’s legacy while inviting a new generation of listeners into one of the most enduring mysteries in the history of exploration.
“The Everest Mystery” (Macmillan Audio) is scheduled for release on 25 August 2026 and includes an audio-exclusive conversation between Julie Summers and co-author Jochen Hemmleb.
*
Julie Summers is the ideal narrator for “The Everest Mystery: Sandy Irvine, George Mallory, and the Truth Still Buried on Everest” because she is not simply reading a history—she is telling her own family’s story. As the great-niece of Andrew “Sandy” Irvine, the young mountaineer who disappeared alongside George Mallory high on Everest in June 1924, Summers brings an authority and emotional authenticity that few professional narrators could hope to match. She has spent decades researching Irvine’s life, serving as the family’s spokesperson, and previously wrote his biography, “Fearless on Everest”. That intimate connection is audible throughout the performance, lending the audiobook a quiet emotional gravity without ever slipping into sentimentality.
Summers relates the story with the measured assurance of an experienced historian rather than an actor. Her voice is clear, composed and intelligent, allowing the evidence, diaries and eyewitness accounts to retain their authority while drawing listeners steadily into one of mountaineering’s greatest unsolved mysteries. She understands instinctively where to linger over a revealing detail, when to accelerate through moments of expedition drama, and when to allow silence to underline the poignancy of lives cut short.
One of the narration’s greatest strengths is its balance between scholarship and storytelling. The audiobook combines painstaking historical research with the momentum of a detective story, following new discoveries—including the remarkable 2024 identification of Irvine’s boot and foot—and re-examining long-standing theories about whether Mallory and Irvine reached the summit before their deaths. Summers’ restrained delivery helps listeners absorb the technical details without losing sight of the human drama at the heart of the investigation.
Summers’ recounting is also notable for its emotional honesty. Because she has lived with this mystery for much of her life, moments concerning Irvine’s letters home, his optimism, and the family’s decades-long search for answers resonate with quiet conviction. Yet she never overplays these passages. Instead, her calm, thoughtful performance allows listeners to experience both the exhilaration of exploration and the enduring ache of uncertainty.
The result is an audiobook that feels personal while remaining objective. Julie Summers’ combination of historical expertise, familial connection and understated vocal performance makes “The Everest Mystery” an absorbing listening experience, one that honours Sandy Irvine’s legacy while inviting a new generation of listeners into one of the most enduring mysteries in the history of exploration.
“The Everest Mystery” (Macmillan Audio) is scheduled for release on 25 August 2026 and includes an audio-exclusive conversation between Julie Summers and co-author Jochen Hemmleb.
August 10, 2026
This was an interesting and very well researched book on the mystery of George Mallory and Sandy Irvine and whether they did summit Everest and how they died.
This book not only delved into the knowns about expedition in 1924 that lead to Mallory and Irvine’s deaths but the lead up into and all the investigations after. As someone who knew only the surface details of this story I found it all very intriguing. I enjoyed the lead up into the expedition and learning more about Irvine and how he ended up getting picked especially.
In terms of the investigations of finding Mallory and Irvine the authors did a great job of compiling and exploring all the evidence available. I particularly enjoyed learning about the Chinese expeditions in the 60s and 70s, as those don’t seem to be as well documented, and what may have been seen. And then there is of course the expeditions in 1999 and later that have found more answers to the mysteries as well as questions.
The authors did a good job of showing well balanced accounts of the different theories about routes that could have been taken and what happened to Mallory and Irvine.
The authors themselves are particularly interesting and have very unique perspectives. Summers is the great niece of Sandy Irvine and has already written a book about him. Hemmleb is an author on mountaineering and has been involved with multiple expeditions on Everest to find Mallory and Irvine, including the 1999. Both of them provide unique perspectives to this story and I liked how the book included parts of both of their involvements.
Overall the narration was good. I did find it very stoic but it did fit the tone of the book as very factual.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book not only delved into the knowns about expedition in 1924 that lead to Mallory and Irvine’s deaths but the lead up into and all the investigations after. As someone who knew only the surface details of this story I found it all very intriguing. I enjoyed the lead up into the expedition and learning more about Irvine and how he ended up getting picked especially.
In terms of the investigations of finding Mallory and Irvine the authors did a great job of compiling and exploring all the evidence available. I particularly enjoyed learning about the Chinese expeditions in the 60s and 70s, as those don’t seem to be as well documented, and what may have been seen. And then there is of course the expeditions in 1999 and later that have found more answers to the mysteries as well as questions.
The authors did a good job of showing well balanced accounts of the different theories about routes that could have been taken and what happened to Mallory and Irvine.
The authors themselves are particularly interesting and have very unique perspectives. Summers is the great niece of Sandy Irvine and has already written a book about him. Hemmleb is an author on mountaineering and has been involved with multiple expeditions on Everest to find Mallory and Irvine, including the 1999. Both of them provide unique perspectives to this story and I liked how the book included parts of both of their involvements.
Overall the narration was good. I did find it very stoic but it did fit the tone of the book as very factual.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley for aN ARC of this book!
The Everest Mystery is the best of all worlds: mini biography, mountain climbing expedition story, and detective story.
In the first half to two-thirds of the book, alternating chapters between Sandy Irvine’s life before Everest, early Everest expeditions, and the planning/beginning of the fateful 1924 expedition, tell the life story of both Sandy Irvine and early Mount Everest climbing.
If I was starting to get somewhat bored by a chapter, it would switch perspectives to offer a much needed break. It seems, since Irvine’s life was cut short so early, this approach was the best way to flesh out and link Irvine’s motivations, skill sets, and personality which helped him achieve such success so early in his climbing career.
The last third of the book relates to the expeditions conducted to search for evidence of Mallory and Irvine, as well as the findings of such expeditions and theorizing as to what happened to the two climbers and whether they reached the summit.
I loved how the authors stipulated that we can still never know what happened to Mallory and Irvine or whether the summit was reached, but their analysis of the physical evidence, journal entries from the 1924 expedition, and eyewitness accounts from Chinese expeditions after the 1924 climb but before the North side was reopened to Western climbers was interesting to read.
Although the conclusion is not satisfying (we may still never know) and doesn’t seem to add much more to the previous knowledge base, the book was a satisfying read for fans of mountain climbing literature.
The Everest Mystery is the best of all worlds: mini biography, mountain climbing expedition story, and detective story.
In the first half to two-thirds of the book, alternating chapters between Sandy Irvine’s life before Everest, early Everest expeditions, and the planning/beginning of the fateful 1924 expedition, tell the life story of both Sandy Irvine and early Mount Everest climbing.
If I was starting to get somewhat bored by a chapter, it would switch perspectives to offer a much needed break. It seems, since Irvine’s life was cut short so early, this approach was the best way to flesh out and link Irvine’s motivations, skill sets, and personality which helped him achieve such success so early in his climbing career.
The last third of the book relates to the expeditions conducted to search for evidence of Mallory and Irvine, as well as the findings of such expeditions and theorizing as to what happened to the two climbers and whether they reached the summit.
I loved how the authors stipulated that we can still never know what happened to Mallory and Irvine or whether the summit was reached, but their analysis of the physical evidence, journal entries from the 1924 expedition, and eyewitness accounts from Chinese expeditions after the 1924 climb but before the North side was reopened to Western climbers was interesting to read.
Although the conclusion is not satisfying (we may still never know) and doesn’t seem to add much more to the previous knowledge base, the book was a satisfying read for fans of mountain climbing literature.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Everest Mystery: Sandy Irvine, George Mallory, and the Truth Still Buried on Everest
by Julie Summers and Jochen Hemmleb
Narrated by Julie Summers with Jochen Hemmleb
As someone very interested in non extreme endurance sports for myself, I've always also been interested in the feats of those who tackle things I'd never dream of doing. Climbing Mount Everest, even in this day and age when so many have done it, has always interested me from afar. I hadn't read about any one climber in depth and I consider this book as a great place for me to jump into learning more about the earliest men to tackle Mount Everest.
I can get grumpy when fiction doesn't give us all the answers but real life often does not give us all the answers either, no matter how many years (a century) and how many people and how many dollars (millions) have been spent to try to find the answers to whether twenty two year old Sandy Irvine and George Mallory, an experienced Mount Everest climber, ever made it to the top of Mount Everest. We don't know if they did because they never made it down to tell anyone if they did. Not only that, their bodies were missing for years so tracking their actual steps was impossible without knowing where their bodies ended up and how they got there.
Author Julie Summers is Irvine’s great-niece and she's already written about Sandy Irvine in an earlier book of his life. At a young age, Jochen Hemmleb, became obsessed with Irvine and Mallory and what happened to them and even when busy living his life in other ways, he never let go of his research and literal searching to find their bodies. In the second part of the book, after Irvine and Mallory have lost their lives somewhere near the top of the mountain, we begin learning about others attempting to climb Mount Everest and looking for the bodies of Irvine and Mallory. I was thrilled that the end of the book contains a discussion between Summers and Hemmleb. There is Summers and how what happened to Sandy affected her family and then there is Hemmleb who was able to find himself on the way up Mount Everest and in actual locations where Sandy and Mallory were decades earlier. And then he and Summers worked on this book together. Hearing his talk about his journey from being a teenage boy to now, with his obsession with these two men, felt so emotional and was a wonderful way to end a nonfiction book that does not give us all the answers because no one has all the answers.
But we do find out some facts, some straight from the written words of both Sandy and Mallory but also from those who knew them and were with them for some of their climbs. Items have been found, pictures have been analyzed, measurements have been made, re-creations of potential routes have been attempted and we get lots of opinions from those who have the knowledge to form those opinions. I was fascinated with this book and I have no idea if Summers is a professional narrator (I guess she is now with this book, at least) but she does a great job with the narration of the book. And hearing the emotion in Hemmleb's voice just added to all that I learned about Irvine and Mallory. I mostly listened to the audiobook but had the ebook right in front of me which was helpful for terms unfamiliar to me and all the talk of altitude (be prepared for lots of mentions of the altitude).
Publication August 25, 2026
Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, SMP Early Readers, and NetGalley for this ARC
by Julie Summers and Jochen Hemmleb
Narrated by Julie Summers with Jochen Hemmleb
As someone very interested in non extreme endurance sports for myself, I've always also been interested in the feats of those who tackle things I'd never dream of doing. Climbing Mount Everest, even in this day and age when so many have done it, has always interested me from afar. I hadn't read about any one climber in depth and I consider this book as a great place for me to jump into learning more about the earliest men to tackle Mount Everest.
I can get grumpy when fiction doesn't give us all the answers but real life often does not give us all the answers either, no matter how many years (a century) and how many people and how many dollars (millions) have been spent to try to find the answers to whether twenty two year old Sandy Irvine and George Mallory, an experienced Mount Everest climber, ever made it to the top of Mount Everest. We don't know if they did because they never made it down to tell anyone if they did. Not only that, their bodies were missing for years so tracking their actual steps was impossible without knowing where their bodies ended up and how they got there.
Author Julie Summers is Irvine’s great-niece and she's already written about Sandy Irvine in an earlier book of his life. At a young age, Jochen Hemmleb, became obsessed with Irvine and Mallory and what happened to them and even when busy living his life in other ways, he never let go of his research and literal searching to find their bodies. In the second part of the book, after Irvine and Mallory have lost their lives somewhere near the top of the mountain, we begin learning about others attempting to climb Mount Everest and looking for the bodies of Irvine and Mallory. I was thrilled that the end of the book contains a discussion between Summers and Hemmleb. There is Summers and how what happened to Sandy affected her family and then there is Hemmleb who was able to find himself on the way up Mount Everest and in actual locations where Sandy and Mallory were decades earlier. And then he and Summers worked on this book together. Hearing his talk about his journey from being a teenage boy to now, with his obsession with these two men, felt so emotional and was a wonderful way to end a nonfiction book that does not give us all the answers because no one has all the answers.
But we do find out some facts, some straight from the written words of both Sandy and Mallory but also from those who knew them and were with them for some of their climbs. Items have been found, pictures have been analyzed, measurements have been made, re-creations of potential routes have been attempted and we get lots of opinions from those who have the knowledge to form those opinions. I was fascinated with this book and I have no idea if Summers is a professional narrator (I guess she is now with this book, at least) but she does a great job with the narration of the book. And hearing the emotion in Hemmleb's voice just added to all that I learned about Irvine and Mallory. I mostly listened to the audiobook but had the ebook right in front of me which was helpful for terms unfamiliar to me and all the talk of altitude (be prepared for lots of mentions of the altitude).
Publication August 25, 2026
Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, SMP Early Readers, and NetGalley for this ARC
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I will start off this review by advising that I am almost exclusively a fiction reader. While Everest is something I read a lot about and am fascinated by, this was distinctly out of my comfort zone.
The topic was extremely interesting, and it’s clear that the authors feel passionately about it, which makes sense considering their close relationship with Sandy Irvine, Everest itself, and the discoveries related to Mallory and Irvine. A lot of research went into getting as much and as thorough info as possible into this book.
Unfortunately, to me it was just too dry. This is a subject that is endlessly fascinating, but somehow I found myself bored and distracted in the first half. The second half was more engaging (as discoveries started being detailed), but it faded again by the end.
It’s possible that the format (I listened on audio) didn’t help. Hearing the repetition of measurements (and then converted measurements) can get a little tedious and start to lose their meaning - I’ve read a lot on climbing, and I think it’s easier to absorb when reading with eyes. The narration wasn’t bad, but the narrator did have some off-putting pauses, as if reading the text for the very first time and getting caught by an unfamiliar word or unexpected phrasing.
I really enjoyed the conversation at the end of the audiobook with the authors in discussion. I hope a transcription is included in the printed and ebook copies.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ALC of this book so that I may leave an honest review.
The topic was extremely interesting, and it’s clear that the authors feel passionately about it, which makes sense considering their close relationship with Sandy Irvine, Everest itself, and the discoveries related to Mallory and Irvine. A lot of research went into getting as much and as thorough info as possible into this book.
Unfortunately, to me it was just too dry. This is a subject that is endlessly fascinating, but somehow I found myself bored and distracted in the first half. The second half was more engaging (as discoveries started being detailed), but it faded again by the end.
It’s possible that the format (I listened on audio) didn’t help. Hearing the repetition of measurements (and then converted measurements) can get a little tedious and start to lose their meaning - I’ve read a lot on climbing, and I think it’s easier to absorb when reading with eyes. The narration wasn’t bad, but the narrator did have some off-putting pauses, as if reading the text for the very first time and getting caught by an unfamiliar word or unexpected phrasing.
I really enjoyed the conversation at the end of the audiobook with the authors in discussion. I hope a transcription is included in the printed and ebook copies.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ALC of this book so that I may leave an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I'm heading into the Colorado mountains this week so reading this book this weekend was perfect for my mood!
I have always been curious as to the mystery behind what happened to Sandy Irvine and George Mallory, but what I really loved about this book is the story of the months leading up to the disappearance of the two men and the recorded feelings of the families, friends and community members. There were so many journal entries, eyewitness accounts and other physical evidence provided in this book that while there is nothing new and ground breaking in the book those things listed really made this for an interesting read!
For those that may not know, George Mallory and Sandy Irvine were trying to summit Mount Everest June 6, 1924 but no one knows what happened to them or if they reached the summit. They just simply disappeared and it believed they perished on the 8th or 9th of June by either freezing or taking a tumble down a cliff, both two of my worth fears of being in the mountains.
In 1999 George Mallory's body was found and in 2024 a boot, with a partial foot still incased, was found to be Sandy Irvines because of a nametape in the book "A.C IRVINE". Sandy used to carry a camera with him, so there is hope that one day that one day his body will be found but also the body.
The authors are quite interesting in their own right because Summers is a great niece to Sandy Irvine and Hemmleb is a mountaineer and has been on Everest many times to find traces of Mallory and Irvine. If this book was made into a documentary I would watch it instantly.
I have always been curious as to the mystery behind what happened to Sandy Irvine and George Mallory, but what I really loved about this book is the story of the months leading up to the disappearance of the two men and the recorded feelings of the families, friends and community members. There were so many journal entries, eyewitness accounts and other physical evidence provided in this book that while there is nothing new and ground breaking in the book those things listed really made this for an interesting read!
For those that may not know, George Mallory and Sandy Irvine were trying to summit Mount Everest June 6, 1924 but no one knows what happened to them or if they reached the summit. They just simply disappeared and it believed they perished on the 8th or 9th of June by either freezing or taking a tumble down a cliff, both two of my worth fears of being in the mountains.
In 1999 George Mallory's body was found and in 2024 a boot, with a partial foot still incased, was found to be Sandy Irvines because of a nametape in the book "A.C IRVINE". Sandy used to carry a camera with him, so there is hope that one day that one day his body will be found but also the body.
The authors are quite interesting in their own right because Summers is a great niece to Sandy Irvine and Hemmleb is a mountaineer and has been on Everest many times to find traces of Mallory and Irvine. If this book was made into a documentary I would watch it instantly.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley.
Most books about Everest, when addressing George Mallory and Sandy Irvine, tend to focus more on Mallory and Irvine, while not being ignored comes across as a more shadowy figure. Summers (Irvine’s grandniece) and Hemmleb’s new book corrects this.
Summers and Hemmleb look at the relatively recent discovery of a foot in a book marked A.C. Irvine (relatively because it was made in 2024), but they also go into detail about Irvine’s early life and his life before Everest. He comes across as a person in his own right as opposed to someone working with Mallory.
The authors also go into what happened after – not only in terms of those who tried to solve the mystery of Mallory and Irvine’s climb and deaths – but in those that Irvine left behind. There is also a discussion about the impact on the wider community. Summers and Hemmleb present the various theories and debates about whether or not the men summitted and what might have happened. They do so in such way that if you know nothing about the technical aspects of climbing (like me) you are not lost at all.
The book does an excellent job of adding more detail about the mystery as well as presenting Irvine as a real person.
Most books about Everest, when addressing George Mallory and Sandy Irvine, tend to focus more on Mallory and Irvine, while not being ignored comes across as a more shadowy figure. Summers (Irvine’s grandniece) and Hemmleb’s new book corrects this.
Summers and Hemmleb look at the relatively recent discovery of a foot in a book marked A.C. Irvine (relatively because it was made in 2024), but they also go into detail about Irvine’s early life and his life before Everest. He comes across as a person in his own right as opposed to someone working with Mallory.
The authors also go into what happened after – not only in terms of those who tried to solve the mystery of Mallory and Irvine’s climb and deaths – but in those that Irvine left behind. There is also a discussion about the impact on the wider community. Summers and Hemmleb present the various theories and debates about whether or not the men summitted and what might have happened. They do so in such way that if you know nothing about the technical aspects of climbing (like me) you are not lost at all.
The book does an excellent job of adding more detail about the mystery as well as presenting Irvine as a real person.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A gripping exploration of the 1924 attempt to summit Everest! I practically couldn't stop reading this one. The early chapters detailing what led up to the trip are interspersed with others that give a biographical look at Sandy Irvine's life. This was information I hadn't read before and which felt especially down-to-earth, no surprise seeing as how one of the authors of this book is his great-niece.
The other author is a decades-long researcher into the mystery of what happened to Mallory and Irvine in 1924, and was part of the expedition that discovered Mallory's body in 1999. This book brings all known facts right up to date, including the 2024 discovery of Sandy Irvine's boot. In the last chapter, the authors attempt to bring together the details in a best-guess scenario of how things played out, but of course, what's most compelling about the story is that it's still not really definitive.
It was fascinating, and I recommend to those who enjoy tales of exploration and the limits of human endurance, as well as unsolved mysteries.
Thanks to St Martin's Press via Netgalley for this review copy!
The other author is a decades-long researcher into the mystery of what happened to Mallory and Irvine in 1924, and was part of the expedition that discovered Mallory's body in 1999. This book brings all known facts right up to date, including the 2024 discovery of Sandy Irvine's boot. In the last chapter, the authors attempt to bring together the details in a best-guess scenario of how things played out, but of course, what's most compelling about the story is that it's still not really definitive.
It was fascinating, and I recommend to those who enjoy tales of exploration and the limits of human endurance, as well as unsolved mysteries.
Thanks to St Martin's Press via Netgalley for this review copy!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Everest Mystery is a deep dive into the life of Sandy Irvine and the mysterious disappearance of him and George Mallory as they attempted to be the first to summit Mt Everest in 1924. What I found fascinating was Mallory’s choice of adding Irvine to the climbing group. At the time, Irvine was in his early twenties with very little climbing experience. He was a gifted athlete and a whiz at anything mechanical, which probably tilted the scale in his favor, as he had a knack for working on the relatively new oxygen apparatus that would be crucial in the climbers’ attempt to reach the summit. The second half of The Everest Mystery explores what could have happened on that fateful day when the two never returned to camp and were lost on the mountain forever. Seventy-five years later, climbers found George’s body, which finally gave us clues to what may have happened. Twenty-five years after that, they finally found Sandy’s body, which gave us even more pieces to the puzzle. Did Irvine and Mallory actually make it to the top before their ill-fated accident? The world may never know. But The Everest Mystery gives us much to ponder.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
For some reason I'm always captivated by mountain climbing movies and stories. This book does a great job of something so many books fail to do; be a fun and engaging read while providing what could otherwise bea very dry historical, research, and educational read. The gifted authors accomplish this partly by having such a great story they are sharing and the other part is the structure of the novel. The story is told with current information, past information and historical life information especially about Sandy Irvine who I knew little about. If you have an interest of what the story about Hillary and Irvine is, why it matters and why is still discussed so frequently this is a great book too learn from and absorb the facts, rumors, hypothesis, and findings from various countries around the globe that pay roles in the story. I'm so glad I found this and got to enjoy such a well told story.
I received an Arc audio to review this. The narrator does a good job clearly and professionally sharing the story. I would recommend this if this genre is intriguing to you. These opinions are my own and are honest.
I received an Arc audio to review this. The narrator does a good job clearly and professionally sharing the story. I would recommend this if this genre is intriguing to you. These opinions are my own and are honest.
August 21, 2026
2.5✨ True to who I am, if it’s about Mt Everest, I’m going to read it.
This is a mix between a biography of Sandy Irvine and an analysis of his and George Mallory’s Everest attempt in 1924.
I was lost for so much of this book because it jumped around with different climbers, different timelines, and went in and out of Sandy’s life pre-Everest, all mixed in with trying to account for what happened that day. This book could have used a more cohesive approach, a timeline, and better editing and execution. I was thrown in and out of the story with having to spend so much time figuring out what the point of the information was. Since it is not a firsthand account, there is a lot of hypothesizing which makes sense but the amount of journal entries and quotes that are mixed within the text don’t flow well. Overall this didn’t do it for me but it might work for you. Out 8/25.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for providing me a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a mix between a biography of Sandy Irvine and an analysis of his and George Mallory’s Everest attempt in 1924.
I was lost for so much of this book because it jumped around with different climbers, different timelines, and went in and out of Sandy’s life pre-Everest, all mixed in with trying to account for what happened that day. This book could have used a more cohesive approach, a timeline, and better editing and execution. I was thrown in and out of the story with having to spend so much time figuring out what the point of the information was. Since it is not a firsthand account, there is a lot of hypothesizing which makes sense but the amount of journal entries and quotes that are mixed within the text don’t flow well. Overall this didn’t do it for me but it might work for you. Out 8/25.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for providing me a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 25, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the audio ARC.
I was drawn to this book first, because I enjoy mountain climbing stories and Mt. Everest, and second, because we had a trip planned to Switzerland. Listening to the book while driving and hiking through the mountains was an experience. Listening to their discussing whether or not to use oxygen as I was struggling for breath at Gornergrat looking at Matterhorn added some depth to the story for me.
The book is part biography of George Mallory and Sandy Irvine— the first pair to attempt to summit Mt. Everest. The second part details their preparation and attempt to summit, ending with the disappearance of Mallory and Irvine. And the last part surrounds the mystery of what happened and the search for their remains.
It’s really interesting to go into the theories surrounding whether they summited or not, what happened, is this really their remains, and where is their camera that could potentially lay all theories to rest?
I was drawn to this book first, because I enjoy mountain climbing stories and Mt. Everest, and second, because we had a trip planned to Switzerland. Listening to the book while driving and hiking through the mountains was an experience. Listening to their discussing whether or not to use oxygen as I was struggling for breath at Gornergrat looking at Matterhorn added some depth to the story for me.
The book is part biography of George Mallory and Sandy Irvine— the first pair to attempt to summit Mt. Everest. The second part details their preparation and attempt to summit, ending with the disappearance of Mallory and Irvine. And the last part surrounds the mystery of what happened and the search for their remains.
It’s really interesting to go into the theories surrounding whether they summited or not, what happened, is this really their remains, and where is their camera that could potentially lay all theories to rest?
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Part biography of Sandy Irvine, part analysis of his and George Mallory’s 1924 Everest summit attempt, this book felt like a continuation of Mark Synnott’s The Third Pole. Like Synnott, Summers and Hemmeb have personal connections to the search for the truth… Summers is the great grand niece of Irvine and Hemmeb was on Mt. Everest when Mallory’s body was finally found. Since then, a boot containing Irvine’s foot and labeled sock have been found, but very little detail of that discovery was provided here, which was a bit anticlimactic. I feel like the authors provided a more comprehensive timeline of Irvine and Mallory’s final days, but the continued inconclusiveness was not particularly satisfying. I do hope that one day, someone can (find the camera? Irvine’s body?) definitively prove whether or not the pair summited.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
⛰️ Apparently, I have an Everest obsession.
I’ve binged an embarrassing number of books and documentaries about Everest, and I still can’t explain why. 😂 Maybe it’s less about the mountain and more about the absolutely wild human desire to conquer it. Personally, you couldn’t pay me to climb Everest, which somehow makes everyone who does even more fascinating to me.
And then there’s the mystery of George Mallory and Sandy Irvine. 👀
This book was basically made for my Everest-loving brain. The authors did an excellent job compiling the evidence and exploring the theories surrounding what happened to Mallory and Irvine. I especially loved the final third, which focuses on the expeditions searching for answers and the discoveries that followed.
Did they reach the summit before they disappeared? We still don’t know for sure and honestly, the mystery is half the fun.
I’ve binged an embarrassing number of books and documentaries about Everest, and I still can’t explain why. 😂 Maybe it’s less about the mountain and more about the absolutely wild human desire to conquer it. Personally, you couldn’t pay me to climb Everest, which somehow makes everyone who does even more fascinating to me.
And then there’s the mystery of George Mallory and Sandy Irvine. 👀
This book was basically made for my Everest-loving brain. The authors did an excellent job compiling the evidence and exploring the theories surrounding what happened to Mallory and Irvine. I especially loved the final third, which focuses on the expeditions searching for answers and the discoveries that followed.
Did they reach the summit before they disappeared? We still don’t know for sure and honestly, the mystery is half the fun.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader copy. I enjoyed this non-fiction book. It was very informative and interesting, I learned alot about the mystery surrounding Irvine and Mallory's climb of Mount Everest in 1924.
While I enjoyed this read overall, the structure of the book was a little jarring. The chapters alternate between the expedition in 1924 and Sandy Irvine's backstory. I found the backstory chapters to be too long. I was not interested in Sandy's college rowing career and wanted to get back to the climb. I feel a smaller length of background materials would have been sufficient.
3.5 ⭐️
While I enjoyed this read overall, the structure of the book was a little jarring. The chapters alternate between the expedition in 1924 and Sandy Irvine's backstory. I found the backstory chapters to be too long. I was not interested in Sandy's college rowing career and wanted to get back to the climb. I feel a smaller length of background materials would have been sufficient.
3.5 ⭐️
August 25, 2026
A fascinating and beautifully researched look at one of mountaineering’s greatest mysteries. I really enjoyed learning more about Sandy Irvine, not just as Mallory’s climbing partner, but as a person whose story deserves to be remembered in its own right.
The book does a great job exploring the evidence, theories, expeditions, and discoveries surrounding Mallory and Irvine without pretending to have answers that simply aren’t there. The mystery of whether they reached the summit remains unanswered, which somehow makes the story even more compelling.
If you enjoy Everest stories, exploration, history, or real-life mysteries, this is definitely worth picking up.
The book does a great job exploring the evidence, theories, expeditions, and discoveries surrounding Mallory and Irvine without pretending to have answers that simply aren’t there. The mystery of whether they reached the summit remains unanswered, which somehow makes the story even more compelling.
If you enjoy Everest stories, exploration, history, or real-life mysteries, this is definitely worth picking up.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I received this book through Goodreads Giveaway for an honest review.
I was not familiar with mountaineering prior to reading this book, but wow what a great introduction. I was truly riveted by this book and couldn't put it down. What an amazing tale of great drive, endurance and pushing the limits of human capacity. The bravery of these men is truly inspiring and it continues to this day. This amazing story has stuck with me and I'm grateful that I received this book. Loved it and recommend reading this book
I was not familiar with mountaineering prior to reading this book, but wow what a great introduction. I was truly riveted by this book and couldn't put it down. What an amazing tale of great drive, endurance and pushing the limits of human capacity. The bravery of these men is truly inspiring and it continues to this day. This amazing story has stuck with me and I'm grateful that I received this book. Loved it and recommend reading this book
July 1, 2026
Here's a radical idea. At the start of the book, explain feet, yards and metres, then just stick to whichever was used in the context. This would mean the book would be CONSIDERABLY SHORTER, because you wouldn't have to explain this many many dozens of times, again and again, over and over, AND do it inconsistently and often inaccurately. FFS, do editors actually read books and point stuff like this out?
This hellishly annoying point aside, this is an excellent book.
This hellishly annoying point aside, this is an excellent book.
August 21, 2026
Complex but intriguing
I have never climbed but have been intrigued by the Irvine and Mallory story, especially since I saw an exhibition of the 1924 expedition at Rheged in Cumbria about 2007. I think there is a good chance they reached the top but who really knows at the moment? Densely researched and expertly expressed, this is the best non fiction book I have read for over sixty years. I was gripped.
I have never climbed but have been intrigued by the Irvine and Mallory story, especially since I saw an exhibition of the 1924 expedition at Rheged in Cumbria about 2007. I think there is a good chance they reached the top but who really knows at the moment? Densely researched and expertly expressed, this is the best non fiction book I have read for over sixty years. I was gripped.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Well researched and paced, and the storytelling aspect is really captivating. I listened partially on audio and really enjoyed the clear narration. The reason I leave the book feeling ‘meh’ is because I discovered that I am not nearly as interested in Everest and the story of conquering it as I thought I was.
I would still highly recommend to anyone who is interested.
I would still highly recommend to anyone who is interested.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Suppositions about the deaths of Mallory and Irvine while climbing Everest in 1924. Mallory's remains have been found, but Irvine s still have not, leading to much conjecture as to what happened, what route they were on and if they even submitted
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I had high hopes for this history of Sandy Irvine, and George Mallory’s trek to the peak of Everest, but I found that they were dashed by a scattered story telling and lacklustre mystery.
I found myself immediately thrown out of the story/book by the back-and-forth history provided for George and Sandy and the other mountaineers. I couldn’t keep up with the history and found myself not interested in Sandy’s cavorting pre-trip and the intense school rowing races…
I did find that the book headed stride when the group were finally at the mountain, but this part of the book was very brief for what it was. A book about tracking Mount Everest probably should have a bit more time on the mountain, but since this book was written In hindsight with no firsthand experience, other than the written records and artefacts left behind, we get a lot of hearsay and hypotheses.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Julie Summers and found that her reading, though suited to the subject, and the nationality of the individuals discussed, was not a reading voice I enjoyed listening to. I found her reading difficult to get into and it didn’t capture my interest well. To delivered a very stoic reading that mirrored the book and didn’t add any livelihood to help make it pop.
I found myself immediately thrown out of the story/book by the back-and-forth history provided for George and Sandy and the other mountaineers. I couldn’t keep up with the history and found myself not interested in Sandy’s cavorting pre-trip and the intense school rowing races…
I did find that the book headed stride when the group were finally at the mountain, but this part of the book was very brief for what it was. A book about tracking Mount Everest probably should have a bit more time on the mountain, but since this book was written In hindsight with no firsthand experience, other than the written records and artefacts left behind, we get a lot of hearsay and hypotheses.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Julie Summers and found that her reading, though suited to the subject, and the nationality of the individuals discussed, was not a reading voice I enjoyed listening to. I found her reading difficult to get into and it didn’t capture my interest well. To delivered a very stoic reading that mirrored the book and didn’t add any livelihood to help make it pop.
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