Penguins on Everest

by David Durkan

Author Davis Durkan explores the changing face of mountain expeditions. We follow Dave from his childhood in Wales via a roller-coaster ride up and down sea cliffs, via a silent war in the Persian Gulf to a frightening behind-the-scenes look at the NATO nuclear deterrent in his second home, Norway. His journey eventually leads him to the Himalayas in this funny yet poignant book.

186 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Zoe Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Mum met the author on a trip to Nepal. Interesting read, history and thoughts on mass market ascents of the World’s highest mountain.

[Marcus Krug · Rating 2 out of 5]

I met the David Durkan, the author in front of his shop in Tamel / Kathmandu. We had an interesting chat about hiking in the Himalayas. He told me about himself and his story, what brought him to this part of the world. And since I found the man quite intriguing, I bought his book.
The man seems an interesting figure, quite alright. Yet, his writing is not as compelling as his vita. It looks like he´s willing to share his story along with the history of commercial mountaineering in the Himalayas, but he fails to do so in a way that keeps you reading. I only finished the book because it as the only paperback in my backpack and my kindle ran out of juice in the mountains. There are two stars for some interesting facts brought across by uninspired writing.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the subject and his argument, and I found it a fascinating read, although not very well written.