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Some people have dreams that are so magnificent that if they were to achieve them, their place in history would be guaranteed. People like Christopher Columbus, Isaac Newton, Florence Nightingale, Thomas Edison, Nancy Astor, Charles Lindbergh, Amy Johnson, Edmund Hilary and Neil Armstrong—their unparalleled success has made their stories into legend.
But what if one man had such a dream, and once he’d achieved it, there was no proof that he had fulfilled his ambition?
Jeffrey Archer’s new novel, Paths of Glory, is the story of such a man—George Mallory. Born in 1886, he was a brilliant student who became part of the Bloomsbury Group at Cambridge in the early twentieth century and served in the Royal Garrison Artillery during World War I. After the war, he married, had three children, and would have spent the rest of his life as a schoolteacher, but for his love of mountain climbing.
Mallory once told a reporter that he wanted to climb Mt. Everest, “because it is there.” On his third try in 1924, at age thirty-seven, he was last seen four hundred feet from the top. His body was found in 1999, and it remains a mystery whether he and his climbing partner, Andrew Irvine, ever reached the summit.
In fact, not until you’ve turned the last page of Archer’s extraordinary novel will you be able to decide if George Mallory should be added to that list of legends, while another name would have to be removed. Paths of Glory is truly a triumph.
Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2009
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About the author
Jeffrey Archer
659 books12.5k followersJeffrey is published in 114 countries and more than 47 languages, with more than 750,000 5* reviews with international sales passing 275 million copies.
He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (nineteen times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries).
Jeffrey has been married for 53 years to Dame Mary Archer DBE. They have two sons, William and James, three grandsons and two granddaughters, and divide their time between homes in London, Cambridge and Mallorca.
He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (nineteen times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries).
Jeffrey has been married for 53 years to Dame Mary Archer DBE. They have two sons, William and James, three grandsons and two granddaughters, and divide their time between homes in London, Cambridge and Mallorca.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,474 reviews
June 16, 2012
This book was pretty atrocious. To be fair, the author does state at the beginning that it is a work of fiction, so perhaps it isn't fair to take issue with the extremely wide latitude Archer takes with the historical facts. Paths of Glory is a fictionalized account of the life of George Mallory and the British expeditions to Mount Everest in the 1920s. Some of Archer's fabrications are obviously for dramatic effect. While ridiculous, stories such as having George Mallory climb up the outside of the Eiffel Tower or climbing the bell tower in the Piazza San Marco to impress a girl might have been good stories if there were any truth to them. Other alterations in the history make no sense - why does Archer have the 1922 climbing expedition to Everest making a summit attempt in late June/early July, well into the monsoon season and impossible by any stretch of the imagination? What would have been wrong with using the real dates?
The book's bigger flaw, though, is that despite the embellishments the characters are flat and their speech stilted. Though they are in their 20s and 30s they all call each other "old chap" every other sentence to the point where it is distracting. Maybe this is accurate to the time period, maybe it isn't, but Archer wasn't that worried about accurate details anywhere else in the book, so he could have spared us here. The characters' motivations and thoughts lack substance. The real Mallory and his cohorts were much more complex and articulate. For anyone interested in the actual story, the biographies George Leigh Mallory: A Memoir and The Wildest Dream: The Biography of George Mallory are far more engaging.
The best thing about this book is the title, a phrase from Thomas Gray's poem "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" ("the paths of glory lead but to the grave"). Unfortunately, it's all downhill from there.
The book's bigger flaw, though, is that despite the embellishments the characters are flat and their speech stilted. Though they are in their 20s and 30s they all call each other "old chap" every other sentence to the point where it is distracting. Maybe this is accurate to the time period, maybe it isn't, but Archer wasn't that worried about accurate details anywhere else in the book, so he could have spared us here. The characters' motivations and thoughts lack substance. The real Mallory and his cohorts were much more complex and articulate. For anyone interested in the actual story, the biographies George Leigh Mallory: A Memoir and The Wildest Dream: The Biography of George Mallory are far more engaging.
The best thing about this book is the title, a phrase from Thomas Gray's poem "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" ("the paths of glory lead but to the grave"). Unfortunately, it's all downhill from there.
August 7, 2020
It was the summer of 1999,and a frozen body was discovered near the summit of Everest.This man had been dead for several decades.His name was George Mallory.
He was among the earliest mountaineers and was once asked why anyone would want to climb a mountain.He had famously replied,"because it's there."
Things didn't go according to plan for Mallory.He disappeared on Everest.But after his body was found,there was renewed speculation in the British press if he had reached the summit of Everest and had died on the way down.And if he,an Englishman,was the first man to scale Everest.
Archer's book is a fictionalized account of Mallory's life and his last,ill fated campaign.
However,Archer reaches his own conclusion regarding whether or not Mallory reached the summit.
An interesting book.
3.5 stars
He was among the earliest mountaineers and was once asked why anyone would want to climb a mountain.He had famously replied,"because it's there."
Things didn't go according to plan for Mallory.He disappeared on Everest.But after his body was found,there was renewed speculation in the British press if he had reached the summit of Everest and had died on the way down.And if he,an Englishman,was the first man to scale Everest.
Archer's book is a fictionalized account of Mallory's life and his last,ill fated campaign.
However,Archer reaches his own conclusion regarding whether or not Mallory reached the summit.
An interesting book.
3.5 stars
October 27, 2023
Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer is a fictional biography of George Mallory based on a lot of historical facts. I remember reading up about him in National Geographic magazine long ago, but I didn’t know much about his life. He attempted to climb Mount Everest in 1924. Though no one knows if he did actually conquer Everest.
Throughout reading this book, you are left with sad feeling knowing that the outcome of his attempt would be his death. His body was found in 1999. Jeffrey Archer presented Mallory as a proper Englishman and a man of integrity. This book was brilliantly written and offers a great window into an intriguing history.
This is such an inspiring story and I highly recommend to all...
Throughout reading this book, you are left with sad feeling knowing that the outcome of his attempt would be his death. His body was found in 1999. Jeffrey Archer presented Mallory as a proper Englishman and a man of integrity. This book was brilliantly written and offers a great window into an intriguing history.
This is such an inspiring story and I highly recommend to all...
July 7, 2011
This is a novel based on a historical event whose outcome is unknown.
George Mallory loved climbing mountains and he had a lifelong dream of climbing to the summit of Mt. Everest - 29,002 ft. He also wanted to be the first man to do so. He promised his wife he would only attempt the climb once and if it wasn't successful, he'd be content to let that "lover" go.
Funded by the Royal Geographic Society of Great Britain, the first expedition led by Mallory in 1921 wasn't successful. A few years later, in 1924, he led another expedition determined to be successful this time. But, George Mallory and another climber didn't return to camp as scheduled after leaving to make the last part of the climb to the summit. In fact, Mallory's body wasn't discovered until 1999. He died about 1500 ft. from the summit.
The question is, did he and the other climber die before making it to the "top of the world" or did they die after reaching the summit, but were unable to make it back to camp?
Paths of Glory is such a well-researched, well-written and very captivating "based on true events" story. The love of George and Ruth Mallory made the story even more endearing. I got really teary at the end and I don't do that easily; not even in movies.
History books record Sir Edmund Hillary as the first to make it to the summit of Mt. Everest in 1953. But, was that the truth?
I highly recommend reading Paths of Glory!!
George Mallory loved climbing mountains and he had a lifelong dream of climbing to the summit of Mt. Everest - 29,002 ft. He also wanted to be the first man to do so. He promised his wife he would only attempt the climb once and if it wasn't successful, he'd be content to let that "lover" go.
Funded by the Royal Geographic Society of Great Britain, the first expedition led by Mallory in 1921 wasn't successful. A few years later, in 1924, he led another expedition determined to be successful this time. But, George Mallory and another climber didn't return to camp as scheduled after leaving to make the last part of the climb to the summit. In fact, Mallory's body wasn't discovered until 1999. He died about 1500 ft. from the summit.
The question is, did he and the other climber die before making it to the "top of the world" or did they die after reaching the summit, but were unable to make it back to camp?
Paths of Glory is such a well-researched, well-written and very captivating "based on true events" story. The love of George and Ruth Mallory made the story even more endearing. I got really teary at the end and I don't do that easily; not even in movies.
History books record Sir Edmund Hillary as the first to make it to the summit of Mt. Everest in 1953. But, was that the truth?
I highly recommend reading Paths of Glory!!
July 8, 2014
My second Jeffrey Archer and I liked it. The first book I read by him was A Prisoner of Birth (3 stars) and it was a retelling of Alexander Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo (4 stars). Now this book is based on the life story of George Mallory (1886-1924) who was said to be the first human being who reached the top of Mt. Everest in 1924. He and his friend Andrew "Sandy" Irving disappeared that year and were last seen 800 vertical feet from the summit. Despite the many attempts prior, Mallory's body was only found in 1999 totally preserve in ice about 600 feet from the top. Whether he reached the top or not is still being debated and investigated up to now. If proven that he succeeded, he will unseat Sir Edmund Hillary (1919-2008).
Forget about the details of the mountain climbing though. This book is not a historical account of the climb and felt more like the love story of George Mallory and his wife Ruth Turner (1892-1942). The story opens when George was a little boy frolicking on the beach and without his family noticing, he walked towards a huge rock and when his pastor father saw him, the father did not run after his son because he was amazed that the boy was "very brave and did not have any hint of risk." Mallory lived a normal life as an English professor and dabbled on writing until he decided in 1924 to climb the Mount Everest. When asked why, he said "because it is there" and these 4 words are not very popular among mountaineers around the world.
Did Mallory succeed or fail in conquering Mt. Everest? We don't know, right? But did Jeffrey Archer make hints in his novel? Yes, he did. In my opinion the last letter that Mallory sent to Ruth revealed that he was not physically fit to climb anymore and "he was afraid to close his eyes because if he did, he knew that he might not be able to open it anymore" wrote Archer. What was Archer's basis? I don't know. According to Wiki, Mallory's daughter said that he must have succeeded because the photograph of Ruth was not found in Mallory's body. You see, Mallory loved his wife so much that he brought a photo of Ruth and promised his wife that he would put it on top of the mountain if he got there.
"Forgive me for it took me this long to realize that you are more important to me than life itself" was the last sentence in that letter by George Mallory to his wife Ruth Turner. Mallory was 37 years old when he disappeared on Mt. Everest.
George Mallory, sir, in my heart, I know you reached the top!
Forget about the details of the mountain climbing though. This book is not a historical account of the climb and felt more like the love story of George Mallory and his wife Ruth Turner (1892-1942). The story opens when George was a little boy frolicking on the beach and without his family noticing, he walked towards a huge rock and when his pastor father saw him, the father did not run after his son because he was amazed that the boy was "very brave and did not have any hint of risk." Mallory lived a normal life as an English professor and dabbled on writing until he decided in 1924 to climb the Mount Everest. When asked why, he said "because it is there" and these 4 words are not very popular among mountaineers around the world.
Did Mallory succeed or fail in conquering Mt. Everest? We don't know, right? But did Jeffrey Archer make hints in his novel? Yes, he did. In my opinion the last letter that Mallory sent to Ruth revealed that he was not physically fit to climb anymore and "he was afraid to close his eyes because if he did, he knew that he might not be able to open it anymore" wrote Archer. What was Archer's basis? I don't know. According to Wiki, Mallory's daughter said that he must have succeeded because the photograph of Ruth was not found in Mallory's body. You see, Mallory loved his wife so much that he brought a photo of Ruth and promised his wife that he would put it on top of the mountain if he got there.
"Forgive me for it took me this long to realize that you are more important to me than life itself" was the last sentence in that letter by George Mallory to his wife Ruth Turner. Mallory was 37 years old when he disappeared on Mt. Everest.
Regardless of whether he succeeded or not, the fact that his body was found only 600 meters before the summit is good enough for me. We all know that the ice is melting and it should be easier to reach the peak now compared to in 1924 when global warming was still unknown to many people.
George Mallory, sir, in my heart, I know you reached the top!
July 20, 2012
The book is a fictional biography of the life of George Mallory.
As someone who has read a bit about Mt. Everest, I knew the name, but didn’t know much about his life. He was British. Tried to be the first to summit Everest but died in the process. Some years later, his body was discovered to confirm that he had died on the mountain, but the mystery of whether he reached the top of world wasn’t solved.
The book focuses on his point of view as a young boy to this death on Everest at the age of 37. He was born to climb as indicated, not just by his climbs of famous mountains, but climbing the facades of buildings at Cambridge, Venice and New York City.
I don’t know how much is factual and how much is entirely made-up. I have no way of knowing and don’t care. I enjoyed the story right from the start. I didn’t want to put the book down but since I’m a slow reader, had to.
As I read, I kept asking myself why I did I like it? Why did I want to keep reading? I can’t say I came up with a satisfactory answer. It’s not the revelation at the end. We know how it ends.
I liked the style. I’ll call it light. It’s not heavy on extraneous details, though some are there.
There is a touching love story between Mallory and his wife Ruth. Fictionalized? I don’t know. And again I don’t care. The book is filled with letters from him to her while away at war or on his expeditions. It made me wish I were the sender or receiver.
There is humour. There is skulduggery. There are the details of the climbs and the decisions about who is involved.
In short it’s part love story and part adventure. It reminded me of reading Jules Verne’s Around The World In 80 Days.
I know a great many people despise Archer. I’m not one of them. I don’t know if you’ll enjoy the read, but I know did. Don’t ask me why. I can’t explain it.
As someone who has read a bit about Mt. Everest, I knew the name, but didn’t know much about his life. He was British. Tried to be the first to summit Everest but died in the process. Some years later, his body was discovered to confirm that he had died on the mountain, but the mystery of whether he reached the top of world wasn’t solved.
The book focuses on his point of view as a young boy to this death on Everest at the age of 37. He was born to climb as indicated, not just by his climbs of famous mountains, but climbing the facades of buildings at Cambridge, Venice and New York City.
I don’t know how much is factual and how much is entirely made-up. I have no way of knowing and don’t care. I enjoyed the story right from the start. I didn’t want to put the book down but since I’m a slow reader, had to.
As I read, I kept asking myself why I did I like it? Why did I want to keep reading? I can’t say I came up with a satisfactory answer. It’s not the revelation at the end. We know how it ends.
I liked the style. I’ll call it light. It’s not heavy on extraneous details, though some are there.
There is a touching love story between Mallory and his wife Ruth. Fictionalized? I don’t know. And again I don’t care. The book is filled with letters from him to her while away at war or on his expeditions. It made me wish I were the sender or receiver.
There is humour. There is skulduggery. There are the details of the climbs and the decisions about who is involved.
In short it’s part love story and part adventure. It reminded me of reading Jules Verne’s Around The World In 80 Days.
I know a great many people despise Archer. I’m not one of them. I don’t know if you’ll enjoy the read, but I know did. Don’t ask me why. I can’t explain it.
April 9, 2009
Although I enjoyed this book, as I do all Jeffrey Archer books, I was not compelled to read it every day. It was almost a chore to sit down to read this so it could get back to the library on time. Not my favourite of his.
December 18, 2016
This is a very enjoyable telling of George Mallory's story. Throughout it all you are left with a sad feeling knowing that the outcome of his last attempt to conquer Mount Everest would be his death (his body was finally found in 1999). This is a work of fiction based on a lot of historical facts, but obviously no one knows if he did actually conquer Everest - I won't leave a spoiler by revealing whether or not he gets to the Summit in this book. Something in me though says I believe he did make it to the summit. Whatever is the truth there is no doubting what a remarkable man George Mallory was. This book left me wanting to read more about George Mallory. A very interesting element of the story was the whole discussion of an amateur expedition as opposed to a professional one, and whether they should use oxygen in their pursuit. One is left wondering whether Mallory would have survived if George Finch (father of the actor Peter Finch) had been on this last expedition and hadn't fallen out with the Royal Geographical Society.
I would certainly recommend this book which is a light easy read!
I would certainly recommend this book which is a light easy read!
May 13, 2010
This is not a book I would normally read but someone in my book club wanted to review it and I was lent a copy so I decided to give it a go. I must say it surprised me. I liked it a great deal. I have never read Jeffery Archer before. His writing is not flowery but crisp, fast paced and human. I wasn’t familiar with the story of George Mallroy, who made the first attempts to climb Everest. Archer painted a picture of Mallroy as a man that was driven, honorable, loving, a climbers climber from the time he was a small child and self confident, perhaps to a fault. But the real story and perhaps the one that kept me in was his relationship to his wife. He wrote her every day when they were apart, even from a tent at the 40 below heights of Everest. They had three children together and he seemed to thrive on his family life. He was a bit scattered, usually late and disorganized. He ended up teaching school when he couldn’t get into a PHD program at Cambridge. His wife Ruth came from a wealthy family. Her father wanted to keep them in a life style in which she was accustomed. They weren’t socialites but appeared to be dedicated to home and family.
George climbed everything, including the Eiffel Tower (he spent time in a French jail for this) and the Basilica in the Pizza San Marco in Venice. (to impress Ruth before they were a couple) He narrowly escaped from the Italian Police. When you have climbed everything there is nothing left but Everest, especially when no one has ever done it before. After the first failed attempt when he had a sense of how foolhardy it was, how unpredictable the weather was, how difficult the breathing was at that altitude, how devastating it was to lose men in avalanches, how could he go back when he knew the dangers? It seemed selfish to me for him to jeopardize his life at the expense of his children and a woman who he professed so great a love. I chalk it up to self-confidence gone awry, especially since he was in uncharted territory. He thought he was subject to different rules because of his great strength and abilities. I believe he also got caught up in the push from others who wanted him to succeed and thought he could. I recommend it even to skeptics of Everest stories.
April 1, 2010
I really liked this book! It kept me anxious for whatever came next, and the book was like a magnet, keeping me glued onto its pages especially towards the thrilling end; I remmeber staying up till three o'clock in the morning (this morning) finishing the last page! It was hard to understand because it seemed like there were many characters at once entering the page and the writing was sophisticated for me; but I got used to it as I continued reading.
This book is a true story about an englishman named George Mallory, a born-to-be climber and daredevil if you ask me because he is not one to fear any height, and once set on a goal, he will always follow through. THere were pages of heartbreak and a moment for silence for the lives lost in the story, and I could only understand through movies how Ruth Mallory, the wife of George Mallory could have felt while Mr. Mallory has been gone for the many months to reach the summit of Chomolungma, the great mountain- Everest.
George Mallory really inspired me to continue with whatever dream I have through his own trial and errors and his will to continue. He was an inspiring person, and author Jeffery Archer is one heck of a storyteller. I can only recommend this book to you, so go out there and read this story!!
This book is a true story about an englishman named George Mallory, a born-to-be climber and daredevil if you ask me because he is not one to fear any height, and once set on a goal, he will always follow through. THere were pages of heartbreak and a moment for silence for the lives lost in the story, and I could only understand through movies how Ruth Mallory, the wife of George Mallory could have felt while Mr. Mallory has been gone for the many months to reach the summit of Chomolungma, the great mountain- Everest.
George Mallory really inspired me to continue with whatever dream I have through his own trial and errors and his will to continue. He was an inspiring person, and author Jeffery Archer is one heck of a storyteller. I can only recommend this book to you, so go out there and read this story!!
October 1, 2010
Paths to Glory is a stylized history of the legendary mountain climber George Mallory, told in novel form and taking incredible liberties.
Let's begin by discussing George Mallory and why readers might care about him. Mallory was the British mountaineer who, when asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest, stated, "Because it's there." He failed in his first attempt to climb the mountain and vanished on his second--a mystery which was not solved for 75 years.
Mallory's life and death are the stuff of legend--or in Jeffrey Archer's case, novels.
In Paths of Glory, Archer takes the many things that are known about Mallory's extraordinary life and fleshes them out in a smooth and highly embellished narrative. Frankly, Archer's approach brings the exciting story of a man obsessed with reaching the "roof of the world" to life. Instead of explaining what happened, Archer's unbound approach allows him to recreate conversations and describe emotions. This, of course, he does quite well. He is an accomplished novelist.
Paths of Glory was not perfect. Despite his efforts, Archer was not able to bring Mallory out in the flesh. He presented Mallory as a proper Englishman and a man of integrity; but other characters such as fellow climber George Finch came across more red-blooded.
That said, this book was brilliantly written and offers a great window into an intriguing history.
Let's begin by discussing George Mallory and why readers might care about him. Mallory was the British mountaineer who, when asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest, stated, "Because it's there." He failed in his first attempt to climb the mountain and vanished on his second--a mystery which was not solved for 75 years.
Mallory's life and death are the stuff of legend--or in Jeffrey Archer's case, novels.
In Paths of Glory, Archer takes the many things that are known about Mallory's extraordinary life and fleshes them out in a smooth and highly embellished narrative. Frankly, Archer's approach brings the exciting story of a man obsessed with reaching the "roof of the world" to life. Instead of explaining what happened, Archer's unbound approach allows him to recreate conversations and describe emotions. This, of course, he does quite well. He is an accomplished novelist.
Paths of Glory was not perfect. Despite his efforts, Archer was not able to bring Mallory out in the flesh. He presented Mallory as a proper Englishman and a man of integrity; but other characters such as fellow climber George Finch came across more red-blooded.
That said, this book was brilliantly written and offers a great window into an intriguing history.
July 8, 2020
Am in so much awe of this story words wont be enough.... George Mallory scaled unbelievable heights and I feel certain he is the man to be the first on Chomolungma ... Based on true events this is such an inspiring story where i feel every dream cannot be accomplished unless you have supportive family, friends and an amazing life partner ....
February 27, 2021
Unlike a few other reviewers I didn’t bother to dissect Paths of Glory I just enjoyed it for what it is.. A work of fiction!
I loved the characters and settled quite happily into the slower Timezone of the period in which it was set.
I loved the characters and settled quite happily into the slower Timezone of the period in which it was set.
October 17, 2025
Rašytojas moka įtraukiančiai rašyti. Visad skaitydama jaučiau nerimą ir širdies sopulį.
Buvo tarpai, kai pasijautė nuobodulys, bet visumoj knyga verta skaitymo laiko.
Buvo tarpai, kai pasijautė nuobodulys, bet visumoj knyga verta skaitymo laiko.
August 18, 2017
3.7 stars rounded to 5 :P
July 8, 2018
Paths of Glory by Jefferey Archer is the Life story of George Herbert Leigh Mallory, an English mountaineer who lost his life in an attempt climb the Everest. The words of Archer take us on the cold and hard journey with Mallory.
The published story created a controversy in few places around the World, New Zealand in particular for major factual errors, which made the book less popular than Archer’s other works, but it didn’t stop to deliver the clichés of Archer. It had the overwhelming emotions spurting out of his words.
With Mallory in this book, we take many journeys through several summit including his historical journey to the top of Everest, the one that claimed his life and the one from which he never came back alive. Along with Mallory, we endured the cruel nights at the first base of the summit, breathless stumbles along the second base, gruelling days that were disappointing in more than one way and his final ascend and suffocated along with him in the thick layer of snow. The ending leaves us with the kind of emptiness that one will find when they fail at something that they have pushed their limits for. It didn’t make it any better to know that a living, breathing human being went through all those ordeals only to give it all up with his life. The fact also made the controversy much more understandable as the factual errors on Mallory’s life would tarnish the memory of him.
Keeping the factual errors aside, Archer didn’t disappoint in delivering an amazing story of an even amazing human being who died doing what he loved and creating history while doing so.
October 11, 2018
I call it a love story - Gregory Mallory's love for mountains and his wife Ruth; that's what the story is about.
The book has some of JA's usual elements and the reader cannot put the book down once started - except when you feel cold. The description of climbing the mountain is too vivid and it sends chills down your spine, literally.
A masterpiece by JA. Enough said.
P.S. I read it as a fiction. Factual errors don't bother me - not that I was aware of any :D
The book has some of JA's usual elements and the reader cannot put the book down once started - except when you feel cold. The description of climbing the mountain is too vivid and it sends chills down your spine, literally.
A masterpiece by JA. Enough said.
P.S. I read it as a fiction. Factual errors don't bother me - not that I was aware of any :D
June 6, 2019
There's a whole lot of man love in this fictionalisation of the life of George Mallory. Mallory is portrayed as a super capable mountaineer, loving faithful husband and doyen of all things English in the golden age of 20th century exploration. It's a gilded picture of a man and of the times. It's a pity because the story is fascinating.
May 30, 2025
It was a bit dry for me
May 13, 2025
In Mallory's words: "You bastard."
As a firm believer of Karma, I staunchly believe that Archer penned this book specifically for me, for every instance I sneaked a peek at the end of a chapter, the last page of a book, or begged a friend for a spoiler.
Never again.
What do you do when the end of the book is given away on the very first page and reads back in reverse (in the most brilliant way possible, might I add)? You praise and curse Archer, rant and rave, and finish the book, then stare into the void and contemplate life.
Or write a Goodreads review and cut one star off out of sheer spite.
Do I recommend this book? 10/10. The world needs to know George Mallory. And his wife Ruth.
As a firm believer of Karma, I staunchly believe that Archer penned this book specifically for me, for every instance I sneaked a peek at the end of a chapter, the last page of a book, or begged a friend for a spoiler.
Never again.
What do you do when the end of the book is given away on the very first page and reads back in reverse (in the most brilliant way possible, might I add)? You praise and curse Archer, rant and rave, and finish the book, then stare into the void and contemplate life.
Or write a Goodreads review and cut one star off out of sheer spite.
Do I recommend this book? 10/10. The world needs to know George Mallory. And his wife Ruth.
May 13, 2022
Brits and Kiwis will resonate with an engrossing Jeffrey Archer novel I’ve just read. It makes the reader question whether Hillary and Tenzing conquered Mount Everest first.
A true-life adventure/mystery/romance, this novel is billed as “The story of a man who loved two women” – one of those women being the 29,032ft high mountain the Sherpas call Chomolungma.
‘Paths of Glory’ is a captivating dramatization of Englishman Sir George Mallory’s two attempts to become the first to climb Everest in the early 1900’s. The second attempt, in 1922, resulted in the deaths of Mallory and his climbing partner Sandy Irvine after they were last sighted barely more than 2000ft from the summit.
Archer, superb as usual, conveys to this reader at least he believes it very likely Mallory and Irvine reached the summit. Regardless, their efforts demand respect given they literally ventured into the unknown. The author reminds us no-one in that era even knew if Man could survive at such an altitude. And the fixed ropes and ice ladders that aid today’s mountaineers were conspicuous by their absence.
Archer also reminds readers how unsophisticated climbers’ kit was back in the day. His descriptions of the gear worn and carried by mountaineers are almost comical with references to woolen waistcoats knitted by wives and aunts, woolen scarves and gloves knitted by girlfriends, and fliers’ headgear purchased from second hand stores.
‘Paths of Glory’ is a captivating read – right up there with Archer’s best. He reveals that George Mallory promised his wife Ruth he’d leave a photo of her on Everest’s summit. The photo was not in his wallet when his body was discovered on May 1st, 1999 at 26,760ft., and “to this day the climbing fraternity are divided” over whether he was the first person to conquer Everest. “Few doubt that he was capable of doing so,” writes the author.
In a poignant footnote, Archer writes: “At 5.30am on May 14th, 1995, Mallory’s grandson George Lee Mallory II, placed a laminated photo of his grandparents, George and Ruth, on the summit of Everest, (later commenting) “He was completing a little outstanding family business.”
I highly recommend this 5-star read!
Note: According to Wikipedia, “Sir Edmund Hillary, who with Tenzing Norgay is credited with reaching the Everest summit first, welcomed news of the discovery of Mallory's body and described as ‘very appropriate’ the possibility that Mallory might turn out to have summited decades earlier (than Hillary did).”
A true-life adventure/mystery/romance, this novel is billed as “The story of a man who loved two women” – one of those women being the 29,032ft high mountain the Sherpas call Chomolungma.
‘Paths of Glory’ is a captivating dramatization of Englishman Sir George Mallory’s two attempts to become the first to climb Everest in the early 1900’s. The second attempt, in 1922, resulted in the deaths of Mallory and his climbing partner Sandy Irvine after they were last sighted barely more than 2000ft from the summit.
Archer, superb as usual, conveys to this reader at least he believes it very likely Mallory and Irvine reached the summit. Regardless, their efforts demand respect given they literally ventured into the unknown. The author reminds us no-one in that era even knew if Man could survive at such an altitude. And the fixed ropes and ice ladders that aid today’s mountaineers were conspicuous by their absence.
Archer also reminds readers how unsophisticated climbers’ kit was back in the day. His descriptions of the gear worn and carried by mountaineers are almost comical with references to woolen waistcoats knitted by wives and aunts, woolen scarves and gloves knitted by girlfriends, and fliers’ headgear purchased from second hand stores.
‘Paths of Glory’ is a captivating read – right up there with Archer’s best. He reveals that George Mallory promised his wife Ruth he’d leave a photo of her on Everest’s summit. The photo was not in his wallet when his body was discovered on May 1st, 1999 at 26,760ft., and “to this day the climbing fraternity are divided” over whether he was the first person to conquer Everest. “Few doubt that he was capable of doing so,” writes the author.
In a poignant footnote, Archer writes: “At 5.30am on May 14th, 1995, Mallory’s grandson George Lee Mallory II, placed a laminated photo of his grandparents, George and Ruth, on the summit of Everest, (later commenting) “He was completing a little outstanding family business.”
I highly recommend this 5-star read!
Note: According to Wikipedia, “Sir Edmund Hillary, who with Tenzing Norgay is credited with reaching the Everest summit first, welcomed news of the discovery of Mallory's body and described as ‘very appropriate’ the possibility that Mallory might turn out to have summited decades earlier (than Hillary did).”
May 31, 2011
Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer is based on a true story. It is the story of George Mallory who dreamed of conquering the Everest and perished on his third attempt. On searching about it in Google, I found that his body was found in 1999, and it still remains a mystery whether he ever reached the summit. He was last seen six hundred feet from the top.
Story Summary from the book:
Some people have dreams that are so magnificent that if they were to achieve them, their place in history would be guaranteed. Francis Drake, Robert Scott, Charles Lindbergh, Amy Johnson, Edmund Hilary, Neil Armstrong, and Lewis and Clark are among such individuals. But what if one man had such a dream, and once he’d fulfilled it, there was no proof that he had achieved his ambition?
Paths of Glory, is the story of such a man. But only after you’ve turned the last page of this extraordinary novel, inspired by a true story, will you be able to decide if George Mallory’s name should be added to the list of legends, in which case another name would have to be removed.
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The book summary speaks pretty much a lot about the content of the book. The cover page of the book also said, 'He loved two women and the second one killed him'. That was intriguing at first, but soon I figured out who this second lady was.
The book starts with George Mallory and how even as a kid, he showed his natural talent for climbing. He is married to the love of his life and is blessed with two daughters and a son. After his education is finished he takes up a job as a school master. But his passion for climbing never dims or dies. The novel also touches on the horrors of World War I and how life of common people were affected by it. What, I liked about the novel was the love Mallory had for his wife and how they wrote letters to each other when Mallory was off to his Everest expeditions. In fact, a good part of the novel is told in the letters they write to each other. But, in the end Mt. Everest proved to be tough lady to please and whether Mallory reached the top or not remained a mystery and a controversy. But, in the end, Archer made clear what he felt the truth was.
The writing style is average and Mallory is portrayed as a hero throughout even though there are other fellow climbers who seem quite good. There are some shallow details about the adversaries of nature on high altitudes, the preparation involved in mountaineering and the perils involved but all that did not make the story more convincing for me. To me it sounded more fictional than real.When you read something involving adventures, it should make you excited as well. This book failed to ignite that excitement. The book is different from all the other books I have read of the author. It is kind of rather slow paced than I would like it to be.
I was not amazed or annoyed by it. For me it falls into the average quick read.
Story Summary from the book:
Some people have dreams that are so magnificent that if they were to achieve them, their place in history would be guaranteed. Francis Drake, Robert Scott, Charles Lindbergh, Amy Johnson, Edmund Hilary, Neil Armstrong, and Lewis and Clark are among such individuals. But what if one man had such a dream, and once he’d fulfilled it, there was no proof that he had achieved his ambition?
Paths of Glory, is the story of such a man. But only after you’ve turned the last page of this extraordinary novel, inspired by a true story, will you be able to decide if George Mallory’s name should be added to the list of legends, in which case another name would have to be removed.
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The book summary speaks pretty much a lot about the content of the book. The cover page of the book also said, 'He loved two women and the second one killed him'. That was intriguing at first, but soon I figured out who this second lady was.
The book starts with George Mallory and how even as a kid, he showed his natural talent for climbing. He is married to the love of his life and is blessed with two daughters and a son. After his education is finished he takes up a job as a school master. But his passion for climbing never dims or dies. The novel also touches on the horrors of World War I and how life of common people were affected by it. What, I liked about the novel was the love Mallory had for his wife and how they wrote letters to each other when Mallory was off to his Everest expeditions. In fact, a good part of the novel is told in the letters they write to each other. But, in the end Mt. Everest proved to be tough lady to please and whether Mallory reached the top or not remained a mystery and a controversy. But, in the end, Archer made clear what he felt the truth was.
The writing style is average and Mallory is portrayed as a hero throughout even though there are other fellow climbers who seem quite good. There are some shallow details about the adversaries of nature on high altitudes, the preparation involved in mountaineering and the perils involved but all that did not make the story more convincing for me. To me it sounded more fictional than real.When you read something involving adventures, it should make you excited as well. This book failed to ignite that excitement. The book is different from all the other books I have read of the author. It is kind of rather slow paced than I would like it to be.
I was not amazed or annoyed by it. For me it falls into the average quick read.
April 25, 2019
Tengo que reconocer que "La Senda..." terminó mucho mejor de lo que esperaba.
May 12, 2025
Fantastic narrative of George Mallory's ascent to Mount Everest. Archer's writing style is brilliant and one can imagine oneself right next to Mallory as he takes one step after the other. Someone suggested this book to me and I am glad I read it - mountaineers are truly made out of something else - I had shivers running down my spine as Mallory kept ascending!
March 4, 2010
Paths of Glory is a fictionalized account of George Mallory, a mountaineer who tried to conquer the Mount Everest in 1924, but nobody knows whether he succeeded because he died during that attempt. It is not confirmed whether Mallory died on the way down (which makes him the first man to have scaled Mount Everest) or on the way up. Many people believe that Mallory died before he climbed the highest point. Jeffrey Archer thinks otherwise. A newspaper in New Zealand called Archer’s book an insult to Sir Edmund Hillary, who is hailed as the first man to reach the top of the world.
This book is Archer’s take on this mystery. The book opens with the discovery of Mallory’s body on the mountain, so there is no need to guess the hero’s fate later in the book. Archer builds up readers’ confidence in Mallory by depicting him as a man with special skills. He shows Mallory as a courageous kid who doesn’t know what fear means. He portrays Mallory’s character in such a way that it is hard for the readers to believe that Mallory can fail at anything.
Keeping the mystery and the controversies aside, this book is an entertaining read. Archer is a wonderful story teller and knows how he should paint his characters so as to please his readers. He knows when to end a chapter to ensure that the reader hops onto the next one without any interval. I have always liked Archer for his gift of engaging his readers in an entertaining story with interesting characters. Reading Archer is like watching a Hindi masala movie – quick, entertaining and thrilling. This might not be the best book of Jeffrey Archer, but it still is a good book to read.
This book is Archer’s take on this mystery. The book opens with the discovery of Mallory’s body on the mountain, so there is no need to guess the hero’s fate later in the book. Archer builds up readers’ confidence in Mallory by depicting him as a man with special skills. He shows Mallory as a courageous kid who doesn’t know what fear means. He portrays Mallory’s character in such a way that it is hard for the readers to believe that Mallory can fail at anything.
Keeping the mystery and the controversies aside, this book is an entertaining read. Archer is a wonderful story teller and knows how he should paint his characters so as to please his readers. He knows when to end a chapter to ensure that the reader hops onto the next one without any interval. I have always liked Archer for his gift of engaging his readers in an entertaining story with interesting characters. Reading Archer is like watching a Hindi masala movie – quick, entertaining and thrilling. This might not be the best book of Jeffrey Archer, but it still is a good book to read.
April 9, 2013
'Paths of Glory' is a fictionalised account of George Leigh Mallory's life upto his final disappearance attempting to summit Everest. I was concerned about losing my affinity to non-romance novels, but as it turns out, this was definitely the wrong Archer to pick.
Reading about a great man attempting great deeds, I was curiously left untouched and uninspired. The problem isn't the average writing; rather, it was the failure to get a glimpse into Mallory's psyche. From the get-go, the young Mallory was portrayed as fearless, reckless and a prodigious climber- leaving the bystanders in awe of his climbing skills.
There are interesting smidgens of his younger days- his progress scaling mountains throughout Europe, the trials involving at higher altitudes in dangerous terrain, but they failed to hold my interest for long. In accord with my fellow reviewer, I can say the most memorable thing about this book is the quote at the very start-
The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,
Awaits alike th' inevitable hour:-
The paths of glory lead but to the grave.
September 17, 2020
This was my first book by Archer and I liked it though it was nothing incredibly special. I had previously never heard of George Mallory and his attempts to ascend Everest in the 1920’s so I do not know how accurate this work of fiction on his life ultimately is. I found nothing that was majorly wrong or that I did not like, yet there was nothing that made it all that brilliant. Yes, it could have been better, yet it also could have been a lot worse. I did find the quote that was on my edition “He loved two women… and one of them killed him.” It took me a little bit to figure out who the second woman was, until it dawned on me that it was Mount Everest itself, who is referred to as the Goddess Mother of Earth. Not a bad read on a historical figure. 7.5/10
January 26, 2015
Very much enjoyed the book. Great plot and suspense as usual in a Jeffrey Archer book. Couldn't put the book down. Loved that it was based on a true story and I learned a number of things I never new about mountain climbing - the hardship, the weather, the teamwork, the technical issues, the passion etc. There was also some romance and true love in the mix. Very much an inspirational book. I was moved by the passion and commitment of George Mallory in pursuing his dream and of his wife Ruth's love for her husband in supporting that dream. A great read!!
August 7, 2021
Συνήθως απολαμβάνω τα μυθιστορήματα του Jeffrey Archer, αλλά δεν μπορούσα πραγματικά να γίνω "μερος" στο συγκεκριμένο. Η ιστορία ήταν μια βιογραφία του George Mallory, του ανθρώπου που πιστεύεται ότι ήταν ο πρώτος που έφτασε στην κορυφή του Έβερεστ. Βρήκα αυτό το βιβλίο πολύ κουραστικό μερικές φορές. Το πιο ενδιαφέρον μέρος του βιβλίου ήταν ο Επίλογος στο τέλος που μας αναφέρει τι συνέβη σε όλους τους ανθρώπους που αναφέρονται στο βιβλίο. Ελπίζω ότι το επόμενο μυθιστόρημα του Archer που θα διαβάσω θα επιστρέψει στα συνηθισμένα πρότυπά του.
April 5, 2022
I love historical fictions. But I can't say I enjoyed this one cover to cover...it was really difficult for me to connect with first few chapters of the book. But then...to put it in better ways - I'd say, I got acclimatized to the weather (book). What a tragic yet heroic fellow Mr.Mallory was! I googled about the real person and read a little bit about him after I finished reading the book. It saddens me to think he died so early and just a few steps away from his paths of glory even after achieving the non-achievable.
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