Lost on Everest: The Search for Mallory & Irvine

by Peter Firstbrook

Lost on The Search for Mallory & Irvine

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Mountaineering, Adventure, Survival, Travel, Biography

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Peter Firstbrook is author of The Voyage of the Matthew (about the explorer John Cabot), Lost on Everest (about George Mallory), and The Obamas: The Untold Story of an African Family. He worked for the BBC for twenty-five years as a television producer, director and executive producer, specializing in historical documentaries. He has won over thirty international awards, including on two occasions the Royal Television Society award for best documentary. He divides his time between London and the Isle of Wight.

Reviews

[Duane Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always been interested in the history of climbing Mt. Everest. It started when I was a young boy and read the story of the first successful summit in 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. That led me to more reading of the mountains history and I discovered the great story and mystery of George Mallory's and Andrew Irvine's disappearance on their summit attempt in 1924. As I write this some 90 years later, Mallory's body has now been found (1999). With all that we know today and with the eveidence that we have, it is almost a certainity that they never reached the summit that day. That doesn't diminish the compelling story at all, it still is the height of adventure and the strength of human will, the will to explore and achive the impossible.

I read this book several years ago, but the tragic loss of life in recent years reminds me that this isn't unusual, people have been dying on Everest for almost a 100 years now. The numbers are in the hundreds, but this is the story of two, Mallory and Irvine, and it is fascinating reading.

[Julian Worker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great unsolved mystery.

Did they? Didn't they?

We will almost certainly never find out.

Even if Andrew Irvine is found and he has the camera with him, it might well have been dark when they summited as they set off later than intended.

This is a great story, very well narrated, with a great cast of characters from the ages. How the expeditions of 1921, 1922, and 1924 ever reached so high wearing 'ordinary' clothing such as cotton undershirts and leather boots is incredible.

They were a different breed.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not that I can climb mountains, but I love reading about those who can. This book was fascinating. I was astounded to find out that only 1 in 5 people survive climbing Mt. Everest. If that fact is true, that fact is amazing. I almost gave my copy of the book away after reading it but then I held back because I may re-read this book later on. It was really interesting. "Why do you want to climb Mt. Everest? Because it's there" said Mallory rather snarkily. :-)

[CHILTONM · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Still counting this as marathon may) this is uhhhhh haunting lol. The book itself is fine, mostly just facts, but man at the end you just enter that place where it’s like: and then they were never seen again, and it took seventy years to find mallory’s body, and we don’t know where Irvine is, except for one report from a man who died the next day saying that he saw the body of an englishman on the mountain curled up by a rock as if asleep. The romanticism of Everest is one thing and it’s kinda an entirely different situation (people are so convinced Mallory reached the summit for reasons that seem totally divorced from fact, genuinely just blinded by what they saw then as his willpower and we see now as his sacrifice, bc if he made it, wouldn’t it have been worth it?) but at the end of the day what gets me about this is that two guys died on that mountain and it’s now a century later and we don’t know where one of them is. Sandy irvine was 22 lol. Mallory fell and he tried to catch him and the rope snapped and then he was alone and he’s still up there, somewhere, alone. Why would we ever climb a mountain? Maybe ligotti was right, consciousness WAS a mistake

[Rachel Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been interested in the climbing history of Mt. Everest since I was a little girl and read Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air. I loved hearing about the intense physical challenge that is Sagarmatha, and although I doubt I'll ever climb Everest myself, books along these lines are the reason I love mountains so much. Everyone is attracted by the thrill of reaching the summit, an obvious theme in Peter Firstbrook's Lost on Everest, the goal of which was to examine the 1924 Everest ascent of the now infamous George Mallory and Andrew "Sandy" Irvine.

The book certainly did give plenty of insight into Mallory's life, but not nearly enough on Irvine. I thought, given the title of the book, Firstbrook might actually explain both men's preparations for the ascent on Everest, but instead he devoted almost the entirety of the book to Mallory and almost none to Irvine. Plus, O never really had an opinion on Mallory before, but Firstbrooks' narrative seems to hold him in someone negative regard, calling him ill-prepared and blindly reckless, an opinion I never really held before but I can certainly understand now.

The first three-quarters of the book seemed a little scattered for this reason. Firstbrook tried to encompass all of Everest's climbing history with the history of Mallory (and somewhat of Irvine) while also tying in modern speculation about what could have happened on the 1924 expedition or what evidence we know about today. Lots of interesting stuff, sure, but none of it was organized in a way that made sense — and in many places

I would have preferred a book that focused solely on what the last couple of chapters were about: the discovery of Mallory's body and the search for Irvine's. That's what is so fascinating to me about Mt. Everest, that she never (well, rarely) gives up her dead. Firstbrook does an excellent job explaining the physical damage to Mallory's body and speculating on his last few minutes and hours, but I wanted more. I wanted to read about the moment the team discovered them, any forensic or physical studies they did to determine who it was and what happened to him — the nitty gritty of examining a body. That's what's fascinating to me. Firstbrook started to go down this route, but then the book ended abruptly and left much more to be desired. Luckily I've done my faire share of reading on Everest and I know more or less about them already, but I wished Firstbrook had really put a good ending on what happened to Mallory and Irvine, the first documented people who may have ever reached the top of Mt. Everest.

[Chiara Melli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Libro meraviglioso, bevuto in 3 serate... passate pure cercando in internet immagini, filmati, descrizioni, conferme... Per me che detesto il freddo, ho la nausea anche solo guardando fotografie di strapiombi e mi paralizzo in sentieri stretti vicino a pendii elevati è l'unico modo per immaginare luoghi magici (benché inospitali) e avventure in una natura così estrema. Posso soddisfare il mio amore per la montagna, ma stando comodamente al calduccio e al sicuro sotto una trapunta. Ho viaggiato con l'immaginazione grazie alle ottime descrizioni dell'autore e all'ausilio della tecnologia. Il libro presenta infatti un'unica pecca: il materiale di supporto (fotografie e cartine) è scarso, poco soddisfacente e pure poco nitido. Per il resto invece solo pregi: descrizioni perfette, resa degli stati d'animo verosimile, ricostruzione dei fatti accurata, numerose ipotesi plausibili, ricco di approfondimenti, aneddoti, spiegazioni tecniche e storiche riguardanti un pezzo di storia dell'alpinismo, ma anche della cartografia e dei rapporti politici tra gli stati dell'epoca. Raramente trovo libri capaci di stuzzicare curiosità, fantasia e il piacere di pensare e ragionare . Durante la lettura mi sono posta mille interrogativi e spesso nelle pagine successive trovavo una risposta, e con grande piacere notavo che le risposte provvisorie che mi ero data trovavano conferma. Continuavo pure a chiedermi come fosse possibile affrontare un'avventura così estrema con i mezzi scarsi del lontano 1924, quando anche oggi con mille agevolazioni (percorsi già tracciati e talvolta attrezzati, migliori confort, abbigliamento e tecnologie incomparabilmente superiori...) è parecchio arduo. La risposta: con passione, incoscienza e tenacia. Ho trovato una certa poesia nel fatto che il corpo di Mallory (ritrovato nel 1999) viene descritto come un tutt' uno con la montagna, quasi una statua di marmo bianco inglobata nel gigante che era stato sogno ed ossessione per il cocciuto (e sbadato) scalatore. Di contro mi ha fatto una certa impressione scoprire che la montagna è praticamente un cimitero a cielo aperto cosa che ha lasciato senza risposte l'interrogativo di sempre: come si può andare a rischiare la vita con tanta consapevolezza?

[Jeff Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the unexpected news that Sandy Irvine's boot had been discovered in Oct 2024, it felt only fitting that I should return to the 'Mallory' collection in my Library and select this book to re-read over the weekend.

By no means is it the best book on either Mallory or the three expeditions of the 1920's, but it is solid and holds the important final third where the search for, and subsequent discovery of, Mallory's body in 1999 is directly documented. If you only choose to read one - you could do much worse (and I mean you, Jeffrey Archer). It is detailed, accurate and Firstbrook conveys the harshness of the conditions well, repeatedly making the comparisons between the modern equipment they used for their expedition, and that of the cotton and wool layers of their predecessors.

Whether they made the summit or not (they did) will likely remain personal opinion, for even if the camera is ever found, it is likely that it would have been too dark for a picture to have been taken anyway. It is only a footnote, the final hours of his life do not tell the story of George Mallory and should not define the short life of Andrew Irvine. I'm pleased that in these modern times of disinformation, trolling and the general decline of society, the news story seems to have passed from the front pages quickly - maybe only the discovery of Irvine's body will finally lay the tale to rest...but from the limited information we have of location, it appears likely that he has moved at some point from his final resting place - blown by the ferocious winds or dragged by an avalanche. Everest will guard her secrets to the bitter end, but never should we allow ourselves to forget that these bodies were once men, the best of men, and they died in the most hostile, desolate and lonely of places.

[Tejas Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just completed reading "Lost on Everest: The Search for Mallory and Irvine." Difficult to explain why i care, but i do. Something about being human and conscious beings, i think.

While this book is in many ways too much a retelling of Everest mountain-climbing history, which didn't make for a compelling page-turner, it does seem a carefully, even lovingly, assembled chronological narrative that took some real, thoughtful skill to achieve.

Most interesting to me though is the author's mention of themes throughout that fascinate me about people's quest to attain the summit of Everest and other daunting peaks. Why do we humans seek to and care about attaining such almost impossibly difficult peaks?

I think it's perhaps for the same, insightful reason that JF Kennedy put into words about why we wanted to go to the moon and beyond. "We choose to do these things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard." That's my personal opinion.

Author Peter Firstbrook doesn't insert himself into this conversation anywhere in this book. And since that is my underlying motivation for reading books like this, I would have definitely appreciated some shared retrospection on this subject.

Instead, Firstbrook seems to just reflect, accept, and repeat the given viewpoint that these men were heroes. But were they? Perhaps.

We certainly seem to like, want, and need to see them as heroic. But really what did they accomplish by going to Everest and trying to reach the summit? Kind of a fool's errand in many respects. And yet, I think this is partly what truly defines us as human beings. Our quest for knowledge, for the unknown, for the summit, wherever it may lie.

Probably more like 3.5 stars, but i rounded up since i have affinity with the subject and author.

[Sue Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is almost several books in one. It describes the personalities of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine and how they became involved with the 1924 Mount Everest Climb. It gives a explanation showing how their personalities led to them to attempt the climb that eventually took their lives. The book also touches on the personal life of Mallory making him seem like more than just a mountain climber but also a man with a goal.

The book also gives a history of how Sherpas lead many in their attempts to reach the top of the mountain. It talks about the logistics of planning and preparing for the many climbs on Everest. Sometimes it is easy to forget how much preparation and how must passion is involved in every climb. It points out not only that there are many involved in a climb but also that climbers are from many different countries.

Lastly, it talks about the many that followed Mallory & Irvine. There were many that went in search of answers and also those that went because of their own desires. It is amazing to think that those climbers were not only pushing themselves but also trying to answer questions as to the death of the famous 1924 climbers. Parts of the book are very emotional like identifying the upper torso of a body that died nearly 75 years ago.

Overall, the book was interesting and amazing. It has parts that were so intense that it was hard to put down. There were other parts that seemed like a historical look at climbing. Still, the book made me get a sense for what it must feel like to attempt to climb this forbidding mountain and to achieve that goal.

[Heep · Rating 4 out of 5]

Myth has made Mallory into an Arthurian knight of the mountains - Everest's Galahad. Some facts about him cast this interpretation into doubt. This book, not my first on the topic, helped me appreciate this better than my previous reads. The writing is very spare and direct. It did a particularly good job capturing the drama and disorientation of the last days of the 1924 British Everest attempt. The loss of Mallory and Irvine was obviously a devastating blow to team members which stayed in their thoughts for the rest of their lives.

Mallory had displayed tremendous recklessness that contributed to the deaths of seven Sherpas during the 1922 Everest expedition. One wonders whether Mallory would have been offered a position on 1924 team if any of the victims had been British. He followed that experience with similar abandon in 1924. The loss of the stove at Camp 6 made it impossible to hydrate before and during the final summit push. Moreover, he also left his torch at the final camp and with it any reasonable prospect of navigating the then unknown terrain of the upper mountain after dark, even though the likelihood of that eventuality should have been self-evident.

Finally and most significantly, he chose a novice mountaineer as his partner for the "final" attempt. Some may challenge my assertion about Irvine's experience, but it is true. Compare it to virtually any member of the English 1933 Everest or 1950 French Annapurna expeditions, and his background was obviously woefully inadequate for the task at hand. In fact, virtually any other member of the 1924 team would have been better. I doubt Irvine knew that the venture was almost suicidal but any reasonable review of the facts makes this assessment clear, and his presence on the summit team made it even more so.

Mallory had been on the mountain on two prior lengthy expeditions and must have had an appreciation of the distances and climbing time required from Camp 6. It would be up to him to decide when to turn back, and the risk of continuing based on factors like the weather, distance, technical challenges and time. Irvine was not well-positioned to provide sound second-thought or to meaningfully challenge Mallory. One can only assume Mallory had wanted it that way, and was prepared to wager Irvine's life rather than choose a more seasoned partner. Much is made of Irvine's proficiency with the oxygen apparatus but others, like Noel Odell, had used this equipment effectively, were in better shape and had a lot more experience.

The whole British team share responsibility for what seems like a grave error of judgment. A number of team members had already questioned Irvine's fitness at that particular time as both altitude and severe sunburn had left him weakened. They did not assert themselves. The blame however chiefly lies with Mallory.

We can romanticize it all we want but this was extraordinarily rash. More mature judgment would have welcomed the sage presence of a more experienced partner.

The denouement played out on the summit attempt and is documented carefully in the book with appropriate circumspection. The best evidence shows that each climber had used an oxygen tank by the First Step, or about 4 hours from Camp 6. Odell's sighting at about 12:45 pm probably places Mallory and Irvine at the Second Step - possibly the Third. Mallory's body was found in 1999 a long way below that. It seems very likely that if the Second Step was surmounted by about 1p.m., the summit would have seemed tantalizingly close and inspired the pair to carry on. That said, they would probably have finished their oxygen supply by then and the distance to the summit (even with oxygen) takes longer than it looks. Getting to the top before sunset would have been a challenge, and thus the mortal peril on Everest so well documented in books like "Into Thin Air".

If the timing to get up the Second Step was any later than about 1 p.m., a decision to continue would have been reckless in the extreme - even with the limited knowledge of upper-Everest at that time. Unfortunately, it is very likely Mallory was that reckless given the available evidence, including the team's scant water supply and lack of artificial light. Any outcome but failure was by then unlikely. As his friend Geoffrey Winthrop Young said, albeit with the intent to inspire a glowing legacy, "... the accident occurred on the descent as most do, and if that is so, the peak was first climbed 'because Mallory was Mallory'."

The great French alpinist Lionel Terray entitled his autobiography "Conquistadors of the Useless", which is poignantly apt and self-aware, even for those who love the mountains and climbing. Perhaps Mallory's legacy deserves similar circumspection and should be downgraded a bit. He is the patron saint to many who have since lost lives to the questionable allure of immortality on Everest.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Haben George Mallory und Andrew Irvine den Gipfel des Mount Everest erreicht, bevor sie verunglückt sind oder nicht? Diese Frage beschäftigt die Welt der Bergsteiger seit fast hundert Jahren. Peter Firstbrook, Filmemacher und Autor zahlreicher Dokumentationen versucht in seinem Buch, dieser Frage auf den Grund zu gehen.

Für mich sagt das Cover des Buchs viel aus. Ein strahlender Sandy Irvine steht neben George Mallory, der fast schon verkrampft in die Kamera schaut. Er muss bei diesem dritten Versuch, den Gipfel zu erreichen, unter großem Druck gestanden haben. Für Sandy Irvine dagegen war es der erste "große" Berg, den er besteigen würde und dann auch noch der höchste Berg der Welt. Warum Mallory den unerfahrenen jungen Mann für das Erreichen des Gipfels ausgesucht hat, verstehen viele nicht. Jeder andere aus der Expedition wäre wahrscheinlich aufgrund seiner Erfahrung besser geeignet gewesen.

Ohnehin wäre die Gipfelbesteigung zum Scheitern verurteilt gewesen, denn viele Experten sind der Meinung, dass die Männer spätestens auf dem Rückweg erfroren wären- ihre Kleidung war für die Bedingungen in der Todeszone nicht geeignet. So, wie man Mallory fand, ist auch davon auszugehen, dass er erfroren und nicht bei einem Sturz ums Leben gekommen ist. Er war angeseilt, auf den Abstieg hinweist. Aber solange man Andy Irvine nicht findet, wird man nicht sagen können, ob die Männer vor oder nach dem Gipfel abgestiegen sind.

Das Buch erzählt nicht viel Neues, aber die Zusammenstellung hat mir einige Fragen beantwortet.

[Lucie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cawpile 6.29

The beginning about Mallory's early life and how he comes to love climbing mountains so much was interesting. The middle part about politics and war was boring and I had to push myself through it. The last and biggest part about all the first expedition to Everest and then the 1999 expedition to look for the bodies of Mallory and Irvine was the best part of the book. I wasn't expecting to cry when I picked this book up but I did. The photographs in the book were a nice touch and especially the photo of Mallory's body was really interesting as was the moment described in the book when they discovered him.

After finishing I am still left with questions like: Where is Irvine's body? Will it ever be found? What really happened to them? And finally, probably the most important question, DID THEY MAKE IT TO THE SUMMIT? Lots of people in the book say they will believe that Mallory and Irvine made it until proven otherwise and I decided to go with this too. I believe they could make it and unless there is 100% proof that they didn't, I will go with this.

And the last thing, I just really hope that in those final moments neither Mallory nor Irvine suffered too much. And I really wish they would one day find Irvine's body so we can have some kind of closure on his part either.

[Sarah Toll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, this is a wonderful book. The beauty lies in the last third, but it is so worth it. I've become obsessed, wondering if Mallory and Irvine made it.

Mallory, undoubtedly a maverick was at least found, whereas Irvine remains lost and possibly with him the answer to the million dollar question - did they reach the summit? I want to award them that accolade although the evidence put forward in this book is not robust enough to say they did with certainty.

If you fancy reading something you can have a good old debate with, with your mates, then this book will be a great one. Highly recommend if you like to learn about the endeavours of others.

[Aleksandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for anyone interested in one of the greatest mysteries of Mount Everest climbing.

Here’s one of my favourite excerpt to lure you into reading it:

“The men were given a grant of £50 towards their gear (later raised to £100 “if necessary'), but the choice of clothing was left to personal preference. They took tweeds and greatcoats as protection against the piercingly cold wind on the Tibetan plateau, woollen scarves and cardigans, home-knitted socks and their leather Alpine climbing boots. When George Bernard Shaw saw photographs from the early Everest expeditions he said the climbers looked like a group on a picnic in Connemara, surprised by a snowstorm.”

[Ananda Buckingham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an interesting story. It's crazy to think that these men made their way up Everest in that day in age with such primitive gear and clothing, and no knowledge of the route that would get them up to the summit. The details around Mallory & Irvines final ascent leave a perplexing mystery for sure. On one hand I want to read more about Everest but on the other hand the commercialization of it just seems frustrating.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstbrook humanizes all involved and presents a compelling, evidence based account of the climbs by Mallory and Irvine and others. A gripping account of the difficulties faced politically, geographically and in resources from attempts made since the 19th century to conquer Everest. He presents his research and leaves the reader to determine outcomes. Tragic, moving and inspiring.

[Claire O'Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little dry but thoroughly researched. A good read.

[Molly McNeil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t realise how much of a maverick George was pretty convinced they made it tho

[Maria Chiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meraviglioso, sono stata sull'Everest ❤️
Scrittura scorrevole, descrizioni particolareggiate ma non noiose.
Mi ha fatto venir voglia di andare a cercare il corpo del povero Irvine.
Top 🔝

[Fabrizio Picca · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing high altitude thriller, a story of bravery and perseverance, a must read for mountain lovers.

[Joc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Definitely recommend.

[L. Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstbrook uses the expedition to examine what happened to Mallory and Irving when they disappeared on their Everest summit attempt in 1924 to recount their history and what brought them to Everest. The discovery of Mallory's body by Conrad Anker in 1999. Engaging story telling reads like a whodunnit.

First read on 23 September 2015.

[Cognatious Thunk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once, long, long ago, I watched a documentary on mountaineering, and it mentioned Mallory and Irvine's deaths and how it influenced later climbs. It was nice to finally flesh out my vague awareness of them, although it turns out I have very little interest in climbing expeditions. This is a passable and engaging read, if you have any curiosity about the duo.

[Edward H. Busse, III · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book because as an amateur observer of mountaineering, I've always known about the story of Mallory and Irvine but never knew the details. Now I know. Mr. Firstbrook did an excellent job of giving us all the necessary background on George Mallory and Sandy Irvine and how they arrived on Everest in 1924. He gives you just enough details about the travel necessary to get to Everest, the equipment, the previous expeditions, clothing, weather, the climbers, the geography, the topography, the geo-politics, the nationalism, etc, etc to fully understand what the men and women (not too many of these were involved) went through in their pursuit of this peak. Of course, the mountain was finally conquered in 1953 by Sir. Edmund HIllary ad Sherpa Tenzing Norgay but their success built on all the work done by the earlier attempts at the mountain including the work of Mallory. I wasn't aware that Sandy Irvine was, quite frankly, a bit player in this drama but because he was with Mallory when they disappeared, his name is now inexorably tied to Mallory's for all time. Mr. Firstbrook also did a nice job of laying out what happened post-Mallory/Irvine disappearance - the expeditions by the Chinese, Russions, Japanese, Swiss and others. I had read previously in another publication about the 1999 expedition to search/find the bodies of Mallory and Irvine and this book did a nice job at filling in some blanks for me and refreshing my memory on a story that I've been interested in for a long, long time. BOTTOM LINE: an excellent book, great writing, not too much detail, good historical perspective.

[Jim Mcclanahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written by the producer of the joint BBC/Nova film of the same name. Presumably both the book and the film were released at the same time. The book is very well written and not only covers in detailed fashion the last days of Mallory and Irvine, but also describes their early life, Mallory's trials and tribulations, the history of climbing on the mountain and many fascinating geological and geographical details. Wonderfully done. And not in a jingoistic way.

I had always been of the (wishful) opinion that the pair had really made the summit in 1924 and we just haven't found evidence to prove it. But after reading of Mallory's mercurial nature and his lack of organizational skills, I am now somewhat conflicted. I feel sure that he had the technical ability of a mountaineer of the time to make the summit. But I wonder if all the cards were stacked against him, most of which took the form of a lack of experience in the attempt. Hillary's 1953 successful climb had the benefit of many years of prior attempts and many lessons learned through bitter experience. Mallory didn't have that working for him.

Yet we will likely never know for sure. Even if Irvine's remains are found, as well as the elusive camera with (hopefully) intact latent images on film, it seems probable that if the two had made it to the top, it would have been after 7 P.M. (based on the time it takes modern climbers to negotiate the same route). If so, no photos would have been possible. Perhaps it's best that way. I can continue in my hope that they really did make the summit without being troubled by pesky contrary facts.

[Hillery · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of George Mallory, a member of the first three British expeditions to Mount Everest. On the third expedition in 1924 Mallory and his climbing partner Andrew Irvine were seen "going strong for the top", but disapeared in a snow storm never to be seen alive again. It is beleived by many that they did in deed reach the summit, but for lack of proof the mountain would not be conquered for certain until 1953 by Edmund Hillary. In 1999 the author was part of an expedition that returned to Everest searching for clues as to what happened that fateful day and amazingly they discovered the body of George Mallory.

[chucklesthescot · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book looks at the story of George Mallory and Sandy Irvine, the climbers who vanished on Everest in 1924. It investigates what may have happened to them and tells of the search for their bodies.

It was a decent read which shows the true danger of being on a mountain like Everest. I hope they can find the missing body and perhaps find the camera that will prove that they did not summit before Hillary and Tensing.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow start, fast finish. Extra points for the appendices, notes, bibliography, and index. Not as gripping as Krakauer's Into Thin Air but compelling evidence for the possibility that Mallory & Irvine reached the summit, or maybe they didn't.

[Batesharbuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really interesting to read after Jeffrey Archer's book. The bones of the story are there. I still don't know why anyone would feel that compelled to climb that high. I can't imagine how they did as well as they did with the crude equipment they had.

[Garrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great overview of Mallory's life and final attempt on Everest. Great presentation of the different theories regarding their deaths and whether or not they summited. I had a difficult time putting it down.