Product Description

First published in 1956, The Ascent of Rum Doodle quickly became established as a mountaineering classic. As an outrageously funny spoof about the ascent of a 40,000-and-a-half-foot peak, many thought it inspired by the 1953 conquest of Everest. But Bowman had drawn on the flavour and tone of earlier adventures, of Bill Tilman and his 1937 account of the Nandi Devi expedition. The book's central and unforgettable character, Binder, is one of the finest creations in comic literature.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7331 in Books
• Published on: 2001-10-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Review
'Wonderful...Rum Doodle does for mountaineering what Three Men in a Boat did for Thames-going or Catch-22 did for the Second World War. It is simply an account of the leader of an expedition up Rum Doodle, a 40,000 and a half foot peak in the Himalayas, in the same way that Scoop is simply a tale about newsgathering in Africa. The tone is nearer to Pooter than anyone else I can think of, but the flavour is all W.E. Bowman's own.' Sunday Times

Synopsis
First published in 1956, The Ascent of Rum Doodle quickly became established as a mountaineering classic. As an outrageously funny spoof about the ascent of a 40,000-and-a-half-foot peak, many thought it inspired by the 1953 conquest of Everest. But Bowman had drawn on the flavour and tone of earlier adventures, of Bill Tilman and his 1937 account of the Nandi Devi expedition. The book's central and unforgettable character, Binder, is one of the finest creations in comic literature.

About the Author
W.E. Bowman (1912-1985) was a civil engineer who spent his free time hill-walking, painting and writing (unpublished) books on the Theory of Relativity. He was married with two children.

Customer Reviews

Muddling through in the best tradition of the Empire

"For most people, it appears, RUM DOODLE is the funniest book they have never heard of." - Bill Bryson, in the Introduction to THE ASCENT OF RUM DOODLE

Even if you've never climbed, or thought in your life to climb, an Asian massif, THE ASCENT OF RUM DOODLE is worth a couple of hours of your time. The book's author, W.E. Bowman, an English civil engineer, himself never ascended anything more challenging than the gentle slopes of England's Lake District. RUM DOODLE is, according to Bryson, a parody based on The Ascent Of Nanda Devi by H.W. Tilman (1937).

Rum Doodle is a forty-thousand foot peak in the fictional country of Yogistan. The narrative of the assault on its summit is told in the first person by the British expedition's leader, who's known to the reader only by his walkie-talkie pseudonym, Binder. (The time is presumably the mid-1950's when the volume was first published - no sat phones here.) The six others on the ascent team are: Burley, the commissaryman, Wish, the scientist, Jungle, the route-finder, Shute, the photographer, Constant, the translator, and Prone, the physician. It should come as no surprise that each is either incompetent or otherwise unsuitable for the mission. Binder himself is as about an unheroic and ineffectual as can be imagined; he has no concept of the leadership qualities required for an expedition on which the greatest dangers not posed by the mountain itself are the horrific, panic-inciting concoctions served up by the chief cook, Pong. Indeed, it's Binder's utter cluelessness that is the lynchpin of the story's humor.

I would politely disagree with Bryson that THE ASCENT OF RUM DOODLE "is the funniest book (most people) have never heard of." In my opinion, that honor goes to The Complete McAuslan by George MacDonald Fraser, which is, most assuredly, the most laugh-inspiring book I've ever read. But, THE ASCENT OF RUM DOODLE, at 171 pages, is a quick read in a small package amenable to inclusion in a backpack for the hike down into the Grand Canyon last week. During a longer than expected stop at Indian Gardens on the Bright Angel Trail, it, between the arrival of the mule trains, proved a most amusing, four-star diversion while I awaited someone ascending on foot from Phantom Ranch.

Very disappointing
I bought this book based on the number of excellent reviews written and the foreword by Bill Bryson. Having read a number of Bill Bryson books I thought this would keep me entertained. I was exceedingly let down. There are a few good moments but overall the book did not live up to its billing. A significant number of the jokes are writen in different ways but are essentially the same. I was left feeling happy that the book was quite short (<200 pages) which meant I could finish it quickly and move onto something more enjoyable.

A comedy masterpiece
I stumbled upon this book in an old second-hand bookshop, though why the previous owner chose to part with it is a mystery to me. It is absolutely hilarious from beginning to end. The way in which the loveable central character, Binder, never lets the catalogue of disasters get him down, and sees beyond the utter incompetence and laziness of his comrades - who are more interested in hypochondria or gastronomy than climbing a mountain - had me crying with laughter throughout. His blind optimism is touching and uplifting; and his eternal praise for the gruff porters - and mortal fear of offending the fearsome chef, Pong - is hilarious.

If you liked Diary of a Nobody or Three Men in a Boat, then you really will not fail with this book.