Product Description

In 1924, George Mallory and his companion Andrew Irvine disappeared during a valiant bid to reach the world’s highest summit. In May 1999 Mallory’s body was found, partly resolving the riddle of whether they succeeded in their bid, 29 years ahead of Hillary and Tenzing.
Peter and Leni Gillman assess the motives and goals of this inspirational yet complex figure, whose life was dominated by his two conflicting passions: his love for his wife Ruth, and Everest - forbidding, unclimbed, ‘the wildest dream’, as he called it. Drawing on family letters and helped by surviving members of the family, Peter and Leni Gillman present a powerful and affecting portrait of a man torn between competing desires, and the fatal choice he ultimately made.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #154715 in Books
• Published on: 2001-05-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Chris Smith, Mail on Sunday
'Mountaineering biography at its best ... A fascinating life, an interior journey coupled with exterior adventure, and well told, too'

Review
'A finely wrought and meticulously detailed biography of Mallory ... It is at once compelling and evocative' (Joe Simpson, author of TOUCHING THE VOID )

'A rich portrait of a man who defies facile categorisation ... The new biography is spot-on [about the climbing]' (Stephen Venables, Daily Telegraph )

'The Gillmans have produced a respectful and thoroughly researched account of Mallory's life' (Observer )

'This exemplary biography of Mallory, which draws upon much new material, puts the man in all his many perspectives... Strikingly well balanced' (Jan Morris, Spectator )

'It is a masterful achievement - impeccably researched, beautifully written and a delight to read. Without question the Gillmans have written a definitive biography of an utterly fascinating man' (Jon Krakauer )

'A poignant story, handsomely told' (Yorkshire Post )

'The most compelling read over 12 months ... Go out and buy it' (Ian Wooldridge, Daily Mail )

'Mountaineering biography at its best ... A fascinating life, an interior journey coupled with exterior adventure, and well told, too' (Chris Smith, Mail on Sunday )

Observer
'The Gillmans have produced a respectful and thoroughly researched account of Mallory's life'

Customer Reviews

Admirable
In a bookshop I idly picked this book up because I remembered vaguely that George Mallory had been to the same college as me and I wanted to read a description of him there. I have never been climbing and had always thought it an odd thing to do. Within a short space of time I became intrigued and then, at home, entranced by it, reading it twice straight off.

Why is it so good? It's beautifully-marshalled in terms of the material, the pace is right and the writers make it very clear what kind of man he was and what drove him. I found the accounts of the Everest attempts and the accompanying photographs absolutely haunting. Mallory and his colleagues stayed in my mind for a long time afterwards, and I have begun to understand something of the fascination with mountains. What more could you want from such a book?

An account of extraordinary strength and emotion
Peter and Leni Gillman have succeeded in capturing the true character of one of the greatest mountaineering legends of all time. This book is beautifully researched, meticulously chronicled and yet the narrative is fresh and compelling. If you want to read beyond the sensational accounts of the 1924 Everest expedition and find out more about the real George Mallory then consider this stunning biography and remarkable story.

An intelligently-written biography
I became interested in George Mallory when his body was discovered on Everest in 1999. I think that almost everyone knows his most famous quote: "Because it's there", but at school we learned about the 1953 expedition and Hillary and did not really touch on previous attempts at Everest.

This book is superby well-written and gives the reader real insight into Mallory and what drove him. As one reads, one can almost feel the charisma of Mallory himself. Not only was he an excellent climber but he was also accomplished at many other sports, a writer and took great interest in subjects as wide-ranging as art/literature, nature and politics. I find it quite intriguing to think that he may have been the inspiration for George in E.M.Forster's "A Room with a View."

The parts of the book describing George Mallory's climbing expeditions are perhaps the most gripping. I found the last few pages almost unbearable to read, knowing what was to come. And, after I finished the book, it really did keep me wondering - not just if Mallory and/or Irvine did reach the summit, but what was going through Mallory's head in his last few hours.

The only section of the book that I felt slightly uncomfortable with was the part relating George's possible affair/s while at Cambridge. Part of this was me feeling rather sorry for George as one gets the feeling that he was somewhat out of his depth here. Many young people have affairs or relationships in their youth that they may well regret later. While mention of this phase of George Mallory's life belongs in a biography, I could have done with slightly less detail. In contrast, the relationship between George and Ruth is beautifully portrayed - and illustrated via their letters.

This is a book to read if you are interested in mountains - of course - but also for anyone who is interested in the psychology of human endeavour.