Synopses & Reviews
The first successful ascent of Mount Everest in 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa teammate Tenzing Norgay is a familiar saga, but less well known are the tales of many other adventurers who also came to test their skills and courage against the worldand#8217;s highest and most dangerous mountains. In this lively and generously illustrated book, historians Maurice Isserman and Stewart Weaver present the first comprehensive history of Himalayan mountaineering in fifty years. They offer detailed, original accounts of the most significant climbs since the 1890s, and they compellingly evoke the social and cultural worlds that gave rise to those expeditions.
The book recounts the adventures of such figures as Martin Conway, who led the first authentic Himalayan climbing expedition in 1892; Fanny Bullock Workman, the pioneer explorer of the Karakoram range; George Mallory, the romantic martyr of Mount Everest fame; Charlie Houston, who led American expeditions to K2 in the 1930s and 1950s; Ang Tharkay, the legendary Sherpa, and many others. Throughout, the authors discuss the effects of political and social change on the world of mountaineering, and they offer a penetrating analysis of a culture that once emphasized teamwork and fellowship among climbers, but now has been eclipsed by a scramble for individual fame and glory.
Review
and#8220;Isserman and Weaver, both unassuming wanderers of high hills, have pulled off a great first ascent: a scholarly, grippingly readable history of Himalayan mountaineering that not only captures the tenuous essence of great successes and failures, but places the accounts of these climbs into historical context.and#8221;and#8212;Tom Hornbein, author ofandnbsp;
Everest: The West RidgeReview
and#8220;This would be a great first book to expose a reader to the amazing stories and sacrifices held within the body of mountaineering literature. Additionally, the historian, scholar, and collector will delight in the unique, in-depth look at the evolution of climbing, and its driving factors, in the Himalaya.and#8221;and#8212;Greg Glade, owner, Top of the World Books
Review
and#8220;This will be the definitive history of mountaineering in the Himalaya, clear, free of jargon, and readable, and so thorough that it will not be worth anyone's time to repeat this effort."and#8212;Nick Clinch, leader, 1958 American Hidden Peak expedition, and past president, American Alpine Club
andnbsp;
Review
"This would be a great first book to expose a reader to the amazing stories and sacrifices held within the body of mountaineering literature. Additionally, the historian, scholar, and collector will delight in the unique, in-depth look at the evolution of climbing, and its driving factors, in the Himalaya."-Greg Glade, owner, Top of the World Books
(Greg Glade)
Review
"This survey history establishes base camp for readers interested in the history of Himalayan climbing expeditions. Its strength lies in the way it puts each undertaking within the context of evolving styles of high-altitude mountaineering."and#8212;Booklist
Review
"Fallen Giants is the book of a lifetime . . . an awe-inspiring work of history and storytelling. . . . Armchair mountaineers will give the book pride of place in their collections."and#8212;Bruce Barcott, New York Times Book Review
Review
"Heroism, death, and drama abound. . . . The author's thoroughness and range make this hefty volume nearly encyclopedic in scope; the details on the 'how' of climbing, the no-margin-for-error experience, and the bonus of Vittorio Sella's unmatched photographs make for a great book."and#8212;Foreward Magazine (Outstanding University Press Books 2008)
Review
". . . Filled to bursting with lively accounts, prodigious research, and a welcome dash of dry humor, this essential volume makes clear that the saga of mountaineering is, as the authors say, more than the record of one damn peak after another."The Atlantic Monthly
Review
and#8220;In
Fallen Giants:andnbsp;A History of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes, Maurice Isserman and Stewart Weaver share unforgettable stories of the history of the worldand#8217;s highest peaks and the climbers who challenged their lofty summits.andnbsp;Their in-depth research gives us unique insights into previously unknown controversies, mysteries, and dramas.andnbsp;This thoughtful book, from a scholarly perspective, introduces us to the greatest peaks and personalities of mountaineering.andnbsp;The new information, intriguing details, insightful interpretations and dry humor make this a must read for armchair mountaineers as well as all who aspire to the heights.and#8221;and#8212;Arlene Blum, author of
Breaking Trail: A Climbing Lifeandnbsp;
Review
and#8220;Fallen Giants captures the spirit of Himalayan climbing.andnbsp;It is wonderfully written and will become an indispensable reference.and#8221;and#8212;Charles S. Houston, co-author ofandnbsp; K2:andnbsp; The Savage Mountain
Review
"This book fills a void in the history of mountaineering, and it will appeal not only to climbers but also historians. The authors have done a prodigious amount of research."and#8212;John T. Reilly, Mount Saint Mary College
Review
"It's difficult to find fault with this exceptionally well-written tome, a must-read for any fan of climbing literature."and#8212;Kathleen A. Ervin, Failure
Review
"A deeply researched and comprehensive treatment of mountaineering in the Himalaya that is an engaging narrative and an illuminating analysis of larger themes."--Mark Harvey, Journal of American History
Synopsis
In the first comprehensive history of Himalayan mountaineering in 50 years, the authors offer detailed, original accounts of the most significant climbs since the 1890s, and they compellingly evoke the social and cultural worlds that gave rise to those expeditions.
About the Author
A conversation with Maurice Isserman and Stewart Weaver
and#160;
Q: What distinguishes your book from the many others on mountains and mountaineering?
A: Fallen Giants is the first comprehensive history of Himalayan mountaineering to appear since the mid-1950s. It is also the first attempt to tell the story of Himalayan mountaineering and#147;from the bottom up,and#8221; which is to say understanding mountain climbers as the products of particular times and particular cultures.
and#160;
Q: What do you mean by and#147;fallen giantsand#8221;?
A: The title is, on one level, meant to be ironic. After climbing Nanda Devi in the Indian Garhwal region of the Himalaya in 1936, the British climber Bill Tilman wrote regretfully that the first time a great mountain is ascended, some of its and#147;mystery and grandeurand#8221; are diminished. He added that a book recounting and#147;the fall of one of the giantsand#8221; would be boughtand#151;or by mountaineers more likely borrowedand#151;and#147;with misgiving and read with loathing.and#8221; We hope our book will inspire feelings other than misgiving and loathing, even though it describes the fall of many such giants. But the title has another meaning, because in Fallen Giants we are chronicling the rise and fall of a set of values and norms that once nurtured a strong sense of fellowship and responsibility to others among mountaineers. In the later decades of the 20th century, such attitudes faltered on the slopes of high peaks, as the ideal of a and#147;brotherhood of the ropeand#8221; succumbed to self-seeking commercialism and a reckless indifference to others. So we are not just recording the and#147;fallingand#8221; of mountain giants in our book; we are also paying tribute to admirable and endangered values, embodied in mountaineers like Tilman and his longtime climbing partner Eric Shipton, as well as such American climbers as Charlie Houston and Bob Bates, among others.
and#160;
Q: Are either of you mountaineers yourselves?
A: Not like the ones we write about. We share a love of mountains and have spent a lot of time climbing and trekking, including in the Himalaya. But we cannot, alas, claim the ascent of a single 8,000-meter peak between us. Our hope is that as historians we bring other useful abilities to bear on telling the story of Himalayan mountaineering.