The Hunt for Mount Everest

by Craig Storti Narrated by John Pirkis

Overview

The height of Mt. Everest was first measured in 1850, but the closest any westerner got to Everest during the next 71 years, until 1921, was 40 miles. The Hunt for Mt. Everest tells the story of the 71-year quest to find the world's highest mountain. It's a tale of high drama, of larger-than-life characters-George Everest, Francis Younghusband, George Mallory, Lord Curzon, Edward Whymper-and a few quiet heroes: Alexander Kellas, the 13th Dalai Lama, Charles Bell.

A story that traverses the Alps, the Himalayas, Nepal and Tibet, the British Empire (especially British India and the Raj), the Anglo-Russian rivalry known as The Great Game, the disastrous First Afghan War, and the phenomenal Survey of India - it is far bigger than simply the tallest mountain in the world. Encountering spies, war, political intrigues, and hundreds of mules, camels, bullocks, yaks, and two zebrules, Craig Storti uncovers the fascinating and still largely overlooked saga of all that led up to that moment in late June of 1921 when two English climbers, George Mallory and Guy Bullock, became the first westerners-and almost certainly the first human beings-to set foot on Mt. Everest and thereby claimed the last remaining major prize in the history of exploration.
With 2021 bringing the 100th anniversary of that year, most Everest chronicles have dealt with the climbing history of the mountain, with all that happened after 1921. The Hunt for Mt. Everest is the seldom-told story of all that happened before.

(P) 2020 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"An enlightening and evocative early Everest history.”
 —Melanie Windridge, former vice president, UK Alpine Club

“The definitive book on Mt. Everest’s discovery, naming, and earliest climbing history. Superlative research and captivating reading! A colorfully-caste detective story about the Empire-building British surveyors, explorers, and mountaineers who adamantly believed this newly-crowned Third Pole must be conquered, absolutely without fail, by an Englishman.”
 —Ed Webster, climber/historian, 1988 Everest East Face New Route—No 02, Radios or Sherpas, author of Snow In the Kingdom: My Storm Years on Everest

“This history of Mount Everest's early years in the public imagination
is nonfiction at its finest!”—Alisha Trenalone, reviewer for NetGalley

“Storti writes a really engaging narrative, explains issues clearly, and balances storytelling with historicity.”—Alexandra Pierce, reviewer for NetGalley

Product Details

BN ID:	2940173319364
Publisher:	Octopus Books
Publication date:	04/15/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged

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