A Patch of White - Summitting Everest in the Footsteps of a Legendary Expedition (Hardcover)


On June 8, 1924, George Mallory and Sandy Irvine perished on Mount Everest, leaving behind an enduring mystery: Before they died, did they reach the summit, via the mountain's never conquered North Face?
Long a mountaineering mecca, in the spring of 2007 this daunting ascent drew two legends of the outdoor world: high-altitude altruist Conrad Anker, who had found Mallory's body in 1999, and young British "speed-climbing" phenom Leo Houlding, preternaturally talented but untested in thin air. With a documentary film crew composed of world-class climbing talent, they attempted to conquer both the mountain and the mystery. On June 14 the pair successfully free-climbed the forbidding Second Step, the final barrier to the summit--whether in the footsteps of their heroes or in their stead, we will never be certain, although the expedition provided evidence that Mallory and Irvine may well have succeeded. Set against the backdrop of that fatal historic climb, "A Patch of White" tells the story of its latter-day sequel, from encounters with extreme conditions to the clash of outsized personalities. It is also an exploration of the nature of modern adventure and the persistence of the urge to test physical limits in an age of corporate financing, product endorsements, and virtual reality.

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Product Description

On June 8, 1924, George Mallory and Sandy Irvine perished on Mount Everest, leaving behind an enduring mystery: Before they died, did they reach the summit, via the mountain's never conquered North Face?
Long a mountaineering mecca, in the spring of 2007 this daunting ascent drew two legends of the outdoor world: high-altitude altruist Conrad Anker, who had found Mallory's body in 1999, and young British "speed-climbing" phenom Leo Houlding, preternaturally talented but untested in thin air. With a documentary film crew composed of world-class climbing talent, they attempted to conquer both the mountain and the mystery. On June 14 the pair successfully free-climbed the forbidding Second Step, the final barrier to the summit--whether in the footsteps of their heroes or in their stead, we will never be certain, although the expedition provided evidence that Mallory and Irvine may well have succeeded. Set against the backdrop of that fatal historic climb, "A Patch of White" tells the story of its latter-day sequel, from encounters with extreme conditions to the clash of outsized personalities. It is also an exploration of the nature of modern adventure and the persistence of the urge to test physical limits in an age of corporate financing, product endorsements, and virtual reality.

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Product Details

General

Imprint

Houghton Mifflin

Country of origin

United States

Release date

September 2008

Availability

Supplier out of stock. If you add this item to your wish list we will let you know when it becomes available.

First published

September 2008

Authors

Format

Hardcover - Sewn / Cloth over boards

Pages

288

ISBN-13

978-0-15-101318-0

Barcode

9780151013180

Categories

LSN

0-15-101318-7



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