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34th out of 109 books
—
45 voters
High Adventure: The True Story of the First Ascent of Everest
Fear lives among Everest's mighty ice-fluted faces and howls across its razor-sharp crags. Gnawing at reason and enslaving minds, it has killed many and defeated countless others. But in 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay stared into its dark eye and did not waver. On May 29, they pushed spent bodies and aching lungs past the achievable to pursue the impossible. At a...more
Paperback, 245 pages
Published
May 1st 2003
by Oxford University Press
(first published 1955)
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I can't remember the last time I held in my hands a book that was printed in the 50's. It smelled musty and the lack of a paper cover and the black-and-white photographs promised a dull account.
However, Hillary speaks plainly (and provides a glossary) so you get pulled right into his story that boils down to "When I grew up in New Zealand, I learned to climb mountains. I got hooked. Ten years later, I climbed Mount Everest. This is how we did it. We got down again, too. The End." :-) He tells a...more
However, Hillary speaks plainly (and provides a glossary) so you get pulled right into his story that boils down to "When I grew up in New Zealand, I learned to climb mountains. I got hooked. Ten years later, I climbed Mount Everest. This is how we did it. We got down again, too. The End." :-) He tells a...more
A truly passionate account of several mountaineering attempts in the Himalaya and of course, the first successful summit climb on Mt. Everest. Though at times, its difficult to even imagine what the terrain must feel like, the descriptions are detailed and filled with enthusiasm. What amazes me is Hillary's passion, bordering on the obsessive at times, for the snow-clad heights and the drive to get up each day to a new challenge at unimaginable altitudes. Makes me think he must be terribly unhap...more
The only criticism I have about this book is when he mentioned he never trusted science again, after a experimenting doctor who cleary made some mistake regarding Ed's condition (the doctor said Ed wasn't supposed to be alive in that particuarly moment according to his blood count and altitude). He was quite hipocrytical there, because the same science played a vital role on this quest to the summit - the oxygen bottles. I hope he had changed his mind about science in the following years. It's a...more
An interesting account of the years before the big climb. Truly amazing feat considering the equipment, clothing, O2 systems, etc. I will say that Hillary does not shy away from patting himself on the back, although he also not paint his accomplishments as extreme as he could. I enjoyed it, and it really gives a good description of how difficult it was, just establishing the various camps and getting all of the supplies up, having to cut hundreds of steps in the ice with and axe for all of the s...more
The funny thing is that people probably eschew this book, thinking it's written in "old fashioned" terminology or it's "just another summit book."
Nothing could be further from the truth. Hillary's enthusiasm for mountain climbing punctuates every page (literally; I don't think there's a page in the book that lacks an exclamation point). He talks about the technicalities of climbing with ease and in accessible language, and he regards the mountains as beings in their own right, worthy of respect...more
Nothing could be further from the truth. Hillary's enthusiasm for mountain climbing punctuates every page (literally; I don't think there's a page in the book that lacks an exclamation point). He talks about the technicalities of climbing with ease and in accessible language, and he regards the mountains as beings in their own right, worthy of respect...more
This was fascinating. Perhaps because of the modernization of mountaineering gear and the mobs of climbers on Everest each year, I was captivated by Hillary's memoir and the clear difficulty by which they forged a route and made their way up after so many previous unsuccessful attempts, in what we would now consider to be primative gear. All I wanted upon finishing this book was a warm fire and a hot cup of soup. Or, rather, to read about Hillary's next warm fire, hot cup of soup, and good night...more
Apr 02, 2013
Theresa
added it
A compelling story, I can't get enough of Everest stories, this one did not disappoint!
really interesting account... a little slow but slow is OK for 250 pages.
Really enjoyed this book.
This is the exciting account by the man who was the first to summit Mt. Everest. He recounts his adventure and tells of the trials and travails he and his Sherpa, Tenzing, have along the way. I believe it was his first book, so he's not a polished author at this point but the story is so amazing that it pulls into the pages and onto the mountain with him and Tenzing.
I (along with the rest of the team) received this as a gift from my high school lacrosse coaches after winning the State Championships. Perhaps it was the feeling surrounding that victory, but I was swept away in the adventure and success of Sir Hillary's ascent. I would highly recommend as an inspirational tale or atleast an exciting story.
This is an amazing book! Written factually and to the point, Sir Edmund Hillary takes you on an adventure through all the hardships of getting to the summit of Everest, as well as telling the story of how they all got there. This book is very good and I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes climbing or is fascinated with Mt. Everest.
Hillary is quite amusing - even when he's not intending to be - and I was pleased to read about the ascent in his words.
(Bone to pick: how many WEEKS did you do pre-ascent training? And in all that time you couldn't take five minutes to teach Tanzing to use a camera to take your picture on top of Everest?)
(Bone to pick: how many WEEKS did you do pre-ascent training? And in all that time you couldn't take five minutes to teach Tanzing to use a camera to take your picture on top of Everest?)
May 03, 2007
Andrea
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Adult readers interested in different cultures
First book I read about Everest. There are several more that are just so much better. Mr. Hillary may be the first to summit but he is not the very best narrator of such. His cllimbing companion and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay narrated a far more fascinating account.
pretty slow read, but cool (ha!) if you think of the amazing nature of the accomplishment
This is a great memoir of Hillary's climb up Everest. Well-written and moving.
Really good!
May 17, 2013
Paige
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“You don't have to be a hero to accomplish great things---to compete. You can just be an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to reach challenging goals.”
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