The Himalayas

Wild Places of the World

by Nigel Nicolson

THE WORLD'S WILD PLACES-TIME LIFE BOOKS! THROUGH SPECTACULAR PHOTOGRAPHY AND MAPS A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S HIGHEST MOUNTAIN CHAIN.

Genres: Nature, Photography, Nonfiction, Travel

184 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Describes the length and breadth of these most lofty of mountain chains, from the arid Hindu Kush in the west, through the Karakorums in Pakistan and Kali Gandaki in Nepal to the more unknown eastern end in Assam. The author chronicles his experiences traveling through these valleys and gorges, and goes into some detail on the varied flora and fauna, from the tiniest insects and flowers to trees, birds of prey and yaks in an attempt to capture the stunning variety of mountain ecology as it changes by altitude. The simple lives of the natives and harsh realities of their hardscrabble existence is also portrayed, while the famous feats of mountaineering amongst the highest peaks are told in the final chapter, where the extreme alien environment of the high summits is starkly brought across to the reader. Scenes of grandeur are peppered throughout the book in beautiful photographs, whether it's snow filled crevasses, icy glaciers and alpine lakes or forest clad hillsides, mirroring the diversity of environments described in the text.

An enjoyable romp if one has the patience for lengthy text in coffee table format. A normal sized book would have been a more effective presentation, in my opinion, since it reads more like a story than a textbook.

[Dee Renee Chesnut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, I enjoyed the text as much as I enjoyed the pictures. This time I was surprised by the idea of tropical rainforest climate, forests and the Tibetan plain before this reader got to the part of what I had come to expect when the topic is the Himalayas and mountaineering.

[Denise Spicer · Rating 2 out of 5]

184 pages. Has Index, Bibliography, and Picture Credits. Lots of pictures of flora, fauna, topographical features that may be considered visually impressive but also seem quite repetitious. Seven Chapters with text of descriptions of local areas and occasional conversations with local residents it doesn't seem to offer anything for the general reader and actual scientists/scholars would presumably prefer more scholarly works. Page 74 has photo which may provide evidence for Yeti.

[Robert Kaufman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about one of the worlds treasures!