Because It's There: The Life of George Mallory

by Dudley Green

According to the record books, the greatest mountain on Earth was conquered by Sir Edmund Hilary in 1958. However, there remains the enigma of the attempt by the mercurial George Mallory and his assistant, Andrew Irvine, over 3 decades earlier from the other side of Everest. After a prolonged absence and adverse weather conditions, it was assumed that the climbers had perished during the attempt. Recently though, Mallory's body was discovered on the North side of the summit, a mere 2,000 feet from the top, opening speculation as to whether they died on the way up or down.The puzzle of whether Mallory was the first man to conquer Everest is brilliantly presented, for the first time in a book of this kind since the discovery of the body. Containing images of Mallory and Everest, and with a poignant foreword by Mallory's son, this book is a significant contribution to this subject.

224 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2005

Reviews

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very useful primer for the life of George Mallory.
The 1924 expedition is dealt with in a dozen pages.

So this is not the book to read if that is your sole interest.
You are going to be reading a lot more about his time teaching at Charterhouse for example.

However, it is a book to read if you want a more three dimensional understanding of George Mallory.

Don't expect his companions to be anything more than thumbnail sketches (you only know Irvine is young and good at tinkering with oxygen equipment, the rest of the party you learn are old).

Within the text there are plenty of quotes from original source materials, letters home etc which serve to remind the reader how much emotional expression has changed in the years since 1924.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure whether to give the book a 3 or 4. I did enjoy reading it very much. Mallory had a very interesting life and this book shows much about his character and the kind of person he was. I liked how the author used many letters written about him and by him to tell about his life. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning about George Mallory.

[Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not too bad... I will agree with the earlier reviews though. The climb was only dealt with in one chapter, and it wasn't the book that I thought I would be reading. It was still an interesting book about an interesting man, however. Lines like "[Everest] poised high in heaven, like the spotless pinnacle of the world (Green, 97)." Were sprinkled throughout the book which I enjoyed.