Touching My Father's Soul: A Sherpa's Journey to the Top of Everest by Jamling Tenzing Norgay - 4 stars (Everest bonus tag; cross-posted to PBT Stairs)

[annapi]

Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary were the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953 (and come back alive). Following in his father's footsteps, Tenzing's son Jamling was Climbing Leader in David Breasheares's IMAX expedition during the fateful 1996 Everest season that claimed several lives. In this memoir, Jamling not only tells the story of that terrible tragedy as it unfolded before his eyes, and afterwards his own group's successful trip to the summit, but also intersperses it with the story of his father's pioneering climb, as well as showing us the sherpas' point of view.

I'm amazed and saddened that this book is not more well known. It's not even available in Kindle format! It would make a great companion book to Krakauer's Into Thin Air. Aside from the very personal glimpse of history and the politics in Tenzing and Hillary's time, it gives great insight into the Buddhist philosophy and way of life in Nepal, Tibet and India. Because Jamling was educated in America and lived there, it also shows how he straddles the two worlds of East and West. Some parts may plod along a bit, but overall it's a fascinating book and I highly recommend it.

[JoLene]

Hum.....sounds interesting. I read into Thin Air a very long time ago. I've already started a historical fiction book called Above All Things for the bonus tag.