Peter Potterfield

If you're interested in Mount Everest, as I am (philosophically, at least -- I haven't the slightest desire to actually climb it), then this little anthology will give you a pretty good idea of its mountaineering history. Beginning with the fabled and mystery-shrouded Mallory expedition and ending, fittingly, with the quest to discover Mallory's fate on the mountain, the excerpts collected here tell the tales of success and tragedy, and the drive some adventurers feel to conquer the world's tallest peak, as well as the abilities and limitations of human effort. I feared it may have been repetitious, but the editor chose well, showing the great variety of Everest experiences that have been documented over nearly a century. The tragic season captured by Jon Krakauer in his book Into Thin Air is deliberately left out.… (mais)

This book is a hybrid coffee-table-hike trip book. Photos or color shaded trail maps occupy half the page space of this 224 page large hardback book.
There are 25 hikes chosen to talk about. The author treats each hike in a similar organized way, using the large-format book for often larger than full-page quality color photos of scenes along the trails. The format of the book motivates the reader to go to these places, and more importantly, to get out and hike.

The organized manner used in describing the hikes allows the reader to get most of the information on what to bring and where to start and who to call for up-to-date information and required permits.

There is a two and a half page index, mostly of place names that are embedded in the specific hike descriptions.… (mais)