Reinhold Messner obviously adapts superbly to altitude and is an outstanding mountaineer, but what marks him out from other climbers are his powers of innovation combined with a sense of realism Chris Bonnington This splendid addition to climbing literature is strongly recommended for its superb photographs, its clear diagrams, and for the frankness of the author The Geographical Magazine On 16 October 1986, Reinhold Messner successfully reached the 8,511-metre summit of Lhotse in Nepal, and thereby became the first man to stand on all fourteen of the world's eight-thousand metre summits - an unbelievable achievement and a sensation in mountaineering history. What motivated Messner to be so dedicated in pursuit of his goal, despite unimaginable hardships, to keep confronting danger and death, loneliness and self-doubt? The answers to these questions can be found in this book. Here, you will get a glimpse of what it takes to mount an expedition to one of the eight-thousanders, and learn to understand Reinhold Messner, witness his unique way of tackling problems, and share the day-to-day experiences of a climber who has pushed himself and Alpinism to new dimensions. This gloriously illustrated account of his stunning achievements is now established as a classic in climbing literature, and will be gripping reading for all those interested in real adventure AUTHOR: Legendary mountaineer Reinhold Messner has written many books including All 14 Eight-Thousanders for Crowood. ILLUSTRATIONS 200 colour & b/w photos