USA – -(Ammoland.com)- Veteran world-class climber and bestselling author Ed Viesturs—the only American to have climbed all fourteen of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks, and only the sixth man to do so without supplemental oxygen—trains his sights on Mount Everest, the highest peak on earth, in richly detailed accounts of expeditions that are by turns personal, harrowing, deadly, and inspiring.
The world’s most famous mountain, Everest remains for serious high-altitude climbers the ultimate goal. Viesturs has gone on eleven expeditions to Everest, reaching the summit seven times. He’s spent more than two years of his life on the mountain. No climber today is better poised to survey Everest’s various ascents—both personal and historic. In The Mountain, Viesturs delivers just that: riveting you-are-there accounts of his own climbs as well as vivid narratives of some of the more famous and infamous climbs throughout the last century, when the honor of nations often hung in the balance, depending on which climbers summited first.
In addition to his own experiences, Viesturs sheds light on the fate of Mallory and Irvine, whose 1924 disappearance just 800 feet from the top remains one of mountaineering’s greatest mysteries, and on the multiply tragic last days of Rob Hall and Scott Fischer in 1996, the stuff of which Into Thin Air was made.
Informed by the experience of one who has truly been there, The Mountain affords a rare glimpse into that place on earth where Heraclitus’s maxim—character is destiny—is proved time and again. Complete with gorgeous photos of Everest, many of which were taken by Viesturs himself, and shots taken on some of the legendary historic climbs, The Mountain is an immensely appealing book for active and armchair climbers alike.
“Mr. Viesturs has crafted a breezy tour through his many Everest ascents . . . armchair adventurers will rip through this addition to the Everest canon, and for anyone not intimate with Everest’s adventurous history, The Mountain marks a fine beginning.”
— The Wall Street Journal“In this amiable history/memoir hybrid . . . Viesturs is a fountain of firsthand knowledge and straightforward narration, and the book makes for a good read. As the only American who has summited the world’s 14 highest peaks without bottled oxygen, Viesturs has a different ruler than the rest of us by which to measure risk.”
— Publishers Weekly“[Viesturs] . . . unearths some interesting tidbits that may be well-known to his community but new to laymen. The author, who has been lauded for his compassion and assistance to other climbers, also brings an unexpected attribute: attitude.”
— Kirkus Reviews“This book is Ed’s love letter and farewell to Everest. . . . It is written in an engaging, approachable manner that will have you turning the pages just to find out what happens next. Whether you routinely visit the Himalaya on your own adventures or find yourself out of wind simply going up a flight of stairs, we wholeheartedly recommend this book.”
— Kraig Becker, Wegner Adventure Blog“A detailed, nicely told account of a man’s endurance and perseverance in achieving a singular goal.”
— Publishers Weekly on The Will to Climb
- · National print and radio publicity
- · Cross promotion with author’s website, EdViesturs.com, and social media
- · Book microsite featuring excerpts, video, and more
- · Online advertising and promotions on mountaineering and adventure sports sites and blogs
- · Author video
- · Academic marketing, including e-newsletter features and social media
- · Cross promotion with author’s sponsors, including Eddie Bauer
- · Author events in Seattle (WA)
- · Feature title at the American Library Association conference and professional conferences
- · Feature title on SimonandSchuster.com
- · Feature title in the SimonandSchuster.com monthly update e-newsletter
Ed Viesturs is widely regarded as America’s foremost high-altitude mountaineer. In 1992 he was awarded the American Alpine Club’s David A. Sowles Award for his participation in two rescues on K2. He is also the recipient of the Explorers Club’s Lowell Thomas Award for outstanding achievement in the field of mountaineering. He lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington, with his wife and their children.
David Roberts is the author of twenty-four books on mountaineering, adventure, and the history of the American Southwest. His essays and articles have appeared in National Geographic, National Geographic Adventure, and The Atlantic Monthly, among other publications. He lives in Watertown, Massachusetts.
Get your copy of The Mountain – My Time on Everest on Amazon: https://tiny.cc/rb414w
