Ghosts of Everest: The Search for Mallory and Irvine

FROM THE PUBLISHER

A dramatic inside account by the 1999 expedition team of their high-profile search for the bodies of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine on Everest, interwoven with a complete history of the Mallory/Irvine expedition. Complete coverage of one of the most highly publicized expeditions of the century New theories based on years of research shed new light on mountaineering's ultimate mystery Fully illustrated with photos of the recent expedition plus intriguing archival photos.

History was made on Mount Everest when the 1999 Mallory and Irvine Research Expedition discovered George Mallory's body and took a giant step toward unraveling mountaineering's greatest mystery -- the fate of the 1924 Mallory/Irvine expedition. Ghosts of Everest is the inside story of the 1999 expedition from team leader Eric Simonson, team historian Jochen Hemmleb, and expedition coordinator Larry Johnson, plus contributions from all of the team members.

Set against the backdrop of the 1924 expedition and historical clues from subsequent expeditions, Ghosts of Everest brings to life the events surrounding the ill-fated Mallory/Irvine climb, while following the Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition team as it retraces the route up the North Col and makes a discovery that rocks the world -- George Mallory's body at 27,000 feet.

Ghosts of Everest is a riveting recounting of a story that is capturing the world's attention, three-quarters of a century after the mystery began. What happened to Everest climbers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine on June 8, 1924, the day they set out on their summit bid only to disappear without any evidence of their fate or possible achievement? Were these two brave pioneers, whose determination has inspired generations of climbers, the first to reach the summit of the world's highest mountain, 29 years before Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay? How did they perish? Seventy-five years later, do we now have the answers?

From early preparations to the day-by-day, blow-by-blow events of both expeditions, the narrative weaves through time bringing together past and present to create a seamless adventure narrative that captures the voices and the action as it unfolds on the mountain. This modern-day drama of discovery is coupled both with a sense of grand exploration and the lurking danger these climbers face at high altitude in treacherous conditions.

Meticulously researched and with new evidence and artifacts found on the mountain, this narrative promises to shed a revealing light on the seventy-five-year-old Mallory/Irvine mystery and two of the greatest heroes of our time.

FROM THE CRITICS

Joel Connelly - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Ghosts of Everest settles the stomach a bit. The climber-researchers appear to have a deep appreciation for the man whose remains they sought. They respected the body even while searching for evidence to determine whether Mallory and Irvine made the summit before falling to their deaths.... He [Mallory] created a mystery not solved even by the discovery of his corpse. The pictures of his corpse may be appalling, but the text of Ghosts of Everest

Sund

Ghosts of Everest is the bigger work in every sense. For the authors, the mission to find Mallory was clearly a labour of love, not just another scalp in their belts. Their master detective was Hemmelb, a 26-year-old walking encyclopedia on the 1924 expedition who cut through one of the century's last enigma's with forensic skill ... What is striking about the discovery is the climber's reverence and the tenderness with which they buried the body. To them, Mallory was not just another plucky explorer.

Mike McPhee - Denver Post

Details of the climb, including a very clear, concise account of Mallory's expedition, the origins of the search party, the emotional discovery of Mallory and an intriguing analysis by the team after they returned to base camp, are beautifully presented in the book Ghosts of Everest...Ghost of Everest is filled with text as clear and rhythmic as a mountain stream. Nothdruft knows when to speed the pace along and when to dawdle over detail.

Boulder Camera Review

These three members of the expedition that recovered Mallory's remains have put their stories in the hands of Seattle writer Bill Nothdruft, who does a good job weaving facts about Mallory with detail from last spring's expedition. But this book gets extra bonus points: Ignoring protests that surfaced immediately following the discovery of Mallory's preserved body, Ghosts of Everest has the temerity to publish detailed color photos of the find. One can argue whether publishing photos of the corpse is somehow "disrespectful," but let's be honest: That body—which eventually was left in its icy granite grave—is the only reason these books have been written. Besides, the photos themselves are not only respectful, but eerily beautiful.

Canoe