No comments about Road to the Sea: The Story of James B. Eads and the Mississippi River.

1 comments about Robert Louis Stevenson: His Best Pacific Writings.

1. Robert Louis Stevenson is one of the great and enduringly popular writers in the history of English literature. While most readers will be familiar with his major novels, literary commentator and scholar Roger Robinson (Senior Professor of English, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand) has selected and compiled Stevenson's best "Pacific Writings" and enhanced them for contemporary readers with an informative introduction and illuminating commentaries. A welcome and enthusiastically recommended compendium, especially for students, scholars, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the life and work of Robert Louis Stevenson!

2 comments about Philby of Arabia.

1. Harry St. John Bridger Philby is perhaps best known as the father of the British intelligence agent and traitor Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby, who defected to the U.S.S.R. in the early 60s and spent the rest of his life there. St. John Philby was, in his own right, and interesting, intelligent, opinionated, and charismatic figure, a typical British eccentric who converted to Islam but had enthusiastic interests that were particularly British anyway. He was closely allied with Abdul Aziz ibn Saud, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia and its first king, right up until the monarch's passing, and was in some ways perhaps the most influential non-Arab in the formation of Arabia after World War I. This book is the only biography available in English of this interesting bundle of contradictions.
   
   Monroe is an interesting writer, and takes an even more interesting view of Philby and his world. The author adopts the attitude that if Philby doesn't know about something, or it doesn't happen within his view, then she leaves it out of the account of his life. So, as a for instance, Philby was, according to the author, very close to the British Arabist of the teens and 20s Gertrude Bell. However, when they fell out of touch, she leaves the narrative without another mention of her. Her tragic suicide isn't mentioned. The same goes for T.E.Lawrence, who was more of a contemporary than a friend; as long as he has a part to play in the narrative he's there, but his decade-long exile isn't mentioned, nor his death in a motorcycle accident in 1935. Philby's son, Kim, is only mentioned as working in the Foreign Office, when in fact he was a relatively senior figure in Britain's intelligence community: in the early 1950s, he was MI6 Chief of Station in North America, a post that was usually assigned to those who would next be the chief of British intelligence. Instead, suspicion he was a spy led to his retirement, and ultimately defection. Beyond mentioning the retirement (amid "rumors" of his disloyalty) the author mentions none of this in the book, apparently thinking that it has no bearing on Philby's life itself. The strange thing, of course, is that when the son's defection occurred, the father's eccentricities were put forward as a possible explanation. Apparently there's some recent scholarship that suggests that Kim was originally recruited by the Soviets to spy on his father, who was at that time at the height of his influence in Saudi Arabia.
   
   This is a well-written, valuable book, in spite of the blinders the author adopted when viewing Kim's treason and the facts surrounding it. Since it's the only book on Philby available in English, it's a surprise it's not more available, though I suppose that his obscurity makes this inevitable: I guess part of my point is that he shouldn't be so obscure in the first place.



2. St John (Jack) Philby, father of the famous -or infamous- Kim, got to know Ibn Saud during World War I as a British civil servant based in Baghdad, working for Sir Percy Cox. From their first meeting, Philby was enormously impressed with Ibn Saud, then struggling to affirm himself as one of several princes in Central Arabia. He took an instant liking to him, and this was the beginning of a life-long association. Over the ensuing years,Philby developed the feeling that the British Government was not treating the Arabs fairly and in addition was supporting Ibn Saud's rival, Sherif Hussein of Mecca and his sons, mainly through the support that one of these derived from T. E. Lawrence, in some ways Philby's rival. This eventually led Philby to resign from the civil service and establish himself in Arabia as one of Ibn Saud's senior advisers.
   The book is well researched and well written. It takes you through the birth pangs of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Irak and covers a span from World War I to the reign of Ibn Saud's successor, King Saud. It also tells in a riveting way about Philby's desert exploration ventures, most notably in South Arabia's Empty Quarter and its borders with Yemen and the British Protectorate of Aden.
   The author brings to life Philby's character, his peculiar family life and, most interestingly, his conversion to Islam.
   I have found this book essential for a better understanding of Arabia and of Islam.
   On the negative side, the printing of this edition -in a non-English-speaking country- leaves much to be desired: there are far too many typos which take away some of the reading enjoyment. Also, the maps are succint and could have been somewhat more generous. These two factors account for my holding back the 5th star!

No comments about Colonel Richard Irving Dodge: The Life And Times of a Career Army Officer.

No comments about Freedom Flight.

5 comments about The Second Death of George Mallory: The Enigma and Spirit of Mount Everest.

1. Messner's book on Mallory's attempts to climb Everest and his death on the mountain in 1924 takes a unique approach. He combines Mallory's journal entries, writings of Mallory's contemporaries, Messner's own analysis of events, and reconstructions of Mallory's thoughts and post-mortem reactions to trends in mountaineering.

   If you already know the history of Everest and the early British expeditions, this is an interesting book, as it discusses the context of Mallory and Everest. Of course, you get Messner's views on the matter, but it seems to me that in such a book, he is entitled to do this. If you want to know the history itself, read The Lost Explorer by C. Anker and D. Roberts or Everest by W. Unsworth (get the latest edition with many updates).

   The writing/translation is crisp and interesting as well.




2. Reinhold Messner is universally considered one of the greatest climbers who ever lived if not the greatest. When I asked for a copy of this book at the bookstore I was in, the clerk behind the counter replied to me "You know, Messner is God!" I was not taken aback. I have always been amazed at his abilities and determination. His sheer determinations are awe-inspiring. These qualities are not lost in his writings. I found this book to be very interesting and probing. Messner always raises the bar. I believe he did so in this book. Messner's talents do not restrict themselves to climbing. He is an excellent writer. This book is necessary read for anyone interested in George Mallory and Sandy Irvine. Sadly, I do not believe they reached the summit. I am sorry that they did not. However, that is an unpleasant fact. Until proven otherwise. Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary (not Sir Edmund Hillary alone) reached the summit together. This does not take away from George Mallory by any means. He, if truth be told, was a noble but inconsistent man. His inconsistency is generally considered to be his choice of Sandy Irvine who in time had he lived might have conquered the mountain. However, his experience was inadequate for the task. However, we may never really know what happened. Did Mr. Mallory fall or did Mr. Irvine? At this point, most evidence points to Mr. Mallory falling on the mountain. However, no one knows why. In my opinion, Mr. Messner's book is a real page-turner.



3. Quick. Who was the first to climb Mt. Everest? If you answered Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953 then you stayed awake in class. But what your teachers did not tell you was that Mt. Everest may have been climbed in 1924 by George Mallory and Andrew Irvine during the last of the three British pre war expeditions. Last seen about 800 feet from the top they disappeared into the mist and into legend. Mallory was considered the finest British climber of his day and Mt. Everest was seen as his mountain. No climber has personified Mt. Everest as Mallory and his desire to conquer the summit is legendary. The mystery of whether Mallory and Irvine summited Everest in 1924 has endured for over 75 years and reached a climax when in 1999, Mallory's body was found at about 27,000 feet on the north side of Everest. This find and the ensuing speculation as to his and Irvine's fate has fueled countless books by everyone involved and some not so involved. The find has not solved the mystery and the debate still rages on. As I write this review there is now an expedition on Everest to find Irvine and the camera they were known to have taken with them. Images found in the camera could prove the pair made the summit before perishing.
   Reinhold Messner was the first person to scale Mt. Everest solo and without oxygen giving him a place as one of the greatest mountaineers ever and a unique insight into the feelings that drove Mallory to fight to the end to summit Mt. Everest. It is with his new book " The Second Death of George Mallory" that Messner intends to pay tribute to the high ideals of Mallory and the death of those ideals in respect to today's mountain climbers. Unfortunately his attempt falls completely flat on it's face in a way that make's Conrad Anker's book "The Lost Explorer" look positively groundbreaking. Messner almost entirely fills the book with journal entries by Mallory w/ little to no insight from Messner. Anybody reading this article could have done that. The book should have co-author credit to Mallory. The book is a bland retelling of the well known story of Mallory's two Everest attempts in 1921, 1922 and ultimately, the fatal final climb of 1924 w/ Andrew Irvine. There are many fine books that do a much better job of detailing Mallory's expeditions to Everest, most notably: "The Mystery of Mallory and Irvine" by Tom Holzel and Audrey Salkeld. If this review in any way piques your interest in the mystery this book is the place to start. When Messner does attempt to throw out a theory or idea it is unconvincing and tinged by the attitude prevalent of today's climbers that "we could have done it but not those poor old chaps." Messner may be forgiven for maybe not being as talented a writer as a climber but I became absolutely sick to my stomach when I noticed he provided commentary from "Mallory" as if from beyond the grave!! And who would have guessed Mallory has something bad to say about everyone except Messner. Mallory from beyond earth's mortal plane bad mouths everyone from the men who discovered his body to the Chinese climbers and others. And wouldn't you know that's exactly how Messner feels as well? I still can't believe anyone would include this utter nonsense in their book. George Mallory and Andrew Irvine made their final attempt on the summit in tweed jackets and leather hobnailed boots. They were fully aware if they faltered they would die. With little resources but unimaginable courage they walked off the map into the unknown. Maybe it is better that we never know if they conquered the summit. Maybe their story is more compelling that way. But it is a story that deserves better than Reinhold Messner was able to deliver. One thing he did get right was his admitting no matter what Mallory and Irvine did accomplish on Everest, it eclipses every other mountaineering achievements including his own. Personally I believe Mallory and Irvine did summit Everest in 1924. It was a Mallory family belief that George carried a picture of his beloved wife Ruth to place on the summit. Articles found on his body included letters from relatives and friends but no picture or letter from his wife. Where are they if not buried in the summit snow?



4. There is no doubt Reinhold Messner knows mountains.
   Despite losing his younger brother on his first notable Himalayan ascent, Messner went on to become the first man to scale all 14 of the world's mountains exceeding 8000 metres.
   In 1980, he made the first solo ascent of Mount Everest without the use of bottled oxygen, and his feats in crossing Greenland and Antarctica on foot have made him the stuff of modern adventuring legend.
   Yet he draws his inspiration from the man most notable for not making the summit of the world's highest mountain - English mountaineer George Mallory.
   But did Mallory actually die on way down? It's a question that has fired the imagination of climbers worldwide, particularly since Mallory's body was found by an American expedition in May 1999.
   Only the discovery of Mallory's camera will settle the argument, but Messner has made a quite extraordinary step toward solving the mystery himself in THE SECOND DEATH OF GEORGE MALLORY.
   Using Mallory's own journals and letters, Messner recreates his two reconnaissance climbs, and his final, fatal 1924 assault on Everest.
   But fans of Hollywood mountaineering blockbusters should not expect an adrenaline-fuelled page-turner filled with crumbling crevasses and rumbling avalanches - this is a nostalgic, bittersweet recreation of the mental challenge and constant heartbreak that are as much a hurdle for climbers as the mountains themselves.
   In tracing Mallory's journey, Messner pays homage to the forgotten glory days of ``amateur'' climbing - when men challenged the mountain armed with little more than a pick, a sturdy pair of hobnailed boots and seven jumpers.
   He also takes a quite extraordinary step in assuming the dead voice of Mallory himself, to give a personal account of his own fateful attempt, as well as pass judgement on the efforts of those climbers who followed after him.
   It doesn't always work - ``Mallory's'' criticism of the Chinese attempts is more than a little irresponsible - but after 14 mountaineering books, Messner cannot be blamed for wanting to mix it up a bit.
   Nevertheless, THE SECOND DEATH OF GEORGE MALLORY is still an inspiring and moving read, which also goes a long way toward helping those less-adventurous among us understand what drives people to risk their lives for a good view.



5. I thought this book was terrible, and I was glad I checked it out at the library and hadn't wasted any money buying it. Messner publishes selected journal entries of Mallory's, strings them together in a barely coherent fashion and calls it a book. To that he adds his own fantasies about what Mallory might have been thinking at given points in time.

   It doesn't work. So many of Mallory's entries are left out that one misses the sense of having heard the whole story. Messner's additions do not really help to complete the story. In fact, if I hadn't already read a lot about Everest expeditions and Mallory's in particular in other books I would have had trouble following Messner's.

   In addition, Messner does not really give the reader very much added information that might be useful. How about an in depth comparison of climbing clothing today versus then, altitude sickness and it's effects, dehydration issues at altitude, etc. Instead, he includes an entire chapter on the Chinese ascents of Everest which he fails to make even remotely interesting.

   I'm sorry I wasted my time reading this, and am only happy I didn't waste my money too.

No comments about In the Heart of the Canadian Rockies (Mountain Classics Collection).

No comments about Thailand.

No comments about Gale Force 10: The Life and Legacy of Admiral Beaufort.

1 comments about Life on the Wild Side: The Adventures and Misadventures of a Wildlife Film-Maker.

1. Colin Willock's final book, at last takes us to the heart of who he was - after all those years of seeing his name as 'Editor' on the credits of the BBC TV series 'Survival' and countless articles in 'Shooting Times' - which he had written on the train, on his way to work.
   
   Who was he and what did he get up to, behind the scenes in all these telly programmes we watched before David Attenborough stole the show ?
   
   'A Life on the Wild Side' explains, as only the modest Colin Willock can.
   
   In old age and in Walton on Thames, Colin tells his own story in the same self-effacing way as he was so often kind enough to introduce us to others.
   
   If there was ever an 'entrepreneur' of natural history, it was Colin Willock. So often in the background when great programmes were made - with quirky, unforgettable characters who suddenly found a home in the collective unconscious of the general public - Colin Willock's book leaves us in no doubt as to who was the quiet architect of their unexpected fame.
   
   From the saltmarshes of The Wash, to the plains of the Serengeti, Colin was out there - up to his knees in whatever was going on - and quietly encouraging a wildlife camera operator who would bring it to our living rooms.