Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes

by Maurice Isserman, Dee Molenaar, Stewart Angas Weaver

Overview

The first successful ascent of Mount Everest in 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa teammate Tenzing Norgay is a familiar saga, but less well known are the tales of many other adventurers who also came to test their skills and courage against the world’s highest and most dangerous mountains. In this lively and generously illustrated book, historians Maurice Isserman and Stewart Weaver present the first comprehensive history of Himalayan mountaineering in fifty years. They offer detailed, original accounts of the most significant climbs since the 1890s, and they compellingly evoke the social and cultural worlds that gave rise to those expeditions.

The book recounts the adventures of such figures as Martin Conway, who led the first authentic Himalayan climbing expedition in 1892; Fanny Bullock Workman, the pioneer explorer of the Karakoram range; George Mallory, the romantic martyr of Mount Everest fame; Charlie Houston, who led American expeditions to K2 in the 1930s and 1950s; Ang Tharkay, the legendary Sherpa, and many others. Throughout, the authors discuss the effects of political and social change on the world of mountaineering, and they offer a penetrating analysis of a culture that once emphasized teamwork and fellowship among climbers, but now has been eclipsed by a scramble for individual fame and glory.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780300142662
Publisher:	Yale University Press
Publication date:	10/01/2008
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Maurice Isserman is James L. Ferguson Professor of History, Hamilton College. He lives in Clinton, NY. Stewart Weaver is professor of history, University of Rochester. He lives in Rochester, NY. Both authors are enthusiastic hikers and mountain climbers.

Table of Contents

Preface: A Fallen Giant ix

1 When Men and Mountains Meet 1

2 The Age of Empire, 1892-1914 33

3 "Because it is There": George Mallory and the Fight for Everest, 1921-1924 83

4 "A Random Harvest of Delight," 1929-1933 127

5 "Himalayan Hey-Day," 1934-1939 165

6 The Golden Age Postponed, 1940-1950 223

7 "Don't Be a Chicken-Hearted Fellow": Everest, 1950-1953 254

8 The Golden Age of Himalayan Climbing, 1953-1960 295

9 New Frontiers, New Faces, 1961-1970 350

10 The Age of Extremes, 1971-1996 398

Notes 455

Bibliography 539

Index 565

Interviews

A conversation with Maurice Isserman and Stewart Weaver

Q: What distinguishes your book from the many others on mountains and mountaineering?

A: Fallen Giants is the first comprehensive history of Himalayan mountaineering to appear since the mid-1950s. It is also the first attempt to tell the story of Himalayan mountaineering “from the bottom up,” which is to say understanding mountain climbers as the products of particular times and particular cultures.

Q: What do you mean by “fallen giants”?

A: The title is, on one level, meant to be ironic. After climbing Nanda Devi in the Indian Garhwal region of the Himalaya in 1936, the British climber Bill Tilman wrote regretfully that the first time a great mountain is ascended, some of its “mystery and grandeur” are diminished. He added that a book recounting “the fall of one of the giants” would be bought—or by mountaineers more likely borrowed—“with misgiving and read with loathing.” We hope our book will inspire feelings other than misgiving and loathing, even though it describes the fall of many such giants. But the title has another meaning, because in Fallen Giants we are chronicling the rise and fall of a set of values and norms that once nurtured a strong sense of fellowship and responsibility to others among mountaineers. In the later decades of the 20th century, such attitudes faltered on the slopes of high peaks, as the ideal of a “brotherhood of the rope” succumbed to self-seeking commercialism and a reckless indifference to others. So we are not just recording the “falling” of mountain giants in our book; we are also paying tribute to admirable and endangered values, embodied in mountaineers like Tilman and his longtime climbing partner Eric Shipton, as well as such American climbers as Charlie Houston and Bob Bates, among others.

Q: Are either of you mountaineers yourselves?

A: Not like the ones we write about. We share a love of mountains and have spent a lot of time climbing and trekking, including in the Himalaya. But we cannot, alas, claim the ascent of a single 8,000-meter peak between us. Our hope is that as historians we bring other useful abilities to bear on telling the story of Himalayan mountaineering.

Editorial Reviews

The authors tease out the evolution of modern mountaineering, combining vivid storytelling with an eye for detail, accuracy and fairness…Fallen Giants is the book of a lifetime for its authors, an awe-inspiring work of history and storytelling. They've scoured mountaineering archives in India, Germany, Britain and the United States, and drawn from nearly 500 books and articles, from the famous to the obscure. Their endnotes and bibliography run to more than 100 pages. Isserman and Weaver brilliantly present the complete picture—the political context, the changing social dynamics, the emergence of modern climbing technique—without losing sight of the need to entertain. Fallen Giants absolutely brims with vivid characters, from the Duke of the Abruzzi to George Mallory to Aleister Crowley (Mr. 666, a Himalayan climber—who knew?) to Tenzing Norgay to Reinhold Messner, hard men and egotists, saints and scoundrels. Armchair mountaineers will give the book pride of place in their collections. A word, though: keep it on a low shelf, where boys and girls can discover it and start dreaming of their own expeditions.
—The New York Times

Bruce Barcott

"A deeply researched and comprehensive treatment of mountaineering in the Himalaya that is an engaging narrative and an illuminating analysis of larger themes."--Mark Harvey, Journal of American History

Journal of American History - Mark Harvey

"Heroism, death, and drama abound. . . . The author's thoroughness and range make this hefty volume nearly encyclopedic in scope; the details on the 'how' of climbing, the no-margin-for-error experience, and the bonus of Vittorio Sella's unmatched photographs make for a great book."—Foreward Magazine (Outstanding University Press Books 2008)

Foreward Magazine

"It's difficult to find fault with this exceptionally well-written tome, a must-read for any fan of climbing literature."—Kathleen A. Ervin, Failure

Failure - Kathleen A. Ervin

"Fallen Giants is the book of a lifetime . . . an awe-inspiring work of history and storytelling. . . . Armchair mountaineers will give the book pride of place in their collections."—Bruce Barcott, New York Times Book Review

New York Times Book Review - Bruce Barcott

"This survey history establishes base camp for readers interested in the history of Himalayan climbing expeditions. Its strength lies in the way it puts each undertaking within the context of evolving styles of high-altitude mountaineering."—Booklist

Booklist

“This would be a great first book to expose a reader to the amazing stories and sacrifices held within the body of mountaineering literature. Additionally, the historian, scholar, and collector will delight in the unique, in-depth look at the evolution of climbing, and its driving factors, in the Himalaya.”—Greg Glade, owner, Top of the World Books

Greg Glade

“Isserman and Weaver, both unassuming wanderers of high hills, have pulled off a great first ascent: a scholarly, grippingly readable history of Himalayan mountaineering that not only captures the tenuous essence of great successes and failures, but places the accounts of these climbs into historical context.”—Tom Hornbein, author of Everest: The West Ridge

Tom Hornbein

“This will be the definitive history of mountaineering in the Himalaya, clear, free of jargon, and readable, and so thorough that it will not be worth anyone's time to repeat this effort."—Nick Clinch, leader, 1958 American Hidden Peak expedition, and past president, American Alpine Club

Nick Clinch

"This book fills a void in the history of mountaineering, and it will appeal not only to climbers but also historians. The authors have done a prodigious amount of research."—John T. Reilly, Mount Saint Mary College

John T. Reilly

“Fallen Giants captures the spirit of Himalayan climbing. It is wonderfully written and will become an indispensable reference.”—Charles S. Houston, co-author of K2: The Savage Mountain

Charles S. Houston

“In Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes, Maurice Isserman and Stewart Weaver share unforgettable stories of the history of the world’s highest peaks and the climbers who challenged their lofty summits. Their in-depth research gives us unique insights into previously unknown controversies, mysteries, and dramas. This thoughtful book, from a scholarly perspective, introduces us to the greatest peaks and personalities of mountaineering. The new information, intriguing details, insightful interpretations and dry humor make this a must read for armchair mountaineers as well as all who aspire to the heights.”—Arlene Blum, author of Breaking Trail: A Climbing Life

Arlene Blum

"A deeply researched and comprehensive treatment of mountaineering in the Himalaya that is an engaging narrative and an illuminating analysis of larger themes."--Mark Harvey, Journal of American History

— Mark Harvey

Journal of American History

"Heroism, death, and drama abound. . . . The author''s thoroughness and range make this hefty volume nearly encyclopedic in scope; the details on the ''how'' of climbing, the no-margin-for-error experience, and the bonus of Vittorio Sella''s unmatched photographs make for a great book."—Foreward Magazine (Outstanding University Press Books 2008)

The Atlantic Monthly

"It''s difficult to find fault with this exceptionally well-written tome, a must-read for any fan of climbing literature."—Kathleen A. Ervin, Failure

— Kathleen A. Ervin

Failure

"Fallen Giants is the book of a lifetime . . . an awe-inspiring work of history and storytelling. . . . Armchair mountaineers will give the book pride of place in their collections."—Bruce Barcott, New York Times Book Review

— Bruce Barcott

New York Times Book Review