Review: Books
Over the years I seem to have collected quite a collection of books on mountaineering and climbing. I’ll be reviewing new ones as and when I get them but I thought I’d list a few of the better ones I’ve come across.
- Alan Rouse: A Mountaineer’s Life – Geoff Birtles
Al Rouse died while descending K2, cutting short an outstanding climbing career that included numerous first ascents in Europe, South Ameria and the Himalaya. - Feeding the Rat: A Climber’s Life on the Edge – Al Alvarez
A profile of British climber Mo Anthoine who climbed The Ogre with Doug Scott and Chris Bonnington and who’s efforts during the epic descent were largely ignored. - Kiss or Kill: Confessions of a Serial Climber – Mark Twight
Not everybody’s cup of tea climbing writing from the Black Flag generation rather than the Beatles. - Extreme Alpinism: Climbing Fast, Light and High – Mark Twight
Quite simply the best book written on the subject of modern alpine climbing. - The Waddington Guide: Alpine Climbs in one of the World’s Great Ranges – Don Serl
It’s a guidebook, and a damn good one. A comprehensive guide to the entire range and its climbing history. If only all guides were this good. - Mind over Matter: The Epic Crossing of the Antarctic Continent – Ranulph Fiennes
Fiennes and his partner, Mike Stroud, complete an unsupported sled journey across the entire continent.