PDF Himalaya: The Exploration and Conquest of the Greatest Mountains on Earth by From Conway in History

Review

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Not just for Mountaineers!By Ned MiddletonThe reader should pause to consider this book’s full title which goes far beyond that single headline word ‘Himalaya’ and goes on to say “The Exploration and Conquest of the Greatest Mountains on Earth.” To further whet the appetite; the back cover of this stunning work lists no fewer than 25 names from whom personal accounts are drawn which read like a veritable ‘Who’s Who’ from mountaineering history. Having said all that; this book is not just for those who seek to climb the world’s greatest mountains. Certainly not! Instead we have a complete exposé of the entire Himalaya region and the way in which explorers brought this reclusive area to the attention of the world. In so doing; we learn of incredible landscapes; formidable buildings; ancient cultures and unforgiving climatesThe Himalayas is a landscape into which man has ventured since forever. Home to a scenery which comparatively few actually get to see - when compared with those who long for the experience; it is like nowhere else on earth and contains treasures far beyond those which may be exchanged for mere cash.Superbly edited by Philip Parker and with a foreword from Peter Hillary; these two stalwarts are joined by another eight notable contributors and combine to provide nine; mostly self-explanatory; chapters as follows: (1) Anatomy of the Himalaya; (2) Early Kingdoms of the Himalayas; (3) Early Travellers Adventurers; (4) Surveying the Himalaya 1815-1892; (5) The Opening Phase 1891-1918; (6) Himalaya between the Wars 1919-1939; (7) The Conquest of Everest 1940-1953; (8) The Golden Age 1953-1960 and (9) Opening New Frontiers 1961- to the Present. These are followed by Further Reading; Picture Acknowledgements and that all-important Index.This richly illustrated work seeks to tell the complete story of the region - not just that single mountain which is allowed to dominate so many other works on the subject. In pursuit of that objective; this product far exceeds whatever expectations may have originally existed and I cannot give a recommendation which is too high. This is a book which tells the complete story of a region (it being more than one country) and its people through time - as discovered; explored; studied and loved by visitors from lands far beyond the understanding of the local inhabitants at the time. In telling this story of such a wondrous; wild; dangerous; cold and yet beautiful place; we are momentarily interrupted with snapshots of fascinating detail - such as the half-page illustrated explanation of Tingmosgang Palace-Fort and an equally illuminating item on the opposite page headed; “Empires and Kingdoms: Mongols; Mughals and Ladakhis. Only now do I know the difference between Mongols and Mughals - but I digress.I was also particularly interested to learn of Peter Hillary - son of the great Sir Edmund Hillary. I was previously unaware of the many achievements of this famous man’s son - which only serve to underline his rightful place in this work amongst so many other legendary figures.Of all the books about outstanding places I have ever read; many are worthy of 5 Stars and glowing reviews; but few manage to convey the very mood and climate in such a profound manner as is found here. There really are times when the reader will shiver at the cold temperatures; times when they will share the sorrow and desperation - even of years ago; and times when they will feel as if they were alongside those who have just conquered the summit in question. In short; this is as complete a work on the subject as is possible to achieve and I defy anyone to be disappointed with the content.NM