Mallory & Irvine at the North Col, June 6, 1924. It is the last photo taken of the pair alive.
About a month or so ago I finished a really great book about the British Everest expeditions of 1921, 1922, and 1924 called “Last Climb”, written by David Breashears and Audrey Salkeld. As you might already know, the 1924 expedition took the lives of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine when they were lost on Everest and presumed dead. This first portion of this book focuses primarily on the life of George Leigh Mallory and while the later portion focuses primarily on the expeditions to Everest he was a part of. A small portion of the book details the discovery of Mallory’s body in 1999 as well. It’s well-written and and entertaining, with lots and lots of pictures from the expeditions and Mallory’s life.
What I really liked about the book is that it provided just enough detail about the expeditions to give me a good idea of what it was like but not so much that the book dragged. I’m not really that interested in mountain climbing, believer it or not, but Mallory’s story is what’s so fascinating. For me the story is his drive to reach the top and his tragic death (along with climbing partner Irvine) and how his life and death affected his friends and family. continue reading…
