If you are an Everest fan (and I don't just mean a 1996 disaster groupie) this is a must have/ read! Even though it ends in the late 1980s, the information, photographs and insights are the best! Incredible climbers, many of whom are no longer with us, take you on their efforts on the mountain. After reading this book, I was better acquainted with the mountain and its topography than any other book that I have read (and I have read alot of them) and am acquainted with where current expeditions are in their search of the summit. If I was a library crook, the book would be mine. Instead, good karma and conscience ruling!, I have placed an order to find this out of print book with Amazon, drooling with anticipation until I can finally put this gem in my Everest library as the penultimate acquisition. Kind of like summiting and getting back to base camp!:)

This book is a competently written biography. It puts into an easily-grasped perspective the full gammut of Shipton's climbing and exploring career and it gives much on his personal life and what he did between expeditions that is not available from his own books. It deals dispassionately but sensitively with such issues as the leadership debacle that preceded the '53 Everest expedition, and shares Shipton's views of his climbing companions, Tilman's reticence, for example. One thing that tickled my interest was that it reveals the sources of many of the pithy comments and aphorisms that have passed into mountaineering lore, such as Tom Bourdillon's comment on food: "The main thing is that there should be some". I couldn't put this book down.

This book together with Shipton's "The Six Mountain- Travel Books" and "That Untravelled World" let you fully understand the life of the great mountain explorer. Blanks in his life, never told in his books, are finally filled up!

The book is yet another giving us additional insight into Hillary Rodham. I question the need to dissect such people. There willingness to place themselves into the arena of political public humiliation in the name of leadership says far more than any analysis. At the same time, are we so blind to believe what keeps her with her husband, a husband who betrays the vows of their marriage almost beyond what he promises the nation? She helps ease the burdens of greatness, whether that greatness turns into a heroic legacy, infamy of deeds without excuses or just plain becoming a national joke. In any and all events, Hillary has stood by and eased his burden by sharing it. They raised a fine young woman and for all the faults, allegations and innuendoes it is hard to argue that bad parents raise bad children, Chelsea is a product of something, any all critics must admit, it may be the bonds of the marriage of Bill and Hillary. This does not excuse all of the lies, misinformation or abuse of power, bad like life no one is all bad all the time. Good reading so long as you read all books about Hillary.

I just had to reread, The First Lady ,to try again to understand what makes this very intelligent woman tick. Why does she stay with this guy, The President? The Flaherty boys open a window to the opportunistic soul that seems to drive our first lady. Monica Lewinsky, Paula Jones, et al. all make a little more sense after this window has been unlocked and opened. A great quick read!