This book written by a grandson of Tenzing Norgay, the most renown Sherpa, and his wife living in Sydney is very unique, as all other previously published books on Everest expeditions or anthropology of Sherpas were written by so-called "non-Sherpa" mountaineers born and grown-up outside of Himalaya region. This book tells us a fascinating "insider's" story about the development of sherpas' community with the discovery of the highest peak on the earth (Mt. Everest) in Hamalaya region, and a subsequent increasing rush by overseas mountain-climbers to this rather remote and isolated region of earth. The 1953 great success by the sherpa Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary from New Zealand in reaching the summit of Everest for the first time opened the "golden" age of Himalaya trekking, and changed dramatically the way of life in Sherpas' community, better or worse, depending on the given aspects. Among many inspiring episodes interwoven in this book, the life-long "multi-cultural" friendship of the Swiss climber Raymond Lambert and the NZ climber Sir Edmund Hillary with Tenzing Norgay and his family is most moving for myself, a Japanese amateur alpinist living overseas for more than three decades. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first ascent, we have recently translated this book into Japanese, and are planning to publish it for Japanese youth and olds in 2003. The German, French and Italian versions of this book are also scheduled to be published around May 29, 2003, comemmorating this historical event or moment. Depending on your own mother tongue, you are highly encouraged to read one of these five versions including the original English to share the excitement associated with scaling the world-highest peak with the sherpas in Himalaya region or those now working overseas in a variety of fields other than mountaineering.

This is one of many books telling the tale of the Spring 1996 season on Everest, during which 12 people died, but the only book written by a Sherpa. The author is the son of Tenzig Norgay who climbed Everest for the first time in 1953 with Edmund Hillary. The author weaves several stories into one--the tale of his own ascent, the story of his father's, and the tale of his personal quest to make peace with his famous father. Contrast this work with the well-known "Into Thin Air" to see the enormous difference between the way Westerners approach the mountain--as a challenge to be conquered--and the way the Sherpas view Everest--with a mixture of fear, awe, respect and love. The story of how this thoroughly modern man, educated in the U.S., comes to grips with the Buddhist faith is also fascinating.

A comment on the audio version: the book is read by the author's brother, a fact that made me hesitate at first because I often find non-professional readers to be much harder to listen to. Not the case here--the reader did a great job, and his slightly accented English gave the reading an air of authenticity that a native English reader's work would not have had. Highly recommended!

Norbu Norgay narrates the audio book of his brother Jamling Norgay's spiritually moving tribute to their enigmatic father Tenzing Norgay, Himalayan Sherpa people and Mount Everest, they call Chomolungma. With relationships to India, Nepal, Tibet, and America, always his father's son, he provides insights into the convergence of diverse cultures for ultimate mountaineering. Jamling's remarkable journey skillfully entwines his 1996 summit climb, for David Breashears' IMAX movie "Everest" with the footsteps of his father's 1953 historic premiere Everest summit climb with New Zealand's Sir Edmund Hillary. Sherpa religion teaches reverence for the gods, nature and to reach Everest's summit may mean death. They never take the smallest detail for granted because "many flakes of snow may cover an entire mountain with snow." This compelling book helps to answer why climb mountains, and ultimately celebrates the triumph of the human spirit.

Four audio tapes read by Norbu Tenzing (Jamling's older brother) energize this inspiring tale of a son's search for his father's spirit. Norbu, an experienced film narrator, brings a smooth, authentic Darjeeling Sherpa accent to Broughton Coburn's beautifully written text.

We learn that Tenzing was 51 when Jamling was born in 1965. Although Tenzing's six living children enjoyed a good education and family closeness, Father Tenzing was distant. When Tenzing died at age 72 in 1986, Jamling was a college student with many unanswered questions about his father's life and values. Jamling became a capable mountaineer & a father himself. He struggled to overcome doubt in his parents' profound Nyingmapa Buddhist values while retaining his own educated worldview.

That struggle ended during the disasterous 1996 Everest season. After many setbacks, while climbing through fierce winds past the dead bodies of failed climbers, Jamling's heart opened to his father's protectress: Miyolangsangma, goddess of Chomolangma. Jamling not only summitted Everest, his father's mountain; he also entered the inner heart of his father's Buddhist reality. Listeners who love the Himalaya. Buddhism, and Sherpa Culture will thrill this compelling interior and exterior adventure. (...)

This book represents how far we've dropped visually as a culture. Especially when there exists books out there, self published, like David Robbins "Himalayan Odyssey" that capture true insight into the Tibetan culture over a long, rigourous time and method. Instead, we're once again merely given more of the same pretty landscapes and fuzzy warm children that any passing tourist with a good working knowledge of their camera could do. Art is (was?) a wonderful person, I'm sure, though a mediocre photographer at best. Check out David's book for the real deal. I am a published photographer myself, albeit in a totally different genre.

This book has plenty of the stunning landscape and nature photos I expect from Art Wolfe. It's a most dramatic scenery, and Wolfe's images capture that aspect beautifully. Three short "conversations" with noted climbers help animate the high peaks. Wolfe also includes technical/field notes for each photo. What is wonderfully surprising to me is the light that Wolfe finds in the eyes of the people of the Himalaya. There must be something to the altitude, or maybe the benefit of living a life inextricably tied to the landscape. These people look happy, at peace with themselves, and that's the feeling that resonates with me long after I put the book down.