George Mallory

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View books by David Robertson, Simpson.

The story of a typical British hero - Rated
This is an interesting yet dry and factual account of the life of George Mallory, a mountaineer who died on his third attempt at conquering Everest in 1924. The book is a series of letters and journal entries pieced together in a methodical manner and as such lacks the sort of input from the author that one might expect. The only flair seems to come from Mallory himself, through his own writings. Interesting yet a bit of a struggle.

A biography of the climber who died mysteriously on Everest - Rated
This is a factual account taken from contemporary letters and writings including those of George himself. We learn about the schoolboy with catburglar like grace, his days at university and then as a school teacher. Fellow climbers record their notes on excursions in Wales, Scotland and the Alps, all faithfully retold in chronological order. This is a book which despairs of the subsequent discovery of Mallory's body and the hype surrounding it. For me it was that event that prompted further reading on the subject!

This is a bit dry in places but worth it for all that and suggests a film (Ralph Fiennes as Mallory?)about this shy adventurer.