Because It’s There: The Life of George Mallory

According to the record books, the greatest mountain on Earth was conquered by Sir Edmund Hilary in 1958. However, there remains the enigma of the attempt by the mercurial George Mallory and his assistant, Andrew Irvine, over 3 decades earlier from the other side of Everest. After a prolonged absence and adverse weather conditions, it was assumed that the climbers had perished during the attempt. Recently though, Mallory’s body was discovered on the Northside of the summit, a mere 2,000 feet from the top, opening speculation as to whether they died on the way up or down. The puzzle of whether Mallory was the first man to conquer Everest is brilliantly presented, for the first time in a book of this kind since the discovery of the body. Containing images of Mallory and Everest, and with a poignant foreword by Mallory’s son, this book is a significant contribution to this subject.