Books about Mount Everest
I am highlighting a few of the books about the Everest that I have come across and enjoyed, whether histories of the mountain, early exploration or accounts of attempted and successful expeditions to Everest. I will also like here to up to date guidebooks for active use by the hiker, mountaineer or casual mountain tourist.
- Searching for the ultimate challenge to spice up your life or simply looking for the best information to spin your own travel yarns? This is the page for you!
- Wherever possible the book links below should lead to pages giving the option of Hardcover / Paperback / Kindle Edition
The history of Everest is central to world mountaineering. First climbed in the 1953 by the British Expedition led by John Hunt, the highest mountain in the world was a major achievement in the field of Himalayan climbing and opened the way for many expeditions to neighbouring peaks as well as launching what was to become a tourist trade in high altitude climbing. When Sherpa Tenzing Norway and Edmund Hillary first stepped on the summit I am sure they could not imagine what Everest would come to mean within the world, not only of mountaineering, but also adventure sports tourism.
But this mountain fascinated explorers and climbers long before Hillary, so below you will find books by Sir Francis Younghusband and a number relating to one of Everest's most famous sons; George Leigh Mallory, who died on the mountain on his third attempt to scale its icy heights, in 1924 a good 30 years before it would finally be "conquered".
Below is my book list but you can find other useful links at bottom including one to a complete list of Everest books ever published, produced by Bill Buxton.
Bestsellers
The author's experiences during the 1996 Everest Disaster in which 8 people died.
Eleven times on Everest, Kenton Cool is one of the best mountaineers in the world.
Cathy O’Dowd, made history when she became the first woman to climb Everest from the south and the north.
Bear Grylls talks about his life journey including becoming one of the youngest British to summit Everest.
Interviews and unprecedented access to archives from the 1953 first successful expedition.
A response to Into Thin Air which appeared to criticise Boukreev's actions.
Novel for young adults about challenges of a 14 year old climbing Everest.
Twice Weathers was left for dead in a blizzard. Badly frostbitten, somehow he survived.
GUIDEBOOKS
Respected guide book on trekking the greatest mountain range, in Nepal.
1953 Expedition ACCOUNTS
The classic account of the first successful expedition to climb Everest.
The true story from Edmund Hillary, the first man to stand on top of the world.