UKC

Recently finished No Way Down.

Now looking for recommendations (holiday coming up in November: lots of night time before a fire).

I seem to prefer books covering one expedition, or a few, in detail, rather than (auto)biographies that touch on every climb or hill their subject has been up. However I did like the Tomaz Humar book as that wove his life story around several detailed expeditions, so the pace was maintained.

oh, yeah, and I've already read FIVA (and really enjoyed it)

In reply to Flinticus: I've got the Humar one to read next, but if you liked that you might want to try Freedom Climbers, by the same author. The incredible story of post war Polish mountaineering. I'm about half way through and thoroughly gripped.

In reply to Flinticus:

Stephen Venables- "A Slender Thread". Very well written account of what happened before and after the abseil peg went "ping........"

In reply to Flinticus: against the wall simon yates .better than simpson.

In reply to Ann S:
Ordered! and Freedom Fighters & Annapurna: The First Conquest

Looking forward to reading them while sipping whisky in front of an open real wood & flickering flame fire that I set and lit with my own hands (its my super power)

In reply to Neils:
Looks good: will add to my 'wish list'.

In reply to Flinticus: Savage Arena by Joe Tasker is a classic if you haven't already read it. Deals with the big expeditions of his career, mainly.

In reply to Flinticus: yes its superb . totem pole by paul pritchard is also very good. excuse my lack of typing skills.

In reply to Flinticus: If you are after books covering one Expedition then look no further than EIGER DIRECT by Peter Gillman and Dougal Haston. Superb story and great writing.

"The Expedition Book" kinda died out in the 80's, shame really. However here are a few to get you

Everest: The Cruel Way by Joe Tasker. Story of the British attempt on Everest in Winter with a really good team including Al Rouse, John Porter, Joe Tasker, Brian Hall, Pete Thexton, Paul Nunn and the Burgess Twins - allegedly economical with the truth but a good read none the less.

Everest: The Hard Way and Annapurna South Face both by Bonington. The Expedition books of the 70's expeditions. Good reads, especially the appendices about the gear and the food taken.

Endless Knot by Diemberger, about the Tragic events on K2 in '86. Lots of controversy about Diembergers' accounts compared to that of others. Takes a while to get to the '86 expedition (lots about how he and Julie Tullis met, climbing on Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak, Highest Film Team in the World) but a good read none the less.

Trango by Jim Curran. Tale of the first ascent of Trango Tower by Mo Antoine, Joe Brown, Martin Boysen and someone else who's name escapes me. Jim didn't do any real climbing as such (some pretty exciting jugging though), he was there as a camera man. So it is his side of the expedition.

In reply to Flinticus:

The bit when the helicopter comes in is even more exciting than the helicopter bit in Vertical Limit.......

In reply to Flinticus:

Annapurna.

In reply to Neils:

Really?? I wouldn't recommend this as a climbing book, he spends the majority talking about his recovery.

In reply to goose299:

yes.really really.its a good job climbers never fall.

In reply to goose299:
I may need to approach this book with caution then, as 'Life and Life' had me gripped for the build up and the climbing scenes and rescue and immediate aftermath but am now left with the last bits of the recovery to read (after having already gone through several chapters on recovery already).