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NEW REVIEW: Peak Rock - Reviewed by John Cox

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 UKC Gear 13 Feb 2014
Peak Rock Cover. Andy Pollitt on Scritto's Republic at Millstone. Photo by Bernard Newman., 3 kbUKC regular John Cox reviews the fantastic looking Peak Rock book from Vertebrate Publishing.

"I will make a prediction; it will become this generation's Extreme Rock. Except that it's much better than that ultimately very slightly disappointing book..."

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=6140

 xplorer 13 Feb 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:

Pffffft!
 Mick Ward 13 Feb 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:

John, thank you for your help earlier and now for producing such a splendid review. With no disrespect to Eric Byne, my guess (and it's only a guess) is that Geoff Sutton also deserves considerable credit for High Peak. He seemed a highly talented man. Never having met either of you, I'd hazard another guess that you'd have got on famously.

Thank you again.

Mick
 Skyfall 13 Feb 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:

Brilliant review - I'm off to order my copy before the last one goes!
 Mike Highbury 13 Feb 2014
In reply to UKC Gear: Super review, thanks John.

Would have helped if you'd answered the questions though; now I've got to read a load of words rather than just looking at the pictures.

In reply to Mike Highbury:

I was hoping people would guess in the comments!

jcm
 steveriley 13 Feb 2014
Nice review. I've only snacked on a few nibbles so far, but they've tickled my taste buds in new and interesting ways. The book is truly a triumph and if I had my way the authors would be carried through the streets aloft in a Whillans Box tent.

Lovers of trivia are amply rewarded (and really, the climbing world and the nerd world produce a heavily overlapping Venn diagram) but lovers of hard historical data are rewarded equally so. Vertebrate should be congratulated for publishing the book with the loving care it deserves. All that effort for 2000 copies. Buy one.

 Mike Redmayne 13 Feb 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:

Great review, John. Well done.
 Matt Vigg 13 Feb 2014
In reply to SteveRi:

> ...the climbing world and the nerd world produce a heavily overlapping Venn diagram...

Haha - that is true, sure there are some interesting reasons why that is...
 Coel Hellier 13 Feb 2014
In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

> This is a just a fantastic book. They made 2,000 copies; under 300 are left. I will make a prediction; it will become this generation’s Extreme Rock.

Have they destroyed the plates then? (Or whatever equivalent of plates one uses in modern publishing.)
 Skyfall 13 Feb 2014
In reply to SteveRi:

> All that effort for 2000 copies. Buy one.

Whether or not the 2000 is a real limit, I ordered mine as soon as I'd read the review...
 Chris Craggs Global Crag Moderator 13 Feb 2014
In reply to Coel Hellier:

> Have they destroyed the plates then? (Or whatever equivalent of plates one uses in modern publishing.)

They will have complete digital files and so can reprint whenever. Wont be a 1st Edition next time round though!


Chris
 Co1in H 13 Feb 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:

Yes it is a superb book and long overdue. I ordered my slipcased edition as soon as I knew about it.
However, I have two criticisms.Could it not have been printed in the UK? Cost I suppose.
Why no index? OK there is one for the large photo's but that's only by chapter not page. Why not for the literary content?
 smithaldo 13 Feb 2014
In reply to xplorer:

What are you pfffting to?
 John H Bull 13 Feb 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:
> This is a just a fantastic book. They made 2,000 copies; under 300 are left.

Juicy review - make that less than 299 left.
Post edited at 16:52
 SteveSBlake 13 Feb 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:

It is a great book, lots of detail that would probably be lost in the near future, living history and all that.... The Peter Biven and Trevor Peck section was fascinating.

Fab, and well worth the dosh!

Steve
Extreme Rock, '..ultimately very slightly disappointing', news to me - is it really ?
 deacondeacon 13 Feb 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:


I'm not a religious man but this book has been my bible since I recieved it,

Coffee table style books are so often a great collection of photos with no content but this is also a really well written account of climbing history throughout the peak. I've read it from cover to cover three or four times, and if you have any interest at all in British climbing you should too.
In reply to Dave Turnbull, BMC:

Dave, I'm with you on that one all the way. Of all the books I own, Extreme Rock is the one I have read more times than any other and it never ceases to inspire.

Plus it has sea cliffs in it too...
 Sean Kelly 13 Feb 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:

'....a shocking post-brushing photo of poor old Downhill Racer, '

I've got a photo of Pete Livesey doing the first ascent. It was quite a dull day with very flat lighting so the photo was nothing special, I seem to recall. I didn't know it was Downhill Racer at the time or even a first ascent. He asked if I was another John Woodhall? God knows where the slide is now, as I have hundreds of boxes not catalogued.
 Jim Brooke 13 Feb 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:

Now completely sold out ?
In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKC:

> Dave, I'm with you on that one all the way. Of all the books I own, Extreme Rock is the one I have read more times than any other and it never ceases to inspire.

Indeed. The only thing I find disappointing about Extreme Rock is the fact that I'm not good enough to do most of the routes.
 Wft 14 Feb 2014
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:
you will ripper, you will be

bubble to hubble!
Post edited at 08:59
 Graham Hoey 14 Feb 2014
In reply to Jim Brooke:

I think there are around now 200 left since this review went up.
cheers
Graham
 Graham Hoey 14 Feb 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:

Well done to all the team including Mick Ward, Percy Bishton, Mark Pretty, Keith Sharples, Jon Read, Adam Long, Steve McClure, Tom Randall, Andi Turner, Vertebrate Graphics, the BMC, and everyone else who helped us with the book!

A big thanks

Graham
 John H Bull 14 Feb 2014
In reply to Dave Turnbull, BMC:
Slightly disappointing prevalence of bumshots of men in tights?
 Phil Kelly 17 Feb 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:

Thanks UKC for putting this review up online.

As of this morning there are only around 100 copies held by the distributors, Cordee, and wheen they're gone, that will be the end of the first edition sales.

Phil
 mattrm 17 Feb 2014
In reply to Phil Kelly:

I've got one on order, hopefully it'll actually show up. Will there be a 2nd edition?
In reply to Phil Kelly:

Great news Phil, glad to hear they've gone well.
 Phil Kelly 17 Feb 2014
In reply to mattrm:

> I've got one on order, hopefully it'll actually show up.

why wouldn't it?!

> Will there be a 2nd edition?

does there need to be? Peak Rock has proved to be extremely popular, but we haven't discussed a second or revised edition yet.

Phil


 Phil Kelly 18 Feb 2014
In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKC:

Thanks Rob.

Just been speaking to Jon Barton, and we reckon the first edition will be sold out within a month from now, which is great, and by the end of May we should be handing over the royalty donations to the MHT/Barker family.

Phil
 Graham Booth 21 Feb 2014
In reply to Phil Kelly:

Fantastic book Phil, amazing achievement.

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