In reply to Mooncat at work:> (In reply to Glen)
>
> Feeding the Rat by Al Alvarez, the life story of Mo Anthoine, not your normal mountaineering book, but an essential read.
Seconded. Nice to read something by someone who can actually write.
I thoroughly enjoyed Mountains of the Mind. Again, an author who can actually write. The criticism that he covers old ground doesn't hold too much water with me as I haven't read the things he's supposed to be rehashing.
I'd also agree with whoever said anything but Joe Simpson - they're all basically the same - angst, do something daft, bad weather, good weather, great days, someone dies, JS falls off something big, he lived morosely ever after.
In fact, I've decided that most expedition books are a bit boring, so I'm giving up on them.