In reply to lorens holm:
I've had an ongoing interest in both these characters, in a kind of semi-professional way as a writer and researcher. I haven't read the new Wilson book yet, I'm sure it exposes some less-flattering aspects of his personality and actions, but I think with regard to their adventure exploits, it should be made clear that Crowhurst made a very deliberate decision to lie about what he had done, a great effort to deceive. Wilson, on the other hand, while his method of approach was illegal and required some subterfuge, seems to have genuinely tried to climb Everest, and tried to the death, so no lies were necessary. One seems to have suicided, presumably out of shame or fear, while the other also died, but more through misadventure than deliberate suicide.