Reinhold Messner Free Spirit

Description

Published by Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1991, 1st UK Edition, D/w, Fine.   The first complete autobiography from Messner spanning his entire career from the early Dolomite climbs to climbing the fourteen 8,000 metre peaks, the seven summits on seven continents, the tragedy of his brother’s death on Nanga Parbat, and his crossing of Antarctica.  He concludes his story with a short chapter on Tomo Cesen and his futuristic solo climb of the South Face of Lhotse, calling Cesen “currently the best climber in the world”. However, Cesen’s claim to the route led to controversy and was questionned, including by Messner who by the summer of 1993 stated that he no longer believed Cesen had made the climb.  An excellent read.