The Conquest of Everest

Description

Published by Thames & Hudson, London, 2013, 1st UK Edition, D/w, Fine.   Published for the 60th Anniversary of the First Ascent of Everest, this large-format volume features a trove of original photographs, many previously unpublished, along with other materials from the Lowe collection.  The story of the Expedition is told from Lowe’s point of view, but also includes his first meeting and early climbs with Sir Edmund Hillary (1919-2008), his close friend.  The book includes a chapter of personal reflections from Reinhold Messner, Norbu Tenzing Norgay, Kenton Cool, Peter Hillary, Colin Monteath, Tom Hornbein, Stephen Venables and Doug Scott.  With 163 illustrations, 62 in colour, this book was first conceived at the 50th Anniversary celebrations and Hillary wrote the Foreword for it in 2007, probably one of the last things he wrote.  George Lowe (1924-2013), the last surviving member of the original climbing team from 1953, died in the same year his work was published, as well as weeks before the publication of his Letters from Everest.