True Summit

Description

Published by Constable, London, 2001, 1st UK Edition, D/w, Fine.   The first 8,000 metre peak climbed was Annapurna in 1950 by a French Expedition, led by Maurice Herzog and containing some of the strongest mountaineers of the day including Louis Lachenal, Lionel Terray and Gaston Rebuffat.  Herzog became a national hero and his account of the climb, Annapurna, became a classic and a bestseller.  However, the book did little to paint a true picture of the dissent in the team and of how Lachenal, Terray and Rebuffat really contributed to the success of the Expedition.  Roberts had access to original manuscripts and letters, some of which were previously unpublished, travelled widely to interview family members, and also interviewed Herzog, the only surviving member of these four.  His picture is perhaps the more considered and more accurate account of one of the greatest epic ascents ever made.