signed first edition Hardcover
2003 · London
by Band, George
London: HarperCollins, 2003. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good/Near fine. Published in association with the Royal Geographic Society, Alpine Club, and Mount Everest Foundation, this is the official publication celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest in 1953. It puts the first successful ascent into context, detailing the adventures and deaths on the north face pre World War II and the planning after the war that was nearly curtailed by a Swiss expedition in 1952. Written by a member of the original Hunt team, George Band (who went on to climb the lower but much harder peak Kangchenjunga), the book contains details, photographs, and material donated by team members and the RGS. This copy is signed by mountaineers Edmund Hillary, Chris Bonington, and Kurt Diemberger on the title page. Quarto. Original glossy boards. The spine head is bumped; else a crisp and clean copy in like dust jacket.
(Inventory #: 66969)