Upon that Mountain


Book Description

Upon that Mountain is the first autobiography of the mountaineer and explorer Eric Shipton. In it, he describes all his pre-war climbing, including his Everest bids of the 1930s, and his second Karakoram survey in 1939, when he returned to Snow Lake to complete the mapping of the ranges flanking the Hispar and Choktoi glacier systems around the Ogre. Crossing great swathes of the Himalaya, the book, like so many of Shipton's works, is both entertaining and an important addition to the mountain literature genre. It captures an important period in mountaineering history - that just before the Second World War - an ends on an elegiac note as Shipton describes his last evening at the starkly-beautiful snow lake, before he returns to a 'civilisation' about to embark on a cataclysmic war.




James Beckwourth


Book Description

A biography of the African American pioneer.




True Summit


Book Description

In a startling look at the classic Annapurna—the most famous book about mountaineering—David Roberts discloses what really happened on the legendary expedition to the Himalayan peak. In June 1950, a team of mountaineers was the first to conquer an 8,000-meter peak. Maurice Herzog, the leader of the expedition, became a national hero in France, and Annapurna, his account of the historic ascent, has long been regarded as the ultimate tale of courage and cooperation under the harshest of conditions. In True Summit, David Roberts presents a fascinating revision of this classic tale. Using newly available documents and information gleaned from a rare interview with Herzog (the only climber on the team still living), Roberts shows that the expedition was torn by dissent. As he re-creates the actual events, Roberts lays bare Herzog's self-serving determination and bestows long-delayed credit to the most accomplished and unsung heroes. These new revelations will inspire young adventurers and change forever the way we think about this victory in the mountains and the climbers who achieved it.




On Belay


Book Description

* Paul Petzoldt was a pioneering North American climber and founder of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) * Details an adventurous, wild, and long life * Drawn from 30 years of personal association and extensive interviews There are old climbers and there are bold climbers, but there are no old, bold climbers. This familiar saying, coined by legendary climber Paul Petzoldt, is one he lived to disprove. When he passed away at the age of 91, Petzoldt's career was marked by decades of achievement in climbing, incomparable passion for outdoor education, wanderlust, and a relentless drive for adventure. Petzoldt's name is synonymous with the Grand Tetons and NOLS, the highly respected outdoor school that he founded. Blazing the trail for an international code of wilderness ethics and safe climbing techniques, Petzoldt devised the voice signaling system that begins with On belay! This intimate biography details Petzoldt's climbing career, including many first ascents in the Tetons, the first American expedition to K2, and the extraordinary leadership accomplishments that made him legendary. This title is part of our LEGENDS AND LORE series. Click here > to learn more.




The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories From the Sketch Book


Book Description

Sage, storyteller, and wit, Washington Irving created such staples of American fiction as the stories “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” He earned his preeminence in early American literature with the masterpieces in miniature collected here: dozens of stories, travel essays, biographical discourses, and literary musings. “His influence on American writers is unquestioned,” wrote Edgar Allan Poe, and his stories have proved as enduring as the Catskill Mountains the author immortalized. “Exceptional talent….I am one of his most ardent admirers. I admired Mr. Irving’s work so much, in fact, that I gave it the ultimate praise; I ‘borrowed it.’”—Edgar Allan Poe With an Introduction by Wayne Franklin




Inishowen, Its History, Traditions and Antiquities - Part One: Its Legendary History


Book Description

This edition presents the opening chapters of 'Inishowen, Its History, Traditions and Antiquities', first published by Michael Harkin in 1867 under the pen name of 'Maghtochair'. The book sweeps through Inishowen's ancient, medieval and modern history. We hear of its mythical past - the Tuatha De Danaan, the Milesians and the story of Niall of the Nine Hostages from whom it is claimed the O'Neill dynasty and St. Columbkille were descended. Accounts are given of the Viking raids, the arrival of Strongbow and the final dismantling of Gaelic Ireland, with the defeat of the great Ulster Chieftains, the O'Neills and O'Donnells, at the Battle of Kinsale in 1607. As well as the history and topography of Inishowen, we learn of its archaeology. The cairns, burial sites, standing stones, druidic temples and forts conjure up its pre-Christian era. After the coming of St. Patrick the archaeology is of ancient round towers, chapels, churches and monasteries, including the ancient Abbey at Fahan.




History and Legend


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The Legend of Guy of Warwick


Book Description

First published in 1996. This lavishly illustrated study is a comprehensive literary and social history which offers a record of changing genres, manuscript/book production, and cultural, political, and religious emphases by examining one of the most long lived popular legends in England. Guy of Warwick became part of history when he was named in chronicles and heraldic rolls. The power of the Earls of Warwick, especially Richard de Beauchamp, inspired the spread of the legend, but Guy's highest fame came in the Renaissance as one of the Nine Worthies. Widely praised in texts and allusions, Guy's feats were sung in ballads and celebrated on the stage in England and France. The first Anglo-Norman romance of Gui de Warewic, a Saxon hero of the tenth century was written in the early 13th century; the latest retellings of the legend are contemporary. Examples of Guy's legend can be found in two English translations that survived the Middle Ages, a new French prose romance, a didactic tale in the Gesta Romanorum, and late medieval versions in Celtic, German, and Catalan, as well as English. Guy remained a favorite Edwardian children's story and was featured in the Warwick Pageant, an historical extravaganza of 1906. The patriotism of World War II sparked a resurgence of interest that produced several new versions, mostly folkloric.




Studies in Greek Scenery, Legend and History


Book Description

"Studies in Greek Scenery, Legend and History: Selected from His Commentary on Pausanias' 'Description of Greece'" by James George Frazer looks at how descriptions of Greece have affected its culture. Mountains, roads, cities, travels, and the sacred rites that depend on the country's landscape are all discussed in detail to give even modern readers an all-encompassing picture of its diversity and geography.