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The most in-depth accont ever of Tenzing's climb from obscurity to stardom
history lesson
The Hero of Everest Without the Heart and Soul
Lost In The Details

Tenzing: Hero of Everest
Ed Douglas
Manufacturer: National Geographic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Mountain Climbing | Mountaineering | Sports | Subjects | Books

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Tenzing Norgay and the Sherpas of Everest
Last Climb: The Legendary Everest Expeditions of George Mallory
Touching My Father's Soul: A Sherpa's Journey to the Top of Everest
High Adventure: The True Story of the First Ascent of Everest
Left for Dead: My Journey Home from Everest

ASIN: 0792269837
Release Date: 2003-03-01

Book Description

In 1953, Tenzing Norgay was at the heart of the successful British Everest expedition as leader of the Sherpas whose hard work brought victory and as one of the two lead climbers to reach the top. But behind Tenzing's radiant smile is an untold story of courage, tragedy, and ambition, of a man who overcame incredible odds just to reach the bottom of the mountain.

Born in a sacred Tibetan valley in the shadow of Everest, Tenzing's long journey led him from life as an illiterate yak herder to become the friend of Nehru, feted by monarchs and presidents all over the world. Set against the backdrop of one of the greatest chapters in the history of exploration, Tenzing: Hero of Everest recounts the jubilant moments at the summit: “Tenzing was effusive, putting an arm around Hillary's shoulders, and thumping him on the back with infectious delight. Hillary joined in.... Now all below them...the valleys where Tenzing had grown up. `It was such a sight as I had never seen before,' he said, `and would never see again—wild, wonderful, and terrible. But terror was not what I felt. I loved the mountains too well for that. I loved Everest too well.'”

Mountaineering historian Ed Douglas reveals for the first time Tenzing's long climb from obscurity. Drawing on extensive interviews with family members, climbing partners, and members of the Sherpa community in Darjeeling and Nepal, the book chronicles his rise to fame and the aftermath of his triumph. The result is a wealth of new material about a man who made his people famous and whose life was the stuff of legend.

Customer Reviews:

The most in-depth accont ever of Tenzing's climb from obscurity to stardom .......2007-05-26

In this thoughtful, well researched and educational book, Ed Douglas has delved far beneath the superficial surface of Tenzing, Sherpas and Himalayan climbing. The history and lead up to the 1953 climb with Ed Hillary is both thoughtful and highly detailed but despite the incredible academic depth and factual information, this book is highly readable and appealing to anyone who seeks knowledge of Tenzing's extraordinary beginnings in Tibet, move to Nepal and settling in Darjeeling to be close to the action for all pre world war 2 expeditions to the Everest region. Douglas's accurate descriptions of some of these early expeditions to Everest and other high peaks make "Into Thin Air" look like a church picnic. Most of all we get a true picture of life as a Sherpa rising to Sirdar status and what singled out Tenzing from all the others. This is a human story complete with all the highs and lows of struggle, family, ambition, success and failure, with eventual world accolade diminishing into depressiion, loneliness and frustration. This is a book that every interested world mountaineer should read. It finally puts into perspective what went on during those amazing decades from the 20s to the 70s.

history lesson.......2004-06-25

When I purchased this book I thought that I was going to receive a thrilling biography of the first ascent of MT. Everest. But instead I got a history lesson on the culture, area, and Tenzing's family. I had a hard time staying awake through the beginning and the end of the book. The middle kept me going while Everest was being climbed. The writing was fine. It just was not exciting. So if you are writing a paper for you college history class, check out this book. If you want an exciting mountaineering book, look somewhere else.

The Hero of Everest Without the Heart and Soul.......2003-06-13

Thorough, informative and well authenticated but wholly lacking in literary style and readability. As I read the book I thought "with all this information a good editor and the benefit of literary style could have vastly improved the effort!" In reading the book I did discover that I am an unswerving 'linear reader'. No matter how bad the writing became I remained steadfast to the end hoping that this book could redeem itself. This effort will not be seriously considered a notable contribution to the history of climbing Everest. For that sort of book I recommend reading elsewhere.

Lost In The Details.......2003-04-14

One has to commend Ed Douglas for this, a highly scholarly and thorough look at the life of a very enigmatic and difficult character. One is left in no doubt that he has thoroughly researched and cross referenced his sources in order to provide this highly detailed portrait.

Yet this book's main failings may just be this tremendous detail. Whilst an ethnographer would no doubt be fascinated with the complex social, religious and family structures of Himalayan life I doubt many readers would be as interested. Douglas lays out Tenzing's story with the cold accuracy of an experienced climber calmly looking for his next hold. Unfortunately this accuracy translates into a cool detachment from the subjects in question. Non mountaineers will find themselves grasping at their own handholds as Douglas assumes both a knowledge of climbing and an intimacy with Everest from his readers. For example, he references the South Col numerous times, yet no where is this feature of the mountain illustrated or explained to us. A good atlas of the Himalayan region is needed by any prospective reader to begin to understand much of Tenzing's expeditions and I think it is inexcusable for a book of this nature not to include such maps and diagrams.

Works on explorers and exploration should contain a wealth of detail but they also need to transcend that information and deliver a passionate portrait of the characters involved. Hero of Everest's textbook-like narrative delivers in the former but is sadly lacking in the latter.

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