Into the silence

Mount Everest was the supreme challenge for mountaineers during the twentieth century, particularly after the First World War. Subtitled The Great War, Mallory and the conquest of Everest, this book by Wade Davis examines the background of the twenty-six British mountaineers who, in three expeditions between 1921 and 1924, attempted to climb the mountain. The book investigates the political as well as the physical barriers associated with mountaineering expeditions as well as concentrating on Mallory's attempt to climb the mountain. It is suggested that he may have succeeded in reaching the top of Everest before his disappearance on the return to base camp.