Paths of Glory (2009)

Poor George Mallory -- hero of The Great War, pioneer of Everest and through no fault of his own, character in a tedious book. ( )

I've always really liked Jeffrey Archer's books, and this one is no exception. It is different than his others in that it is based on a real person, but it is still written as a thriller. Is that because Archer is that clever a writer or was the person's life really that interesting? It is about a mountain climber. Not interesting to me at all, so that answers the question for me. ( )

I thought this was a GREAT book! It was one of those books that I was sad it was over when I finished it. It also prompted me to research this subject further on the internet and may provoke some future reads of me on the topic. I had some issues with the english read to the book, but that does not reflect poorly on the book. I see this as a positive keeping true to the times and location of the events.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an exciting read on a true story topic. ( )

Why do people climb Mount Everest? "Because it's there" according to George Mallory. In this fictional account, George Mallory and his climbing partner, Sandy Irvine, reached the summit of Everest in 1924 but died on the way down. Opinion is still divided as to whether they conquered this difficult mountain. When Mallory's body was discovered 1999 he did not have the picture of his beloved wife Ruth with him. He had promised to leave her picture on the summit if he reached it and some people have taken this to mean he did reach the top. If the body of his climbing partner is ever found and he has the camera they took to the top it may finally prove the story one way or another. Until then all we have is speculation.

I was interested to contrast this story with that of another British adventurer who is referred to, Scott of the Antarctic. I recently watched the miniseries "The Last Place on Earth" about the race to the South Pole between Scott and Amundsen. Scott was dictatorial and unwilling to change and that may have led to his death as well as the death of the people who accompanied him. Mallory, at least as portrayed by Archer, was a much nicer person. Initially he was against using oxygen on the ascent but after his attempt in 1922 he was persuaded that oxygen was necessary in order to make it to the top. Archer also thought of taking one of the Sherpas with him to the top in 1922 a move that would have enraged the hidebound members of the Royal Geographical Society.

Ultimately this story is a love story. When separated from his wife Mallory wrote to her every day. They were as much in love when he left for Asia as they had been when they first married. Mallory probably would have stayed home if Ruth had not persuaded him to go (against her own wishes). It's very sad that they couldn't spend their declining years together. ( )

An extraordinary novel about George Mallory's life and climbing experiences. I read a few short stories about climbing Mt. Everest some years ago. They did not thrill me. In contrast, this detailed account of George Mallory's experiences as a young person attending school in England and then later as a teacher and professional climber is exceptional. As a result of reading this book, I acquired and read another Jeffrey Archer novel A Prisoner of Birth. It is also outstanding.