The White Spider
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3.2 • 5 Ratings
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
A classic of mountaineering literature, this is the story of the harrowing first ascent of the North Face of the Eiger, the most legendary and terrifying climb in history.
Heinrich Harrer, author of ‘Seven Years in Tibet’ and one of the twentieth century’s greatest mountaineers, was part of the team that finally conquered the Eiger’s fearsome North Face in 1938. It was a landmark expedition that pitted the explorers against treacherous conditions and the limits of human endurance, and which many have since tried – and failed – to emulate.
Armed with an intimate knowledge that comes only from first-hand experience of climbing the Eiger, Harrer gives a gripping account of physical daring and mental resilience. A new introduction by Joe Simpson, author of ‘Touching the Void’, confirms the lasting relevance of this true adventure classic.
Reviews
‘An outstanding book in the mountaineering library.’ Guardian
‘Even to look at the photographs of the terrible slopes of the Eiger chills the blood. Heinrich Harrer enables the reader to vicariously experience the cold and the terror of the climb.’ Irish Press
‘”The White Spider” provides almost the classic statement of the weird and frequently misunderstood psychology of the modern rock-climber. Despite the grimness of much of what he is doing, Harrer communicates the irresistible joy of climbing as an antidote to the idea that climbers are masochistically trying to prove something to themselves.’ Sunday Times
‘A true classic from the early days of mountaineering…The terror and respect that the Eiger inspires is evoked superbly in Harrer’s narrative.’ Maxim
About the author
Heinrich Harrer was born in 1912 in Carinthia. His skiing prowess won him a place in the 1936 Austrian Olympic team. He was imprisoned by the British in India during the Second World War, but escaped and travelled to Tibet, a story he recounts in the classic Seven Years in Tibet. He died in 2006.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
At 13,025 feet, the Swiss Eiger doesn't approach the height of Everest or Denali, but the sheer rise and difficulty of its 5900-foot north face keeps it in the company of the world's most celebrated peaks. At the time Harrer (Seven Years in Tibet, originally the sequel to this volume) became part of the first successful summit climb in 1938, the north face of the Eiger was considered the "last and greatest of Alpine problems" left in the world. Originally published in 1959 (with chapters added in 1964 and an index covering subsequent Eiger climbs), this riveting account of his ascent and the history of confronting the Eiger--beginning with the first fatal attempts to conquer the north face in 1935--is a crisply written paean to the mountain where Harrer first earned recognition as a world-class climber. A simple narrative style brings to life the many obstacles faced by Eiger climbers--snowstorms, avalanches and a continuous shower of falling rocks among them. Harrer has a Hemingwayesque appreciation of the codes, bravery and rules of conduct governing the closed world of "true mountaineers." And he reserves special contempt for the sensation-seekers who gather to watch deadly feats of climbing from the ground below. Sections that document the evolution of climbing gear (Harrer wore no crampons on his 1938 ascent) and national rivalries in the WWII-era climbing community help make this volume an important contribution to the emerging canon of mountaineering literature.
Customer Reviews
The White Spider
The White Spider factually accounts for the history of mountaineering on the north face of the Eiger. Written with much respect by Harrer, this book describes the ordeals of the first fatal excursions and details all of the following expeditions. Surprisingly, the book is more of an account of all of these expeditions, rather than a pure focus on his own attempt (in a party of four) which gained the summit for the first time via the infamous route.
Gripping reading and a must for any lover of the outdoors.