Reviews

Uninitiated readers might suspect that, having climbed Mount Everest alone and without using oxygen in 1995, Hargreaves's determination to reach the summit of K2, the second highest peak in the world, was fuelled solely by a desire for further fame. However, as British journalist Rose (the Guardian and the Observer) and Douglas (editor, Alpine Journal) reveal, Alison continued the climb that would ultimately kill her because she was desperate to dissolve an unhappy marriage. Climbing was the only real talent Hargreaves possessed, and the money she would have received from speaking engagements and endorsements would have enabled her to leave her husband and support her two children. This multifaceted account of her tragic life details her climbing and peripheral activities, and the authors deserve considerable credit. This book, which was shortlisted for the Banff Mountain Literature Festival grand prize, will appeal to climbing and outdoors enthusiasts.DRobert E. Greenfield, formerly with Baltimore Cty. P.L. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.