The Boys of Everest: Chris Bonington and the Tragedy of Climbing's Greatest Generation

I recently returned from mountaineering school in the Cascades. I went in the hope of familiarizing myself with the techniques and skills to be a competent follower of a guided trip up some larger mountains, such as Rainier, Aconagua, or Denali. The mountains inspired me to know the history of mountaineering. recommended "The Boys of Everest." I'd heard of Mallory and Hilary, of course, but never of Chris Bonington and his "boys" (including Hamish McInnes, Don Whillans, Ian Clough, Joe Tasker, [...]

As someone who has never, will never, and wants never, to climb even a hill without a path and ice cream shop every mile, I remain somewhat perplexed by those who feel they must endure freezing cold, ridiculous food, tea all the time (if you’re British), and the constant risk of death. But these psychotics are great fun to read about. I’ve read several mountaineering accounts, and not just for the feats of climbing, but the internal and external personality conflicts, as well.One wonders in [...]

This author is a douchebag. Let's focus on his picture in the back of the book: Wisping long hair with flashes of professorial gray just north of a shit-eating grin. A smart crew-neck sweater and pair of jeans just so you know he's casual-cool. And to top it off he's sitting, almost seductively, on a pile of logs so we all know he's an outdoorsman. Who chopped that wood Clint? I would've respected him more if he had been winking. It's clear to me he really wants to wink. And his name is Clint. S [...]

I've been reading climbing books for many years now and found that they can be rather variable. Books on Everest will tend to crop up quite often as Everest is perceived as the big challenged (kind of ignoring the many mountains that are actually harder in many ways).While this is called the "Boys of Everest" and does focus to a substantial degree on the highest mountain it really is a book about a climbing generation - Bonington's boys. This is not a clearly defined group of people but those wh [...]

Mostly in the context of how you would want to read climbing books, and the other available literature.There is a lot of "train of thought" and "imagery" in this book. Which is weird, as the author was not present, and doesn't have this info from the actual climbers. He is a climber, luckily, so it isn't all made up. The only problem is that his descriptions are hilariously bad, to the point of becoming comical. I wish I had it on hand to make some comments. It's a painful, painful read. Read an [...]

I liked this book because it gave me more detail on the technical aspects of climbing than most mountaineering tales do. On the other hand, it was odd that the author put thoughts and actions into the heads of dead men, trying to imagine, I guess, what they were thinking and feeling when they died climbing. Of course, we'd all like to know, but it takes it a bit far to actually imagine those thoughts and write them into the story as if they're part of the (non-fiction, supposedly) narrative. Als [...]

This book took forever to read because it never develops the characters -- who are real people -- to the point where you can actually distinguish them apart from each other and care about them. Essentially, the book details several climbs, in which someone feels spurned for not being invited, tension rises among the climbers while on the climb, and then at least one person dies. It's challenging to grasp the passage of time between climbs and they all start blending into one. The accounts are ba [...]

My dad gave me this book last year for christmas (it was just as much for him as it was for me), he loved it and I hated it. This follows a revolutionary group of climbers along many trips of some of their best climbs and what happens to them along the years. If you are looking to read a climbing book that is not about everest or k2 this is a very good book. The Eiger in Switzerland plays and important role as well as others, but I can't say that I really enjoyed the book, although others have.

Interesting subject. Very comprehensive and detailed on the efforts of these adventurers. However, I was frustrated by the author's constant need to wax poetic on the thoughts of dying men. The presumption and creepiness of these lengthy monologues was off-putting as was the nasty swallowing sound the narrator kept making.

At best this is a "non fiction novel"too much is fantasy made up by the author

Humm.Better to live vicariously through mountaineers than to be one.“ where mountains are sacred & where risk & death are constant companions- the Himalayas.” ― Bernadette McDonald, Tomaz Humar

After Everest was conquered in 1953, it seemed like there was nothing left to accomplish in the climbing world. However, a ever-changing group of young British climbers pressed even greater limits by climbing more difficult mountains and taking impossible routes on mountains already summitted on easier trails. A few of the climbers lived to old age, but according to this book most of them died on an 8,000 meter peak somewhere on the other side of the world.I have read and enjoyed many other book [...]

What a disappointment! I jumped into this super long rundown of Chris Bonington and his boys, a group of British friends who revolutionized mountain climbing in their time, thinking it would be a comprehensive look at several mountains and climbers. The text is fairly dense and slow unfortunately. After introducing Chris, the author goes into great detail about pretty much every major climb anyone in the group attempted. Bonington is originally famous for climbing the Eiger and that rundown was [...]

I like climbing mountains, but prefer those where the climbing doesn't involve sheer cliffs and frigid temperatures. The technical kind of mountain climbing intrigues me, but not enough to take it up. Instead, I occasionally enjoy reading about others' adventures.This book is subtitled "Chris Bonington and the Tragedy of Climbing's Greatest Generation." Most of the book focuses on Bonington and a group of British climbers, and their adventures on quite a few different mountains in Europe and Asi [...]

I have never climbed a mountain and probably never will climb one. But I am a runner and I can understand the desire to push yourself to your limits with challenges that at first glance might seem impossible. Climbing Mt Everest seems absolutely insane to most people and I can see why. This mountain kills so many who attempt it, it's a dangerous and life threatening activity. But just as some would say "why in the world would anyone want to do something as crazy as running a marathon?" some woul [...]

This book was so good I spent a weekend literally fighting with a house guest over who got to read it. I won. My house, my book.The slightly distant narrative style worked very well. It provided dispassionate discussion of some very emotive events, without losing sight of the fact that the men who survived were also in danger. Clearly some of the narrative has to be poetic licence, but it didn't lose the impact for any of that.Well worth the read, whether you're familiar with Bonington (if you'r [...]

I've been reading alot of climbing books lately and this was not one of the better ones. The author went very wide and not too deep - and must have some ESP knowing what a few of the climbers were thinking as they were dying. You could make the book a drinking game for every time they stopped and had some tea. They stopped for tea (drink), they didn't have fuel to make tea (drink), they melted snow for tea (drink), tea, tea, tea - I didn't realize it was so key in climbing.There are better books [...]

This book tells the story of British climbers who took on increasingly challenging routes after Everest was climbed. At times its funny and at times it tries to describe the joy and compulsion of climbing and hiking. The book is written as if the author has complete knowledge of the inner thoughts of the characters, some of which seem meticoulously researched and some just made up. All in all though, the depictions of the climbs pull you in and let you share in the excitement of it. Good book.

This book is chock full of British mountaineering history and adventure. Willis most closely Chris Bonington's career, but also includes important climbs of some of his common partners. In particular, he covers the deaths of many of these famous climbers. He also sheds some light on many old climbing conflicts such as older vs. younger generations, equipment differences and large expeditions vs. alpine style. Great book for anyone interested in the 8,000 meter peaks.

This book seemed a bit different from other 'adventure' tales I have read about mountaineering. In some ways that was a nice change: The author was able to describe thoughts and emotions in an engaging way that felt real, but when he put himself in the minds of some of the climbers in the last moments before they died (as many do), then I was a little put off by his assuming to know their last thoughts. Overall an interesting but rather different adventure read.

I just love these mountaineering books, all about how crazy these folks are. There's such a "true believer" part of them that they keep going back, regardless of the cost to themselves and their family. This is one of the best, giving a summary of a group of british mountaineers who did a lot of crazy stuff, and definitely paid for it in the end.

Good book - my only objection were the fictionalized parts - no one knows what happened to Tasker and Boardman, yet their deaths were depicted in the book. Also, he reflects on their "internal" thoughts as they headed off to never be seen again. I think the book would've been much better had it not crossed the line from fact to fiction.

You know, I can't really tell you what the 'tragedy' was that the book's title refers to. The book was kind of boring and there were so many characters coming and going that I couldn't keep them straight. I'm guessing there was a good story in there, but it was not delivered well enough. Maybe on paper it is a little better.

A substantial project, eloquently written by Clint Willis, of a defining era of British mountaineering. His writing is raw, honest and delicate while highlighting the climbers lives, relationships and climbs. Deeply moving. If you want to glimpse how challenging it is to understand why people climb mountains, this is the book. Brilliant writing.

A disappointing read. I was bored by all the family stuff which threatened to overwhelm the narrative. When I did get to the climbing it was too much of a step by step guide to footholds and grips and not enough about the emotions, fear and elation and despair.

I always enjoy reading true stories about mountain climbing! I'll never do it, but I totally respect those who have the drive and stamina (and willingness to take life-threatening risks) to go out and make the effort to climb to the top.

Hard to read. A meandering weird book. There's no new ground covered. No new information. You can learn more from the books of Bonington,Boardman and Tasker,as well as those by Tasker's widow Maria Coffey. Avoid this book.

had to put this one down. every chapter is the same story; some epic climb, some unfortunate death. set up basecamp, climb a few pitches, think about mortality yawn. the stories are indeed epic, but the melodramatic descriptions of every. single. thing. that. happens. are over-the-top.

Fascinating look at the rock-and-roll Brits of high-altitude climbing, who knocked off incredibly hard routes in the Himalayas in the 1970s and 1980s. You have to be a masochist to thrive on the stuff they did -- and many of them paid with their lives.

Why anyone would want to put themselves and their family through this is way beyond my comprehension.