What is the attraction of hills and mountains, and why should we want to climb them? In this brilliantly conceived book - part historical study and part veiled autobiography - Phil Bartlett draws on both the celebrated literature of mountaineering and his own experiences from the Lake District to the Himalaya, to build a more complete and satisfying answer than any previous writer. And in so doing he illuminates not only the world of hard climbing, but exploration, fell-walking and out love of the outdoors in general. The author assesses the work and personalities of such key figures as Sir Francis Younghusband, Edward Whymper, Eric Shipton, Peter Boardman, and Chris Bonington. But this is more than a book of biography; it is a unique climbing book about values. And its conclusions are both timely and exciting...