Overview

Few thought of travelling to the Alps until John Ruskin extolled their rugged beauty in 1842. More than anyone, it was 25-year-old Edward Whymper who imbued them once again with a sense of alarming mystery after his Alpine memoir and first ascent of the Matterhorn. Inspiring the birth of mountain climbing, his book is still as fresh as when he wrote it as a love letter to the unique Alpine world and the fierceness of nature he discovered. Armed with a pick-axe, he climbed in tweeds and leather shoes, alone or with local hunters and craftsmen who carried the ropes, stores, tents and hacked steps in the ice. Even today, the mountain is treacherous and has recorded over 500 deaths since Whymper reached its peak. As an engraver, Edward Whymper enthusiastically embraced the rapidly advancing art of photography. In 1874, he took a portable camera and plates up the Matterhorn-a first-to turn photographs into engravings for a new edition of his book, and, in 1883, to include as lantern slides with talks (inspiring in teenage Winston Churchill, for one, a lifelong passion for the Alps). In this volume, these photographs are added to Whymper's original engravings and Alpine advice, to accompany his dramatic story-and many appear in print for the first time.

Full Product Details

Author:   Edward Whymper ,  Theresa May
Publisher:   Gibson Square Books Ltd
Imprint:   Gibson Square Books Ltd
Dimensions:   Width: 16.10cm , Height: 2.60cm , Length: 23.40cm
ISBN:  

9781783341825

ISBN 10:   1783341823
Pages:   288
Publication Date:   14 August 2024
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Available To Order  
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Table of Contents

Foreword by Theresa May Edward Whymper 1860-1863 Preface I Introductory II The Ascent of Mont Pelvoux III My First Scramble on the Matterhorn IV Renewed Attempts to Ascend the Matterhorn V The Val Tournenche-Direct Pass from Breuil to Zermatt Breuljoch)-Zermatt-First Ascent of the Grand Tournalin VI Our Sixth Attempt to Ascend the Matterhorn 1864 VII From St. Michel to La Berarde by the Col des Aiguilles d'Arve, Col de Martignare, and the Breche de la Meije to la Brerarde VIII The First Ascent of the Pointe des Ecrins IX From Val Louise to La Berarde by the Col de Pilatte X The First Passage of the Col de Triolet, and First Ascents of Mont Dolent, Aiguille de Tre la Tete, and Aiguille d'Argentiere XI The First Passage of the Moming Pass-Zinal to Zermatt XII The First Ascent of the Grand Cornier XIII The Ascent of the Dent Blanche XIV Lost on the Col d'Herens-My Seventh Attempt to Ascend the Matterhorn XV The First Passage of the Col Dolent XVI The First Ascent of the Aiguille Verte XVII The First Passage of the Col de Talefre XVIII The First Ascent of the Ruinette-the Matterhorn XIX The First Ascent of the Matterhorn XX The Descent of the Matterhorn Appendix A The Death of Bennen B Struck by Lightning upon the Matterhor C Note on the Highest Mountain in France D Subsequent History of the Matterhorn Endnotes Cross Section of the Matterhorn Index

Reviews

'Unapproachable in Alpine literature... vivid memories of his happy time... you can almost hear the tinkle of bells on the Alps; you breathe the fresh fragrance of the pine trees.' THE TIMES; 'A classic of mountaineering literature and all storytelling.' ; DAILY TELEGRAPH; 'The vigour and power that only personal observation can give.' BIRMINGHAM POST; 'An exceptional book.' HERALD (GLASGOW); 'Still a better introduction to the Dauphine Alps and some of the finest valleys and high passes of central Europe than from modern climbing guide books.' SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

‘Unapproachable in Alpine literature… vivid memories of his happy time… you can almost hear the tinkle of bells on the Alps; you breathe the fresh fragrance of the pine trees.’ THE TIMES; ‘A classic of mountaineering literature and all storytelling.’ ; DAILY TELEGRAPH; ‘The vigour and power that only personal observation can give.’ BIRMINGHAM POST; ‘An exceptional book.’ HERALD (GLASGOW); ‘Still a better introduction to the Dauphiné Alps and some of the finest valleys and high passes of central Europe than from modern climbing guide books.’ SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

Author Information

Edward Whymper was born into a family of engravers in Lambeth, South London, and soon became a celebrity engraver, illustrating Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species and Heinrich Schliemann's books on Troy and Mycenae. After ascending the Matterhorn, he travelled the world and explored Greenland and the Andes, while dreaming of conquering the Himalayas and Mount Kilimanjaro. Theresa May was Britain's Prime Minister and MP of Maidenhead from 1997 to 2024 and is an author. She shares her passion for the Alps with Edward Whymper and he was one of her choices for a dream dinner party.

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