First published 2009
George Mallory stands on the slopes of Mount Everest in 1924, just 400 feet from the summit that has consumed his thoughts for years. Born in 1886, this brilliant Cambridge graduate and former artillery officer in World War I seemed destined for a quiet life teaching school. Marriage and three children anchor him to ordinary existence. But the mountains call to him with irresistible force. When a reporter asks why he wants to climb Everest, Mallory gives his famous reply: "because it is there." This third attempt at the world's highest peak will be his last chance. At thirty-seven, accompanied by climbing partner Andrew Irvine, Mallory pushes toward the summit through brutal conditions. Then both men disappear into the mountain's deadly embrace. Mallory's body lies undiscovered until 1999, but the central question remains: did he reach the top before he died? Jeffrey Archer weaves the mystery of those final moments into a story about ambition, sacrifice, and the price of chasing immortal glory.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, adventure, biographical-fiction
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: based-on-true-events, man-vs-nature
Setting: Mount Everest, Cambridge
Period: 1924, World War I
11 pages · Audio CD · Macmillan Audio