First published 2026
George Mallory and Sandy Irvine vanished into Everest's summit clouds on June 8, 1924, creating a century-old mystery. Mallory's remains surfaced in 1999, while Irvine's boot and foot emerged in 2024, sparking global attention. Julie Summers, Irvine's great-niece, partners with mountaineering historian Jochen Hemmleb to reconstruct the expedition through twenty-two-year-old Sandy's eyes. They challenge long-held assumptions about his contributions and bring the expedition's colorful cast to life. Using fresh archival material and recent discoveries, the authors piece together what actually occurred during the climbers' final ascent. This account combines adventure narrative with detective work, revealing new insights about one of mountaineering's most enduring puzzles.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, adventure, non-fiction, mountaineering
Vibes: detective-like, intimate, mysterious, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: detective-work, family-connection, historical-mystery
Setting: Mount Everest
Period: 1924, 20th century
384 pages · Paperback · St. Martin's Griffin
Content warnings: death