Books Like Everest 1922

Despite being one of the deadliest mountains in the world, Everest continues to serve as a beacon for climbers and adventurers seeking to prove themselves. Although many climbers have made it to the summit, Everest still represents a monumental challenge, and there's only a tiny window of opportunity each year to do the climb. The extreme winds, subzero temperatures, avalanches, and rock falls have meant that many climbs have ended in failure or even death. Nevertheless, those who have braved the climb and made it to the summit have their own harrowing stories to tell, which many did by publishing books about the ordeal. One of the most fascinating stories is the 1922 attempt by George Leigh Mallory and a British team. It is a tale of controversy, drama, and larger-than-life characters, which author Mick Confrey reconstructed using diaries, letters, and unpublished accounts in his book Everest 1922. For more gripping, exciting, and downright nail-biting books about attempting the impossible, here are more books like Everest 1922. 

Into Thin Air

by Jon Krakauer

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer offers insights into the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, which saw eight climbers dying while trying to reach the summit. At the time, Krakauer was a journalist for an adventure magazine who intended to only climb to base camp as part of a story. However, he ended up training to climb to the summit instead in an attempt to fulfill a childhood dream. The book chronicles the events that led to him making the climb, as well as the tragedy that unfolded on the mountain. Although Krakauer tried to provide a balanced picture of the people and events he witnessed, the book still garnered controversy due to some disputed material. Nevertheless, it provides readers with a hair-raising account of how quickly things can turn deadly while trying to conquer Everest.

Dark Summit: The True Story of Everest's Most Controversial Season

by Nick Heil

Dark Summit by Nick Heil covers the events of 2006, another deadly year for climbers taking on Everest. One of the people who lost their lives that year was David Sharp, a young British climber who performed a solo climb. Sharp died near the top of Mount Everest, where he was passed by numerous other climbers making their way to the summit. In this book, Nick Heil looks into the circumstances that led to Sharp's death and the danger posed by risky expeditions and unscrupulous outfitters cashing in on the Everest craze.

Ascent Into Hell: Mount Everest

by Fergus White

Ascent Into Hell: Mount Everest by Fergus White takes readers on a day-by-day chronicle of an Everest climb. Unlike other books about Everest written by professional climbers, Ascent Into Hell is written by someone who has to rely on the other climbers and sherpas for assistance. White chronicles what it takes to climb the world's highest mountain and what it feels like to enter a world of subzero temperatures, asphyxiating air, and ever-increasing danger. 

The Third Pole: Mystery, Obsession, and Death on Mount Everest

by Mark Synnott

The Third Pole by Mark Synnott chronicles his attempt in the Spring of 2019 to try and solve a hundred-year mystery. The mystery involves the disappearance of George Mallory and Sandy Irvine, who vanished in 1924 after trying to make it to Everest's summit. Since Irvine is believed to have carried a Kodak camera with him, and the film might still be viable, finding it could prove that the duo made it to the summit decades before Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. However, chasing this mystery meant an expedition to Everest's North Face and taking along drones, which involved plenty of red tape. In addition, it was a deadly season for climbers, with eleven losing their lives climbing Everest. In his commitment to trying to solve the mystery, Synnott himself also went off the safety rope and placed his own life in danger.

Left for Dead: My Journey Home from Everest

by Beck Weathers and Stephen G. Michaud

Left For Dead: My Journey Home from Everest by Beck Weathers is the story of how he survived after being left for dead on the mountain. Weathers was part of the group climbing Everest in 1996 when a massive storm hit them. Eight climbers perished during the fierce storm, and when rescuers reached a dying Weathers, they thought he was beyond saving and left him. Miraculously, Weathers was seen walking down the mountain twelve hours later, despite being blinded, gloveless, and caked with ice. Left For Dead describes how he survived the murderous storm and hypothermia as well as his life journey before and after the event. 

The Next Everest: Surviving the Mountain's Deadliest Day and Finding the Resilience to Climb Again

by Jim Davidson

The Next Everest by Jim Davidson features the author's experience of living through one of the biggest disasters ever to hit the mountain. Davidson had thirty-three yeast of climbing under his belt when he attempted to scale Everest in 2015. Unfortunately, it was the year when a 7.8-magnitude earthquake released avalanches all around him and his team. Eighteen people lost their lives on the mountain that day, and Davidson was trapped at nearly 20,000 feet when his only escape route was destroyed. Fortunately, he was rescued with his team by helicopter two days later. The experience left him shaken and uncertain if he would ever return, but he eventually did so in 2017 to fulfill his dream of reaching the summit.