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Title: The Naked Mountain by Reinhold Messner, Tim Carruthers ISBN: 0-89886-959-5 Publisher: Mountaineers Books Pub. Date: November, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $22.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 5 (2 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: moving and a bit bizarre
Comment: The early parts of the book are horribly overwritten, as Messner seems to be trying too hard to be deep. But soon this sensation melts away for the reader, and the book actually does become deep. Messner clearly lacks the usual polished talents of a professional writer, but this ends up working to his advantage, as the final product is a hauntingly strange book that feels like it comes from another century or another planet. His odd shifts between straight narrative and italicized paragraphs of reminiscence don't come off as hotshot literary modernism, but as someone reenacting the weird sort of schizophrenia he lived through on Nanga Parbat. This is a fabulous piece of mountaineering literature, and the sort of book that lingers on in your mind for hours after each reading session.
Rating: 5
Summary: Messner's best effort
Comment: A superior book. I know it's a bit a stretch to hear "Messner" and "Classic book" in the same sentence but this one could be destined to rank among the all-time great mountaineering books. Over the years, Messner has written many books on some not-so-interesting topics but until now had shyed away from recounting the most fascinating and tragic event of his legendary mountaineering career - namely the 1970 first (and still only) ascent of the massive Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat and the subsequent death of his brother Gunther during the descent of the Diamar Face. This book is at times reminiscent of Maurice Herzog's "Annapurna" and Joe Simpson's "Touching the Void" at others. The writing style is pure Messner so if you've found his work difficult to digest in the past, you may find yourself disappointed. But if you appreciate a great mountain tale that has triumph, tragedy, anger, controversy and an outstanding historical perspective, you could find yourself spellbound by this one.
The first part of the book is dedicated to the early attempts on Nanga Parbat and Hermann Buhl's solo first ascent of "The Naked Mountain" in 1953. This all ties in nicely with Messner's expedition chronicle as the Buhl and Messner expeditions were both led by Dr. Karl Herrligkoffer, who just so happens to have been the half brother of Willy Merkl after whom many of the features of Nanga Parbat are named. Unlike say "The Second Death of George Mallory," there is nothing contrived about this book. The recollection of events in June 1970 is interlaced with quotes from Felix Kuhn and Karl Herrligkoffer as well as letters and journal entries from Gunther Messner. Mountaineering writing at its best.
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Title: Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival by Joe Simpson ISBN: 0060730552 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: January, 2004 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: Where the Mountain Casts Its Shadow : The Dark Side of Extreme Adventure by Maria Coffey ISBN: 0312290659 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 11 November, 2003 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: Reinhold Messner, Free Spirit: A Climber's Life by Reinhold Messner ISBN: 0898865735 Publisher: Mountaineers Books Pub. Date: July, 1998 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The Beckoning Silence by Joe Simpson ISBN: 0898869412 Publisher: Mountaineers Books Pub. Date: June, 2003 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: All Fourteen 8,000ers by Reinhold Messner ISBN: 089886660X Publisher: Mountaineers Books Pub. Date: 01 November, 1999 List Price(USD): $40.00 |
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