A very detailed account of high-altitude climbing exhibitions was presented.

It delved into every aspect of the climbing process, from the initial preparations to the challenges faced during the ascent.

The description was so meticulous that it might have been overwhelming for those who are not climbers.

However, for me, it was a fascinating read.

I could vividly imagine the breathtaking views from the summit and the sense of achievement that comes with reaching such great heights.

The article also touched on the safety measures and equipment used in high-altitude climbing, which added to the overall understanding of this dangerous but thrilling activity.

Despite its detailed nature, I found myself completely engaged in the story and eager to learn more about the world of high-altitude climbing.

It was truly an enjoyable and informative piece.

I've been delving into a significant number of climbing books recently, but unfortunately, this particular one didn't quite measure up.

The author seemed to cover a broad range of topics, yet the depth of exploration was somewhat lacking.

Moreover, it was rather astonishing how the author purported to have some sort of extrasensory perception, presuming to know precisely what a few of the climbers were thinking as they faced their final moments.

In fact, the frequency with which the climbers in the book stopped to have tea was almost comical. It could almost be turned into a drinking game. Every time they halted to have some tea, or when they didn't have enough fuel to make tea, or when they had to melt snow for tea - it was just tea, tea, tea.

Frankly, I had no idea that tea was supposed to be such a crucial element in the world of climbing.

Thankfully, there are far better climbing books available out there that offer a more engaging and in-depth exploration of this thrilling activity.

This book seemed to take an eternity to read. The reason being that it fails to develop the characters, who are real individuals, to a point where one can actually tell them apart and have any genuine concern for them.

Essentially, the book goes into detail about several climbs. In each instance, someone feels slighted for not being invited, tension mounts among the climbers during the climb, and then at least one person meets their demise.

It is quite challenging to get a sense of the passage of time between the climbs, and they all start to merge together. The accounts are based on interviews the author carried out with the surviving climbers, research at Britain's climbing clubs, and in some cases, the climbers' contemporaneous journals.

The strangest aspects of the book are when it describes the last moments of several of the climbers and portrays their thoughts. Huh? It's as if the author couldn't decide whether to write non-fiction, memoir, or fiction.

I believe that any one of the expeditions would have sufficed for an entire book. However, this one was too disjointed to truly enjoy, and it's not just because I read it only while on airplanes this spring.

This book presents a captivating account of British climbers who, following the successful ascent of Everest, embarked on ever more arduous routes.

At certain moments, it offers a touch of humor, while at others, it endeavors to convey the joy and irresistible urge of climbing and hiking.

The author writes in a style that makes it seem as though he has an intimate understanding of the characters' inner thoughts. Some of these descriptions appear to be meticulously researched, while others might seem fabricated.

Nonetheless, the vivid portrayals of the climbs draw you in and allow you to partake in the excitement.

All in all, it is a good book that provides an engaging and immersive experience for readers interested in the world of climbing.

I had to give up on this book.

It turned out to be extremely dull. It was a detailed account of every single step of a climb, which made it highly repetitive.

Moreover, I could easily anticipate what the author was going to describe next.

The worst aspect was that the author described the final moments and thoughts of climbers before their death as if they were absolute facts.

This was completely unacceptable.

It seemed as if the author was taking liberties and making assumptions that were not based on solid evidence.

I expected more from this book, but unfortunately, it failed to meet my expectations.

I hope that future books on similar topics will be more engaging and accurate.

I really enjoyed reading this book. However, to be completely honest, I don't think it was written particularly well. Willis has clearly done a thorough job of researching the material, which is quite impressive. But it's the way it's presented that I have an issue with. It's not put together as a factual analysis like Boukreev's "The Climb" or Ed Viesturs' "K2". Instead, it's a third-person narrative that I assume is derived from climbing journals, interviews, and existing literature on the subject.

My main disappointment is the constant use of nonsensical descriptors by Willis to supplement the factual details. Each description of emotion, thought, setting, or place is forced in using inappropriate imagery and flowery language that doesn't complement the technical details of the climbs themselves. I've never seen so many "as ifs" and "just likes" in one place.

He also fails to explain many of the thoughts or emotions that the climbers had throughout their experiences. For example, in the text it says, "...the four climbers slept like animals in their den. Chris woke once in that night in the murky cold with a feeling that he had abandoned his life. The morning came...". I can only assume that this insight was taken from a diary or journal of Bonnington and the others, but Willis neither explains nor quantifies why he had that feeling. It seems like he just found it and stuck it in. If Willis, as a writer, can't explain that thought or feeling, then it should be left out. There were far too many of these examples in the book for my liking.

The point of view itself isn't the problem I have, nor is the speculation about the emotions a climber might have as they fall to their death (yes, that's actually in there). It's the suggestion that this is what they "did" feel rather than what they "may" have felt without filling in the process behind it. You can speculate all you want, but don't just randomly insert it! A simple "Perhaps it was because..." would let us know that he's put some thought into it.

There's a certain romanticism or reverence that authors can have for their subjects that I don't like. The content is presented in a specific way that avoids any criticism or character flaws, like Krakauer does with Chris McCandless in "Into the Wild", where he "speculates" a lot of McCandless' thoughts on certain subjects and presents them as facts. He portrays McCandless as an anti-establishment romantic adventurer, rather than the troubled young man he probably was. Or like Virginia Cowles does with Sir David Sterling in "The Phantom Major", where he's presented as the sole driving force behind the SAS and not enough credit is given to the other founding members, especially Paddy Mayne.

I'm willing to believe that these are indeed the thoughts and feelings that Willis has discovered through his research on the many climbing journals. But I would have preferred to see them presented as a factual document, the way Viesturs' "K2" is, rather than inferring so much about the group's experiences.

I really had to put this one down.

Every chapter seems to be the same story. There's some epic climb, followed by some unfortunate death. They set up basecamp, climb a few pitches, and then think about mortality. It's all so repetitive that it makes me yawn.

The stories themselves are indeed epic, but the way every single thing that happens is described in such a melodramatic way is just over-the-top. It feels like the author is trying too hard to create an emotional impact, rather than simply telling the story in a more natural and engaging way.

I understand that climbing is a dangerous and exciting activity, but I think there are better ways to convey that excitement and drama without resorting to such excessive descriptions. Maybe if the author focused more on the characters and their experiences, rather than just the details of the climb, the book would be more interesting.

This author, Clint, is truly a douchebag. Let's take a closer look at his picture in the back of the book. He has wisping long hair with flashes of professorial gray just above a shit-eating grin. He's wearing a smart crew-neck sweater and a pair of jeans, as if to show that he's casual-cool. And to top it off, he's sitting, almost seductively, on a pile of logs, making sure we all know he's an outdoorsman. But who chopped that wood, Clint? I would have respected him more if he had been winking. It's clear to me that he really wants to wink.

I don't trust him at all. He writes in excessive detail about things that happened 20, 30, or 40 years ago. There's no way he could know the exact sentiments or foot-placement during a non-eventful climb that occurred in 1956. This made it incredibly difficult to believe the rest of the book, which just became more and more ridiculous.

I also agree with what everyone else criticizes this book for. He writes the thoughts of people just before they die. For example, Willis' description of what Mick Burke thought before he died alone at the top of Everest. It might be good fiction, but Clint has written a non-fiction book, so this kind of writing is at best disingenuous and, I would argue, disrespectful.

Furthermore, I feel the book has an entirely negative vibe. Clint, motivated yet hesitant to take on an endeavor, idolizes those who have accomplished much more than he ever has on a mountain. He sat pen in hand and forcefully decided to portray each climber as having the same love-hate relationship with climbing that leans more towards the 'hate' side. But hate won't drive you 28,000+ feet up a mountain. There is beauty in the struggle that Clint seems to miss.

In conclusion, I'm not a fan of Clint.

Clint (just like saying it).

A truly disappointing read indeed. Right from the start, I found myself being bored to tears by all the family-related stuff that seemed to be constantly threatening to completely overwhelm the entire narrative. It was as if the author had gotten so caught up in detailing the family dynamics that the main essence of the story was getting lost.

And when I finally managed to get to the parts about the climbing, it was a huge letdown. Instead of delving deep into the emotions, the raw fear, the elation, and the despair that one experiences during a climb, it was more of a dry, step-by-step guide to footholds and grips. There was so little about the human side of the climbing experience, which made it feel rather mechanical and uninteresting.

In the end, I was left feeling rather dissatisfied and wishing that the author had focused more on the aspects that really matter - the emotions and the human experience - rather than getting bogged down in the minutiae of family affairs and a technical description of climbing.

I've been delving into climbing books for a considerable number of years now. What I've discovered is that they can vary significantly. Books about Everest seem to emerge quite frequently, mainly because Everest is regarded as the ultimate challenge, almost overlooking the numerous mountains that are actually more difficult in many aspects.

Although this book is titled "Boys of Everest" and indeed focuses to a large extent on the highest mountain, it is truly a book about a climbing generation - Bonington's boys. This isn't a precisely defined group of individuals, but rather those who often climbed together and were arguably the top UK climbers of a particular generation. I found that this perspective, coming from someone outside the group yet possessing real climbing knowledge, worked extremely well for me when looking at different expeditions and mountains over perhaps a 25 to 30-year period. In particular, this book covers a significant shift in the approach to climbing, transitioning from large, supported expeditions to much smaller alpine style summit attempts.

The stories are sometimes told in a moving manner. The dead, the dying, and the survivors all have their roles to play. As I've often noticed, being a successful climber doesn't necessarily mean you're a great team player, and some of the characters do seem rather flawed, as suggested in other books. If I have any criticism, it would be that I believe the author lost momentum in the last 25% or so of the book. The level of detail decreased and became rather concise. Nevertheless, I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in this area of human endeavor - it offers interesting insights.

This is an outstanding book that delves deep into the harsh realities of high altitude mountain climbing.

The allure and pull of the mountains are undeniably real, yet they are also extremely deadly.

Every individual who ventures into these mountains is well aware of the inherent risks.

This remarkable book manages to present all of this in a comprehensive and understandable perspective.

I firmly believe that unless one has actually been in the mountains, engaged in climbing, and felt the irresistible draw of that one more summit, it would be arduous to fathom why someone would willingly place themselves in such perilous situations.

Fortunately, this book provides valuable insights into the minds of some of the most accomplished mountaineers, allowing readers to gain a better understanding of their motivations and the challenges they face.

It offers a fascinating glimpse into a world that is both captivating and dangerous, making it a must-read for anyone interested in the subject of mountain climbing.

I have a passion for climbing mountains. However, I have a particular preference for those mountains that do not present the challenges of sheer cliffs and extremely frigid temperatures. The technical aspect of mountain climbing does pique my interest, yet not to the extent that I would take it up as a regular activity. Instead, I find occasional pleasure in reading about the adventures of others.

This book, which is subtitled "Chris Bonington and the Tragedy of Climbing's Greatest Generation," predominantly focuses on Bonington and a group of British climbers. It delves into their exciting adventures on numerous different mountains in both Europe and Asia during the 1960s and 70s. The book contains a wealth of detailed descriptions of the climbs. At times, the details are so minute that one has to wonder how the author could possibly document every single foothold, the placement of each piton, and every rope slippage, especially years after the events took place. Moreover, it makes one question how an author could know the vivid details of what was going through a man's mind just before he met his demise.

Throughout the narrative, there are many accounts of accidents and tragedies, deaths and near-deaths. Many of these stories are truly gripping and hold the reader's attention. I gained a significant amount of knowledge about the process of climbing, such as attaching "fixed ropes," shuttling supplies between progressively higher camps, and improvising shelters. It was also interesting to learn how these British climbers revolutionized many of the established methods. However, overall, as the book progressed, it started to become a little tedious for me.