Comments (21)

Into the Silence

the Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest
What did you think about this title?
1 to 21 of 21 items
Feb 10, 2024ramsaye rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Meticulous research and detail. It exhausts me to think of the time and concentration it would have taken to put this all together. And yet Davis gives us a lively and gripping account. I particularly appreciated how he made each of…
May 05, 2022RebelBelle13 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
What a massively exhaustive, extensive undertaking this book must have been. Davis did an over the top meticulous job weaving the history and war time events around the discovery, mapping, surveying and climbing of Everest for the first…
Aug 13, 2021Allanmain rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
The subtitle of this work is well chosen. Davis uses scores and scores of pages to provide the context of how horrifically affected these mountaineers were after WW I. I skipped at least 100 pages of the early part of the book, and still…
Sep 03, 2019GinaCarusi rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I loved this book. There are some parts where it drags a bit and the order of things seems a bit confusing at times. However, I learned so much about the geopolitical history of India and Tibet. It's been a number of years since I've read…
Dec 03, 2018dnooner rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Epic read, that takes you from the trenches of WW1 to unforgiving environment of Everest.
Dec 11, 2017chasmac22 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
A great read that describes in detail the background story of three British expeditions ( 1921, 1922, and 1924) to climb Mount Everest. Many of the team members also served in the trenches of World War One, and the author describes their…
Nov 20, 2017
Wonderful book celebrating curiosity, ingenuity and bravery. The World War I context was tediously long. But the rest of the book is fascinating, for so ,many reasons. The audio book is an excellent version, perfectly narrated.
Feb 01, 2016HowardWilliams rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Excellently written, extensively researched. How did the WWI get to be so poorly fought, what were the Brits thinking? Good to see Wheeler's (Canadian) contribution to Mallory's first attempt so well documented.
Apr 10, 2014KCLSLibsRecommend rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I recommend Wade Davis' book for omnivores with an interest in any of the following: uncharted exploration, larger-than-life characters, a world changing at unprecedented speed, World War I, climbing, Tibetan Buddhism, technology,…
Oct 30, 2013voltaire10 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A great book to read before Remembrance Day to be reminded of the sacrifices made by Allied soldiers during the First World War. Wade Davis provides a great story, very well researched, that describes in detail what was an act of…
Jul 29, 2013MonicaKT rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Excellent book! Wade Davis researched for 10 years to complete this book - lots of detail and very interesting - still leaves you wondering if Mallory & Irvine ever reached the summit of Everest.
stephotography
Jul 10, 2013stephotography rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
Though I agree with other readers that this is, indeed, an excellent account of the early exploration of Tibet and Everest, I found the book to be long and at times rambling. There are points where the story slows down to a crawl, the…
Jun 04, 2013WVMLStaffPicks rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
For those who enjoy reading about mountaineering expeditions, this book delivers epic adventure, tragedy, and a detailed look at the social and historical context. From the days of the “Great Game” to the aftermath of World War I, this…
Dec 26, 2012librarianatlarge rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Well researched, well written. Very detailed, especially in the latter part of the book. The chapters on the War are absolutely horrific and illuminate the development of the character and mind set of the men that set off into the…
rsmbarlow
Nov 23, 2012rsmbarlow rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A fantastic book. There are a lot of facets - history, adventure, psychology to name a few. It's long read but really rewarding and definitely deserved the 2012 Samuel Johnson Prize in Non-Fiction. Thanks Wade Davis!
Jul 14, 2012hajt3 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
detailed personal accounts, in depth research, politics involved, international relations, symbolism post WWI, first hand horrendous accounts of the meaningless and folly of war, decisions made that changed the outcome, endurance and…
May 25, 2012
Is there a e-book version?
Rammo
Feb 22, 2012Rammo rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
One of the best books I have read for a long time. The depth and thoroughness of the research are amazing. The author paints a picture of a particular British social class at home, at war and in India from the 1880's to the 1920's. The…
Dec 06, 2011bette108 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This is probably the most thoroughly researched book I've ever read and yet it's easy to read. The first few chapters on WWI, in my opinion, should be compulsory reading for young adults everywhere. Davis makes clear the tenor of the…
Nov 20, 2011
A "massive, richly contextualized and minutely researched account of the ill-fated 1924 Mount Everest expedition, which cost intrepid British mountaineer, George Mallory, his life." Greg Quill Toronto Star
Nov 16, 2011okbookgirl rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Dense but oh-so-interesting! Davis has researched this book for years and years, and - as always - his writing is clear and accessible. Some people call World War I " one of the worst tragedies humankind brought upon ourselves". …