The Maverick Mountaineer

Author: Robert Wainwright
Publisher: Atlantic Books
ISBN: 1925268438
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 444

Book Description
WINNER OF THE TIMES 2017 BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2016 BOARDMAN TASKER PRIZE FOR MOUNTAIN LITERATURE 'One of the two best Alpinists of his time - Mallory was the other.' The Times In the spring of 1901 a teenager stood on top of a hill, gazed out in wonderment at the Australian landscape and decided he wanted to be a mountaineer. Two decades later, the same man stood in a blizzard beneath the summit of Mount Everest, within sight of his goal to be the first to stand on the roof of the world. George Finch was at the highest point ever reached by a human being and only his decision to save the life of his stricken companion stopped him from reaching the summit. George Finch was a rebel of the first order, a man who dared to challenge the British establishment who disliked his independence, background, long hair and lack of an Oxbridge education. Despite this, he not only became one of the world's greatest alpinists, earning the grudging respect of his rival George Mallory, but pioneered the use of the artificial oxygen that enabled Everest to finally be conquered thirty years after his own attempt. A renowned scientist, a World War I hero and a Fellow of the Royal Society, involved in the development of some of the twentieth century's most important inventions, his skills helped save London from burning to the ground during the Blitz. Finch's public accomplishments, however, were shadowed by his complicated private life and his fraught relationship with his son, the actor Peter Finch. Acclaimed biographer Robert Wainwright restores George Finch to his rightful place in history with this remarkable tribute to one of the twentieth century's most eccentric anti-heroes.

The Brilliant Outsider

Author: Robert Wainwright
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia
ISBN: 1460703677
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 290

Book Description
The first full-length biography of George Ingle Finch - maverick Australian mountaineer, scientist, concert pianist and father of actor Peter Finch. George Ingle Finch, mountaineer, soldier, scientist, rebellious spirit, boy from the bush, was in his day one of the most famous men in the world. In 1922 he stood at the highest point on Everest, a feat not bettered for 30 years. He invented the predecessor to the puffer jacket and pioneered the use of oxygen in climbing. A World War I hero whose skills also helped save London from burning to the ground during the Blitz of World War II, he was a renowned scientist who was personally chosen by Nehru, the first Indian prime minister, to help lead his nation into the modern world. With a private life torn by war and misguided by social norms, a reputation as an outsider among the British alpine climbing establishment, and some rough and ready 'colonial' habits, Finch was a brilliantly colourful character - so why has he vanished from the pages of history? In this first full-length biography, Robert Wainwright surveys the man who is now best known as the father of Academy award-winning actor Peter Finch - but who was so much more.

Brotherhood of the Rope

Author: Bernadette McDonald
Publisher: The Mountaineers Books
ISBN: 9780898869422
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 300

Book Description
The biography of Charles Houston, M.D., famed for leading the heroic K2 expedition of 1953 and his pioneering research in high-altitude medicine. · Drawn from extensive interviews with Houston and full access to his letters and personal journals· Historic photos from Houston's Himalayan expeditions, Peace Corps leadership in India, pioneering high-altitude medicine research, and more · Foreword by Bill Moyers, introduction by Tom Hornbein

The Wildest Dream

Author: Peter Gillman
Publisher: The Mountaineers Books
ISBN: 9780898867510
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 316

Book Description
A biography of the British mountaineer George Mallory whose death near the summit of Everest in 1924 has become legendary.

Fearless on Everest

Author: Julie Summers
Publisher: The Mountaineers Books
ISBN: 9780898867961
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 332

Book Description
* Includes never-before-published letters and photographs * Written by an Irvine family member Mallory and Irvine. These two names have been inextricably joined since the two climbers disappeared on Mount Everest more than 75 years ago. Could they have been the first to reach the summit of the world's highest mountains-some 30 years earlier than Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay? Mallory's story has been well chronicled, but Irvine has always been overshadowed by his more famous climbing partner and little has been written about him. Who was he? Why was he invited by the British Everest Committee to join the 1924 expedition despite his limited mountaineering experience? And why did Mallory, 16 years his senior, select Irvine as his partner for the final assault on the summit? Julie Summers, great niece of Sandy Irvine, has been fascinated since childhood by the story of Uncle Sandy. In May 2000, Julie made an astonishing discovery: a long forgotten and unopened trunk containing Irvine's letters and photographs from Everest. Drawing on these and other material, Julie writes a revealing story of a fearless young adventurer whose life and death linked him with one of the greatest mountaineering legends of all time.

Stealing Fire

Author: Steven Kotler
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062429671
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 301

Book Description
National Bestseller CNBC and Strategy + Business Best Business Book of the Year It’s the biggest revolution you’ve never heard of, and it’s hiding in plain sight. Over the past decade, Silicon Valley executives like Eric Schmidt and Elon Musk, Special Operators like the Navy SEALs and the Green Berets, and maverick scientists like Sasha Shulgin and Amy Cuddy have turned everything we thought we knew about high performance upside down. Instead of grit, better habits, or 10,000 hours, these trailblazers have found a surprising short cut. They're harnessing rare and controversial states of consciousness to solve critical challenges and outperform the competition. New York Times bestselling author Steven Kotler and high performance expert Jamie Wheal spent four years investigating the leading edges of this revolution—from the home of SEAL Team Six to the Googleplex, the Burning Man festival, Richard Branson’s Necker Island, Red Bull’s training center, Nike’s innovation team, and the United Nations’ Headquarters. And what they learned was stunning: In their own ways, with differing languages, techniques, and applications, every one of these groups has been quietly seeking the same thing: the boost in information and inspiration that altered states provide. Today, this revolution is spreading to the mainstream, fueling a trillion dollar underground economy and forcing us to rethink how we can all lead richer, more productive, more satisfying lives. Driven by four accelerating forces—psychology, neurobiology, technology and pharmacology—we are gaining access to and insights about some of the most contested and misunderstood terrain in history. Stealing Fire is a provocative examination of what’s actually possible; a guidebook for anyone who wants to radically upgrade their life.

This Is Me

Author: Ian Thorpe
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0731815734
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 343

Book Description
‘Reveals his poignant battle against the dark side of his return to the pool’ - Donald McRae, Guardian By the age of 14, at a time when most boys are coming to terms with teenage life, Ian Thorpe was representing his country and becoming the youngest ever individual male world champion. The ‘Thorpedo’ was soon the most famous swimmer in the world, routinely picking up Olympic gold medals and setting record-breaking times. But behind the public face of success, there was the hardship of a life lived in the constant glare of media attention and rumour. As Thorpe continued to work for his fans, he hid away a secret battle against depression and was ushered into retirement at just 24 years of age. Raw, honest and compelling, Thorpe’s memoir brilliantly unveils the costs that sometimes come with unimaginable success. ‘Fans of his easy style are in for a shock with his book’ - Giles Hattersley, Sunday Times

Maverick Mountaineer

Author: Robert Wainwright
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780733333729
Category : Mount Everest Expedition
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
"George Ingle Finch, mountaineer, soldier, scientist, rebellious spirit, boy from the bush, was in his day one of the most famous men in the world. In 1922 he stood at the highest point on Everest, a feat not bettered for 30 years. He invented the predecessor to the puffer jacket and pioneered the use of oxygen in climbing. A World War I hero whose skills also helped save London from burning to the ground during the Blitz of World War II, he was a renowned scientist who was personally chosen by Nehru, the first Indian prime minister, to help lead his nation into the modern world. With a private life torn by war and misguided by social norms, a reputation as an outsider among the British alpine climbing establishment, and some rough and ready 'colonial' habits, Finch was a brilliantly colourful character - so why has he vanished from the pages of history?" --

The Mountains of My Life

Author: Walter Bonatti
Publisher: Random House Digital, Inc.
ISBN: 037575640X
Category : Mountaineering
Languages : en
Pages : 496

Book Description
The legendary mountaineer describes his adventures in such ranges as the Alps and Himalayas, and provides details of what really happened during a controversial 1954 Italian expedition that made the first ascent of K2.

Rocky Road

Author: Robert Wainwright
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
ISBN: 1760637130
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 397

Book Description
The marvellously strange but true story of the family behind the famous Darrell Lea confectionery company. In the early 1930s, the Australian family confectionery company Darrell Lea was a sensation, its shops stacked with delicious chocolates, marshmallows, nougat and much more in line with the company's motto to 'Stack 'em high, watch 'em fly'. It was at this time that Montague Lea met the vivacious teenage 'ticket writer' Valerie Everitt. Monty fell hard for her and, despite strong family opposition on both sides, they would marry. Valerie was keen to have a large brood and, though her pregnancies were difficult, she gave birth to four children. But they were not enough and in 1947 she adopted the first of three more children who were designed to be playmates for her own. It was a social experiment that would end in tears, as would the fortunes of the iconic company, destroyed by the glue that once bound it together - family. Rocky Road is the story of this chocaholic clan and the creative and eccentric woman who dominated it. Behind the irresistible sweetness of Darrell Lea lay a family who made bitter sacrifices to succeed in the candy business.