"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
All that changed in the 1800s, writes Fergus Fleming in this highly entertaining chronicle, when travelers under the spell of Enlightenment philosophers and Romantic poets came to the Alps looking for a hint of heaven on earth. Those who, for many reasons, wanted to get a little closer to the deity attempted the first recreational climbs of the mountains. They were an odd lot, indeed. One was Albert Smith, who burdened his porters with wheels of cheese and casks of wine, made his way up Mont Blanc, had a feast, and turned his adventures into a stage play that wowed London audiences throughout the 1850s. Another was the natural scientist John Tyndall, who regarded the Alps as the devil's work but nonetheless raced against his compatriot Edward Whymper to climb the Matterhorn. Still another was William Coolidge, an American-born Oxford don who made Whymper's already unhappy life just a little less pleasant.
Fleming writes winningly of their "conquest" of the mountains--which, of course, has not kept succeeding generations from attempting new routes up the Alps with every climbing season. Mountaineering buffs and armchair travelers alike will enjoy his account. --Gregory McNamee
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Book Description Condition: New. Buy with confidence! Book is in new, never-used condition. Seller Inventory # bk0802138675xvz189zvxnew
Book Description Condition: New. New! This book is in the same immaculate condition as when it was published. Seller Inventory # 353-0802138675-new
Book Description Paperback or Softback. Condition: New. Killing Dragons: The Conquest of the Alps 1.05. Book. Seller Inventory # BBS-9780802138675
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 259693-n
Book Description Soft Cover. Condition: new. Seller Inventory # 9780802138675
Book Description Condition: New. Brand New! Not Overstocks or Low Quality Book Club Editions! Direct From the Publisher! We're not a giant, faceless warehouse organization! We're a small town bookstore that loves books and loves it's customers! Buy from Lakeside Books!. Seller Inventory # OTF-S-9780802138675
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # I-9780802138675
Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. Brand New! This item is printed on demand. Seller Inventory # 0802138675
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_0802138675
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Brand New. reprint edition. 416 pages. 8.50x5.50x1.25 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # __0802138675