F-/F-. 8vo. original blue boards (a trifle rubed & sunned) in dustwrapper priced $23.95 (a trifle rubbed); pp. xviii (last blank), 170 (last blank), with illustrations. A near fine copy.

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Bibliographic Details

Title

My Quest for the Yeti. Confronting the Himalayas Deepest Mystery . Translated by Peter Constantine

Publisher

St Martins Press, New York

Publication Date

2000

Language

English

ISBN 10

0312203942

ISBN 13

9780312203948

Binding

Hard Cover

Edition

First English.

Condition

F-

Dust Jacket Condition

F-

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About this title

Synopsis

One of the world's great mountain climbers returns to the Himalayan Mountains, where he explores the mystery of Yeti, or "abominable snowman". Original.

Reviews

The first human to climb Everest without bottled oxygen, and the first to summit the world's 14 highest peaks, Messner is a legend in mountaineering circles. How appropriate, then, that he should take on another legend associated with mountains--the yeti, aka the Abominable Snowman. Messner's quest to uncover the truth behind the legend begins in July 1986, in Tibet, where, at night, deep in that country's eastern wilderness, he encounters something: "the creature towered menacingly, its face a gray shadow, its body a black outline. Covered with hair, it stood upright on two short legs and had powerful arms." On and off for the next 11 years, Messner undertakes expeditions through Tibet and Bhutan in search of that creature. In time, he learns to distinguish between the myth of the yeti ("a collective term for all the monsters of the Himalayas, real or imagined") and the animal on which the myth is based, which he realizes is known throughout the region as the chemo or dremo, and which he concludes is a type of brown bear (Ursus arctus), which he observes several times. That conclusion will disappoint readers looking for evidence of a missing link or humanoid bigfoot, but even so there's plenty of high adventure in the book, as Messner treks across snowy wastelands, gets lost, gets arrested, sleeps in smoky tents and under the stars--and describes both the history of yeti research and the ongoing eradication of Tibetan culture at the hands of Chinese invaders. An engaging blend of travelogue and cryptozoological inquiry, this book will make a great campfire read.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Messner is an accomplished Austrian mountaineer and the author of several books about his experiences. In 1986, while in Tibet, he thought he may have encountered a yeti, also called the abominable snowman. Finding more substance in folklore and mythology than reality, Messner chronicles his further investigations while providing a good overview of the efforts of others over the years at documenting the existence of such a humanlike creature. His account will not satisfy those whose minds are already made up on either side of the issue, and this will not be the last book on the topic. It is, nevertheless, a reasonable account of a subject that generates continuing interest and polarity among public library users. A more thorough investigation of the topic is Daniel Taylor-Ides's Something Hidden Behind the Ranges: A Himalayan Quest (Mercury House, 1995), which provides more convincing background information that such creatures do not exist. Nevertheless, Messner's book is a solid second choice.
-Harold M. Otness, Southern Oregon Univ. Lib., Ashland
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Store Description

Established in 2001, Arapiles Mountain Books is the only specialist mountaineering bookseller in Australia. We carry a large stock of fine, rare and out of print mountaineering and adventurous travel books, with a particular emphasis on British, Australian, New Zealand and Himalayan climbing narratives and guides. We have an especially wide selection of early - mid 20th travel books in dustwrapper, signed books and expedition memorabilia. On-line catalogues can be browsed on this website. The proprietor, Andrew Long, has climbed the world over since 1980, and has spent much of his time over the (last few) years, collecting and reading climbing and travel narratives by more intrepid writers. He will be happy to answer any queries or provide advice on condition, approximate value, rarity or just plain readability free of charge. A booksearch service is available. Although we are a mail order store, visitors are most welcome to browse our stock by making an appointment. I have a bricks and mortar bookshop in Central Victoria ('Mount of Alex', 273 Barker Street, Castlemaine), which is open 11am - 5pm Saturday and Sundays (excluding public holidays). Note that internet listed books are not stored in the shop, but can be brought in by request. Appointments to view the stock may be made by calling Andrew on +61 410 650 923 or by email to araps@alassoc.com.au.

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Arapiles Mountain Books - Mount of Alex
VIC, Australia

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