Millions of people have fantasized about leading the first expedition to climb the world’s tallest mountain. Such gravity-defying thrills and snow-driven chills unfold in Jeffrey Archer’s latest book, Paths of Glory (2009, Pan Books, an imprint of Pan Macmillan, 467 pages).
Unusually for Archer, Paths of Glory isn’t strictly a novel. Based on a true story, it blends fact and fiction into a yarn that’s entertaining and intriguing.
The book follows the high-altitude life of George Mallory (1886-1924), a British adventurer obsessed with trying to conquer Mount Everest before anyone else did. Maybe he succeeded. A teammate watched George and fellow climber Andrew Irvine ascend into mist near the summit.
“He (George) turned round to see an exhausted Irvine pulling his foot out of the snow, only to stare in disbelief at the rock face that stood in front of them. For a moment, George hesitated…. George removed his mouthpiece and said, ‘We’re nearly there, old chap. This rock will be the last obstacle before we reach the top.’ Irvine gave him a thin smile.”
Tragically, the two men vanished. In 1999, other climbers finally came across George’s body.
Back in 1924, not even airplanes had surpassed Everest’s 29,002-foot altitude. No one reached its summit and survived until Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953, three decades later.
Should history be revised to give George more credit? Maybe, but presumably successful climbing requires a safe return.
What a peculiar activity anyhow! “It’s one of the ironies of mountaineering that grown men are happy to spend months preparing for a climb, weeks rehearsing and honing their skills, and at least a day attempting to reach the summit. And then, having achieved their goal, they spend just a few moments enjoying the experience, along with one or two equally certifiable companions who have little in common other than wanting to do it all again, on an even higher mountain.”
Not everyone has the courage, strength, endurance and determination to “think like Columbus and be prepared to walk off the map”.
“ ‘Something has always puzzled me, Mr Mallory,’ said an intense-looking young man. ‘Why do you bother?’
The president, who had just returned to George’s side, coughed and tried to hide his embarrassment.
‘There’s a simple answer to that,’ said George. ‘Because it’s there.’ ”
Fascinated by the Mallory story, Archer writes it with finesse. He likes to tell tales on a grand scale and does in Paths of Glory. After starting with the discovery of the famous mountaineer’s corpse, he retreats more than a century (to 1892) when six-year-old George, the son of a church minister, engages in fearless rock-climbing at a beach. Later tardy for a school interview, George bypasses a locked door by scaling a wall. When in Paris, he’s arrested for climbing the Eiffel Tower.
Archer adds emotional impact by stressing George’s adoration for wife Ruth. Constantly, he professes how much he loves her and wants to stay safely at home – if only he beats the big peak.
Even when far from postboxes, George writes to Ruth almost daily. “My darling, I’m sitting in a tiny tent some 27,300 feet above sea level, and almost 5,000 miles from my homeland, seeking the paths of glory….”
At times, clever use of detail places the readers right beside George on treacherous slopes. “The three men attempted to settle down for the night. George noticed that their condensed breath froze and turned into icicles that hung from the roof of the tent like chandeliers in a ballroom.”
Adding to a sense of history, the ambitious protagonist attends a public lecture by another bold adventurer, the Antarctic explorer Robert Scott, who also paid the ultimate price. “George was captivated from Scott’s first sentence….”
Archer, a resident of London and Cambridge, has sold more than 210 million books. His past novels, including A Prisoner of Birth and False Impression, lingered on the UK bestseller lists. Among his other popular books are: Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less; Kane and Abel; The Prodigal Daughter; First Among Equals; The Fourth Estate; and The Eleventh Commandment. He also has short-story collections, plays and (thanks to a perjury conviction) three volumes of prison diaries.
Formerly a prominent politician, Archer, like George Mallory, has accomplished much in life. Both men climbed high and then tumbled. Luckily, Archer survived the descent.
But despite Archer’s diverse past, he hasn’t tussled personally with Mount Everest. Considering that omission, he convincingly describes the daunting challenges and high places reached along Paths of Glory.
Approval rating: 82 per cent.
For more information: www.jeffreyarcher.com or www.panmacmillan.com
(January 4, 2010)
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George Mallory: a real-life
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