On the morning of May 29, 1953, the sun was shining brightly and a gentle breeze was blowing on the highest elevation of the world—and for the first time ever, people were there to witness it. Their names were Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, and they had ascended Everest. This is the breathtaking story of how these two men battled frost-biting temperatures, tumbling ice rocks, powerful winds, and death-defying ridges to reach the top of the world’s highest mountain.
Combining fresh and contemporary illustrations by Joe Todd-Stanton with Alexandra Stewart’s action-packed text, this unique narrative tells the complete stories of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay—from their births right up through their final days—and the lasting impact they've had on the world.Bibliography. Foreword by Ranulph Fiennes. Full-color illustrations.
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Climbers and adventure seekers have been unable to resist the allure of Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain. Everest, equal to the height of 20 stacked Empire State Buildings, had posed a challenge to numerous European expeditions. Many treks resulted in failure and death. Edmund Hillary, a New Zealand beekeeper, and Tenzing Norgay, a Nepali Indian Sherpa and yak herder, successfully climbed the mountain in 1952 with the aid of hundreds of others. Using colorful and informative illustrations, the narrative relays the life stories of both men. They were brought together by their obsession to conquer the summit of Everest. Stories of previous attempts to reach the top of the mountain are also shown; reasons for their failure are explained. The political and social changes that occurred after World War II made scaling the mountain more manageable and aided technical advances in equipment and planning. Information about the expedition and Everest is accessible and heightened by lively language. Readers will gain an understanding of the great team effort behind the accomplishment. Hillary is usually hailed as the conqueror of Everest, but Stewart gives well-deserved credit to Norgay and the lesser-known mountaineers or climbers who have been forgotten. An interesting and beautiful work giving credit to both Hillary and Norgay for the great feat of being the first to ascend Mount Everest.
Gr 5-8-Climbers and adventure seekers have been unable to resist the allure of Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain. Everest, equal to the height of 20 stacked Empire State Buildings, had posed a challenge to numerous European expeditions. Many treks resulted in failure and death. Edmund Hillary, a New Zealand beekeeper, and Tenzing Norgay, a Nepali Indian Sherpa and yak herder, successfully climbed the mountain in 1952 with the aid of hundreds of others. Using colorful and informative illustrations, the narrative relays the life stories of both men. They were brought together by their obsession to conquer the summit of Everest. Stories of previous attempts to reach the top of the mountain are also shown; reasons for their failure are explained. The political and social changes that occurred after World War II made scaling the mountain more manageable and aided technical advances in equipment and planning. Information about the expedition and Everest is accessible and heightened by lively language. Readers will gain an understanding of the great team effort behind the accomplishment. Hillary is usually hailed as the conqueror of Everest, but Stewart gives well-deserved credit to Norgay and the lesser-known mountaineers or climbers who have been forgotten. VERDICT An interesting and beautiful work giving credit to both Hillary and Norgay for the great feat of being the first to ascend Mount Everest.-Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, formerly at Trinity-Pawling School, NY?(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.