“Magnificent! A compelling, fast-paced novel that reveals a rarely seen dark side of Everest. A must-read!” James W. Huston, New York Times bestselling author of The Blood Flag
Description
A summit is a summit, and the truth is the truth. But the view from 8,848 meters isn’t always so clear. Two men, seventy years apart, push for the top of Mount Everest, driven by forces beyond their control and something inside that says climb.
After eight successful summits, Mount Everest guide Neil Quinn is confident he can handle anything the mountain throws his way. But then disaster strikes steps from the top, leaving him with a lot of questions and a very old swastika-embellished ice axe that should never have been so high on the mountain—not if Everest’s meticulously documented history is accurate.
But before Quinn can even catch his breath, the combined wrath of his vengeful employer and an angry client drives him out of the Himalayas and back to Europe, where the newly blackballed English guide struggles to make ends meet and discover the truth of what happened that fateful day. He soon uncovers the story of Josef Becker, a Nazi climber who sought the top of the world seventy years before, when Europe teetered on the brink of the Second World War.
Quinn’s innocent queries into Becker’s expedition soon have neo-Nazis, assassins, and history buffs vying to take possession of the axe—proof of Nazi alpine superiority, and strong evidence that a German climber was the first to summit Mount Everest.
Beautifully written and meticulously researched, Summit follows two climbers across two continents as their stories and movements intertwine across history, culminating in one final push for the top of the world.
Praise
“Magnificent! A compelling, fast-paced novel that reveals a rarely seen dark side of Everest. A must-read!” James W. Huston, New York Times bestselling author of The Blood Flag
“A gripper. Takes you up to the majesty of Mt. Everest and into the single-minded ‘madness’ of climbers…what a plot. Fantastic.” Sir Robert Swan, bestselling author of Antarctica 2041 and first person to walk to the South and North Poles
“A book of vividly drawn villains and heroes, but its backbone is the realism of its details about the climbing experience and its fascinating use of kernels of climbing history…the kind of cult novel that gets passed around at base camps.” Aspen Times
“Even if you have zero interest in alpinism or Nazis, I highly recommend this book. It’s very entertaining throughout.” Best Hike
“Breathtaking and chilling…Summit really takes you up into the Everest death zone.” Rhys Jones, record-breaking British mountaineer and owner of Monix Adventures
Details
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Release Day | Jun 13, 2016 |
| Release Date | June 14, 2016 |
| Release Date Machine | 1465862400 |
| Imprint | Blackstone Publishing |
| Provider | Blackstone Publishing |
| Categories | Black Friday Sale, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Literature & Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Suspense, Spies & Politics, Historical, Action & Adventure, Fiction - All, Fiction - Adult |
Author Bio
An Englishman who lives in Charleston, South Carolina, Harry Farthing is an experienced mountaineer, adventure traveler, and historian. He is the author of Summit. The Ghost Moths is his second novel.
Narrator Bio
An Englishman who lives in Charleston, South Carolina, Harry Farthing is an experienced mountaineer, adventure traveler, and historian. He is the author of Summit. The Ghost Moths is his second novel.
Overview
A summit is a summit, and the truth is the truth. But the view from 8,848 meters isn’t always so clear. Two men, seventy years apart, push for the top of Mount Everest, driven by forces beyond their control and something inside that says climb.
After eight successful summits, Mount Everest guide Neil Quinn is confident he can handle anything the mountain throws his way. But then disaster strikes steps from the top, leaving him with a lot of questions and a very old swastika-embellished ice axe that should never have been so high on the mountain—not if Everest’s meticulously documented history is accurate.
But before Quinn can even catch his breath, the combined wrath of his vengeful employer and an angry client drives him out of the Himalayas and back to Europe, where the newly blackballed English guide struggles to make ends meet and discover the truth of what happened that fateful day. He soon uncovers the story of Josef Becker, a Nazi climber who sought the top of the world seventy years before, when Europe teetered on the brink of the Second World War.
Quinn’s innocent queries into Becker’s expedition soon have neo-Nazis, assassins, and history buffs vying to take possession of the axe—proof of Nazi alpine superiority, and strong evidence that a German climber was the first to summit Mount Everest.
Beautifully written and meticulously researched, Summit follows two climbers across two continents as their stories and movements intertwine across history, culminating in one final push for the top of the world.