On top of the world - Richard Sale

The year 2000 marks the 50th anniversary of the ascent of Annapurna, the first 8,000m peak to be climbed. Between 1950 and 1960, all except one of the world's 14 peaks over 8,000m were climbed: this was the Golden Age of high altitude climbing. The single exception was Shisha Pangma which was not climbed until 1964.

The height, 8,000m is entirely arbitrary. Very roughly it corresponds to the start of the 'death zone', the height above which a human being, kept warm and well fed, would die in a time varying from a few hours to a few days simply because the limited oxygen in the air means that the body cannot function properly and gradually closes down. For this reason, many of the 8,000m peaks, particularly the highest ones, were first climbed with supplementary oxygen. Today all except Everest are routinely climbed without, their ascent therefore making them a hazard for the climbers.

This book brings together the stories behind the conquest of every peak, plus the description of how they have been conquered since then. It is also a description of modern man's conquest of previously unscaled peaks, using advances in technology. As a description of heroic activity it has no equal.