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The Third Pole: Mystery, Obsession, and Death on Mount Everest
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67
/100
I Index Overall Rating
Readers
67/100Critics
67/100Scholars
Author:
Mark Synnott
Publisher:
Dutton
Date:
April 13, 2021
Veteran climber Mark Synnott never planned on climbing Mount Everest, but a hundred-year mystery lured him into an expedition and a history of adventure, tragedy, and human aspiration unfolded.
What The Reviewers Say
... Synnott skillfully describes early-20th-century exploration, then dives into a story about Everest that merges mystery, adventure and history into a single tragic bundle.
Throughout the book, Synnott skillfully intertwines Irvine’s story with his own expedition’s progress, while highlighting some of his fellow travelers’ stories. He also discusses the physiological effects of altitude, the development and use of supplemental oxygen, the environmental impacts of Everest tourism, and the challenges of filming at an elevation where altitude plays havoc on bodies and equipment. As in his previous book, the author’s writing comes alive when he recounts life on the mountain, including low visibility and high winds, along with his determination to find answers.
Synnott, weaves back and forth between the early climbing pioneers’ experiences and his 2019 expedition, harrowing in its own right. A gifted storyteller, he proves firsthand the irresistible lure and perilous dangers of climbing Mount Everest..
... narrated by Synnott with easy grace—even when the climbing and weather were anything but.
