No Shortcuts to the Top

Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks

Ed Viesturs, David Roberts

$37.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Broadway Books (A Division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group Inc)
15 January 2008

Climbing & mountaineering

NATIONAL BESTSELLER . This gripping and triumphant memoir from the author of The Mountain follows a living legend of extreme mountaineering as he makes his assault on history, one 8,000-meter summit at a time.

""From the drama of the peaks, to the struggle of making a living as a professional climber, to the basic how-tos of life at 26,000 feet, No Shortcuts to the Top is fascinating reading.""-Aron Ralston, author of Between a Rock and a Hard Place and subject of the film 127 Hours

For eighteen years Ed Viesturs pursued climbing's holy grail- to stand atop the world's fourteen 8,000-meter peaks, without the aid of bottled oxygen. But No Shortcuts to the Top is as much about the man who would become the first American to achieve that goal as it is about his stunning quest. As Viesturs recounts the stories of his most harrowing climbs, he reveals a man torn between the flat, safe world he and his loved ones share and the majestic and deadly places where only he can go.

A preternaturally cautious climber who once turned back 300 feet from the top of Everest but who would not shrink from a peak (Annapurna) known to claim the life of one climber for every two who reached its summit, Viesturs lives by an unyielding motto, ""Reaching the summit is optional. Getting down is mandatory."" It is with this philosophy that he vividly describes fatal errors in judgment made by his fellow climbers as well as a few of his own close calls and gallant rescues. And, for the first time, he details his own pivotal and heroic role in the 1996 Everest disaster made famous in Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air.

In addition to the raw excitement of Viesturs's odyssey, No Shortcuts to the Top is leavened with many funny moments revealing the camaraderie between climbers. It is more than the first full account of one of the staggering accomplishments of our time; it is a portrait of a brave and devoted family man and his beliefs that shaped this most perilous and magnificent pursuit.

By: Ed Viesturs, David Roberts
Imprint: Broadway Books (A Division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group Inc)
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 202mm, Width: 130mm, Spine: 21mm
Weight: 272g
ISBN: 9780767924719
ISBN 10: 0767924711
Pages: 384
Publication Date: 15 January 2008
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

In May 2005 Ed Viesturs became the first American to ascend all fourteen of the world's 8,000-meter peaks. He lives in Bainbridge Island, Washington, with his wife and three children. He still climbs and seeks out new adventures. David Roberts was the author of more than twenty books on mountaineering, adventure, and history, including No Shortcuts to the Top, K2, and The Will to Climb, which he co-wrote with Ed Viesturs and a memoir OnThe Ridge Between Life and Death. He has written for National Geographic, National Geographic Adventure, and Smithsonian.David Roberts passed away in 2021.

Reviews for No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks

Ed Viesturs is not merely one of our strongest mountaineers; he's also one of the most remarkable. He's demonstrated that it's possible to climb the world's highest peaks without taking reckless chances, and without sacrificing one's honor or integrity. He has never hesitated to help other climbers in need, even when it meant putting himself in danger or sacrificing his own opportunity to achieve a summit. Ed, simply put, is a genuine American hero. --Jon Krakauer From the drama of the peaks, to the struggle of making a living as a professional climber, to the basic how-tos of life at 26,000 feet, No Shortcuts to the Top is fascinating reading. --Aron Ralston, author of Between a Rock and a Hard Place Ed Viesturs--the first American to climb all fourteen 8,000 meter peaks without bottled oxygen--is an animal. A human animal blessed with enormous strength balanced by intelligence, honesty, and a heart of gold. And besides, HE IS A NICE GUY. This is a great read for those of us who climb, those who want to learn to climb and live to tell about it, and those who like great adventures. --Jim Whittaker, first American to climb Mount Everest Ed Viesturs was an inspiration to me personally and to the Seahawks team in 2005. I highly recommend reading this account of one of America's heroes. --Mike Holmgren, coach of the Seattle Seahawks