Nirmal ('Nims') Purja MBE was born in Nepal. He served as a Gurkha and in the elite Special Boat Service (SBS) before leaving to concentrate on his passion for mountaineering and exploration.
The man's sheer grit is astonishing. Time and again he forces himself through everescalating pain barriers, driving himself and his loyal team on through willpower alone. As he says, quitting is not in his blood, and his book is both an inspirational study in leadership and a powerful testament to the human spirit at its very best. * Mail on Sunday *