First on Everest

Name: First on Everest
Price: 54.99 AUD
Availability: OutOfStock
ISBN: 9781803998282

The Life of Howard Somervell

Graham Hoyland

$54.99

Hardback

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 will update you on expected arrival time to us. If this delay is too long, please let us know within 2 business days and we can give you options regarding cancelling or adjusting your order. More details on cancelling your order can be found in our Terms of Trade.

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

The History Press Ltd
14 May 2026

Biography: general; Geographical discovery & exploration; Climbing & mountaineering; Expeditions

In 1999 my expedition found George Mallory's body on Mount Everest. The intense public interest in his tragic fate obscured the other actors in that dramatic story.

The pioneers who attempted the first climbs in 1922 and 1924 knew nothing about the mountain other than its height. They had to learn the hard way about the lack of oxygen, the jet-stream winds, the illnesses of altitude, and the vital importance of the Sherpas. They fought cerebral oedema, frostbite, hypothermia and raging thirst in the cold, thin air. They had to find a route, avoid avalanches, and work out what to do when confronted by an insuperable rock climb at extreme altitude. Many of them died.

Howard Somervell was Mallory's closest friend on the mountain in 1922 and 1924. He was an exceptionally gifted man: he had a double first at Cambridge, he was a talented artist and an accomplished musician. He served as a surgeon at the Battle of the Somme during the First World War and was one of the foremost alpinists of the day when he was invited to join the 1922 Mount Everest expedition. After Everest he was awarded an Olympic gold medal for Alpinism in 1924. But in India he will be remembered as a surgeon who dedicated the remainder of his life to healing the sick.

Those pioneers showed the way. Somervell took part in the first attempt to climb the mountain, and his oxygen-free height record in 1924 stood for over 50 years. On his descent he sat down alone suffocating from a frost-bitten larynx. He prepared to die, but at the last moment performed a medical manoeuvre which cleared his airway. He survived to struggle back down.

Howard Somervell was my cousin, and I am one of the last Everesters left alive to have spoken with a climber from George Mallory's party.

AUTHOR: Mountaineer and sailor Graham Hoyland was the 15th Briton to climb Mount Everest and initiated the Mallory and Irvine Research Expedition, which was responsible for finding George Mallory's body. Hoyland was a BBC producer for over 30 years and worked on programmes such as Dragon's Den. The Independent named him as one of the '5 Most Inspiring Explorers'.

20 colour illustrations

By: Graham Hoyland
Imprint: The History Press Ltd
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781803998282
ISBN 10: 1803998288
Publication Date: 14 May 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Unspecified

Mountaineer and sailor GRAHAM HOYLAND was the 15th Briton to climb Mount Everest and initiated the Mallory and Irvine Research Expedition, which was responsible for finding George Mallory's body. Hoyland was a BBC producer for over 30 years and worked on programmes such as Dragon's Den. The Independent named him as one of the ‘5 Most Inspiring Explorers’.

Reviews for First on Everest: The Life of Howard Somervell

‘In First on Everest, Graham Hoyland restores Dr. Howard Somervell to his rightful place in the story of Himalayan exploration—an unsung pioneer whose courage, compassion, and heroism shaped the foundations of high-altitude mountaineering. As Somervell’s cousin and a veteran Everester who has himself stood on the summit, Hoyland writes with rare authority, empathy and insight, delivering a vital and beautifully told biography long overdue.’ -- Sir Chris Bonington, mountaineer 'I always suspected that of all those brave twenties Everest pioneers, Howard Somervell was the one I would most like to have met. This fascinating biography just confirms that hunch. Mountaineer, artist, musician and surgeon, Howard Somervell comes across as a talented and thorouglly good man, but also a humourous man, who wore his high pinciples lightly.' -- Stephen Venables, ex-President of the Alpine Club, and first Briton to climb Everest without supplementary oxygen