This exciting new book relates the story of the first explorers to reach the top of the world. Sir Edmund Hillary, a veteran New Zealand climber, and Tenzing Norgay, a Tibetan Sherpa or mountaineering guide, reached the top of Mount Everest on a British expedition in 1953. The achievement launched a 20th century obsession with climbing ever higher. Details include
- how other climbers tried and failed to reach the top of Everest
- how hard, dangerous, and difficult mountain climbing can be
- the mountain's history and a history of colonial conquest
- the job of the Sherpa as a guide to western mountaineering expeditions
- how climbing expeditions changed the way of life of the people who live near the mountains
- later Everest expeditions and their impact on the environment
Guided Reading: Level to be determined