The Fight for Everest 1924

Mallory, Irvine and the quest for Everest

Author: E.F. Norton Doug Scott CBE

Series title:

Hardback publication date: 01 Dec 2015

Hardback ISBN: 9781910240397

Fancy 25% off this book? Sign-up to our newsletter to receive a subscriber-exclusive discount code!

In 1924 a team that included Colonel E.F. Norton, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine arrived in the Himalaya. Could they make the first ascent of the highest mountain on Earth? Before they could find out, tragedy struck, and Mallory and Irvine vanished into the clouds. The Fight for Everest 1924 is the official record of the expedition.

In 1924 Mount Everest remained unclimbed. Two British expeditions had already tackled what was known to be the highest mountain on Earth. The first, in 1921, found a route to the base. The second, in 1922, attempted the summit, reaching a record height of 27,300 feet before retreating. Two years later, a team that included Colonel E.F. Norton, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine returned to the Himalaya. Armed with greater knowledge and experience, confidence was high. But they were still climbing into the unknown. How high could they climb without supplementary oxygen? Would the cumbersome oxygen equipment help them climb higher? Could they succeed where others had failed, and make the first ascent of the highest mountain on earth? Before they could find out, tragedy struck – George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, climbing high on the mountain, vanished into the clouds. First published in 1925, The Fight for Everest 1924 is the official record of this third expedition to Everest. The compelling narrative by Norton and other expedition members, and Mallory’s vivid letters home, present a gripping picture of life in the Himalaya. Notes and observations from the entire team show how far knowledge of the mountain and of high-altitude climbing had advanced by 1924, and make recommendations for future Everest attempts. As well as the full original text and illustrations, this edition reproduces some of Norton’s superb pencil sketches and watercolours along with previously unpublished materials from his private archive. These include original planning documents from the expedition, Mallory’s last note to Norton, and a moving letter to Norton from Mallory’s widow. Together, they add up to one of the most fascinating mountaineering books ever written.

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Felix Norton, DSO, MC was one of the finest mountaineers of his day and a key figure on early Everest expeditions. Born in Argentina in 1884, Norton was the grandson of Alfred Wills, one of the founders of the Alpine Club. Wills built a chalet above Sixt in the French Alps where Norton spent several holidays, discovering a love for mountains and honing his climbing skills. As a young officer, he served with distinction during the First World War, and later spent time in India, gaining a familiarity with the country, its peoples and languages. During the 1922 Everest expedition, he made the first summit bid with George Mallory and Howard Somervell. Climbing without supplementary oxygen, they reached 26,985 feet – a record height. Norton returned to Everest in 1924, as deputy leader, but found himself in charge after General Bruce was taken ill. After severe weather twice forced a retreat, Norton launched a summit bid with Somervell. Continuing alone after Somervell was forced to turn back, Norton reached 28,126 feet – less than 1,000 feet from the summit, and another record height. A few days later, as he lay recovering at Camp IV, he bade farewell to Mallory and Andrew Irvine as they set off for their fateful climb. Norton was praised for his leadership, and for his handling of the aftermath of Mallory and Irvine’s disappearance, and in 1926 he was awarded the Founder’s Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society. The expedition over, Norton returned to the army, with further postings in India and England, and was acting governor of Hong Kong from 1940 to 1941. He retired with the rank of lieutenant general in 1942 and settled near Winchester, where he died in 1954, aged seventy.

Discounts & P&P

From Friday 1 April 2022, we offer 25% off to all newsletter subscribers. Simply sign up to our newsletter here to receive your discount code. If you're already a subscriber, we'll remind you of the code every time we send out a newsletter.

In addition, we offer FREE standard UK P&P for orders, along with options to upgrade the delivery service at checkout.

Postage costs are dependent on order weight (book/s weight plus packing materials) and are calculated automatically upon checkout, before payment is taken. Full details of our delivery and returns information can be found here

UK Delivery

We offer FREE standard UK P&P for orders: orders are sent Royal Mail Second Class as standard and should arrive within two to three working days. The option to upgrade UK shipping to Royal Mail 24 Next Day Delivery is available at checkout.

International Delivery

International orders are sent by Royal Mail International Tracked. Deliveries can take between a few days and a couple of weeks to arrive, depending on the delivery location. Please contact us if your country is not listed.

Dispatch

Update: September 2022. Most orders received through the Vertebrate Publishing Adventure Books website are dispatched from Gardners in Eastbourne, UK; some orders (such as signed copies of pre-orders, or limited stock items) are sent from our office in Sheffield, UK. If your order is for multiple items, you may receive more than one package, though we try to avoid this (if applicable, you would only be charged once for shipping). Orders received before 11 a.m. are dispatched the same day; orders received after 11 a.m. are usually dispatched the following business day. You will be sent a notification email when your order has been dispatched. If we are temporarily out of stock of a title we will advise by email.

Gift Cards

Gift card purchases are delivered electronically – we do not dispatch physical gift cards. Full details are provided with gift card purchases.

Ebooks

Coming soon! Ebooks are fulfilled securely by our partner Glassboxx using their app. For more details about how to access your ebook, please refer to the information in your order confirmation. 

Payment

Payment is made safely and securely using Shopify, which incorporates the world's leading payment gateways, including Stripe, Apple Pay and Google Pay. You can also check out with PayPal. All payments are handled directly by these payment gateways and Vertebrate Publishing Adventure Books does not process or store any cardholder details on the Adventure Books website.

Returns

We will happily refund or exchange any item that is returned to us in an unused, as new condition. If you want to make a return, contact us with your details. Once we've received the item(s), we will credit your account. If the item is faulty or damaged or we have sent the incorrect item we will refund postage.

If you're returning something because it's not suitable, you'll need to pay the postage costs to return it to us. We process most returns the day they arrive with us, and certainly within seven working days. Goods must be returned to us within 21 days.

  • FREE standard UK shipping
  • Sign up to our newsletter for 25% off
  • Secure checkout