THE BRITISH MOUNT EVEREST EXPEDITIONS, 1921–1936. Five First Edition Expedition Accounts. Howard-Bury, Bruce, Norton and Ruttledge. 1922–1937.

London: Edward Arnold / Hodder & Stoughton, 1922–1937.

Five volumes. First editions. Tall octavo. Original publisher’s cloth bindings. All plates and maps collated and complete.

Comprising:

1. HOWARD-BURY, Lieut.-Col. C. K. Mount Everest: The Reconnaissance, 1921. London: Edward Arnold & Co., 1922.
2. BRUCE, Brigadier-General Hon. C. G. The Assault on Mount Everest 1922. London: Edward Arnold & Co., 1923.
3. NORTON, Lieutenant-Colonel E. F. The Fight for Everest: 1924. London: Edward Arnold & Co., 1925. Secondary Arnold binding. From the Permanent Library of The Times Book Club and marked “Not for Sale”.
4. RUTTLEDGE, Hugh. Everest 1933. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1934.
5. RUTTLEDGE, Hugh. Everest: The Unfinished Adventure. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1937.

A substantial and highly desirable collection of the five principal British Everest expedition accounts from the heroic pre-war period of Himalayan exploration. Together, these volumes document the first great phase of British attempts on Mount Everest: the reconnaissance of 1921, the first serious climbing attempt of 1922, the tragic expedition of 1924, and the renewed expeditions of 1933 and 1936.

The sequence begins with Howard-Bury’s Mount Everest: The Reconnaissance, 1921, the official account of the first British expedition to explore the approaches to Everest. This was the expedition that identified routes, examined the northern approaches through Tibet, and first brought back detailed photographic and geographical knowledge of the mountain. It established the basis for all subsequent British attempts.

The Assault on Mount Everest 1922 records the first organised attempt to climb Everest. Led by General Charles Bruce, the expedition pushed higher than any climbers had previously gone and marked the first use of supplemental oxygen on the mountain. It also ended in tragedy when an avalanche killed seven Sherpa porters, the first recorded fatalities on Everest. The book remains one of the key documents in the history of high-altitude mountaineering.

The Fight for Everest: 1924 is perhaps the most famous of the early Everest accounts. The 1924 expedition produced one of the enduring mysteries of exploration: the disappearance of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine high on the mountain during their summit attempt. Norton’s account, written with contributions from other members of the expedition, remains central to the literature of Everest and to the continuing debate over whether Mallory and Irvine may have reached the summit before their deaths. The present copy is in the secondary Arnold binding and comes from the Permanent Library of The Times Book Club, marked “Not for Sale” and has no stamps.

The final two volumes are Hugh Ruttledge’s official accounts of the later inter-war British expeditions. Everest 1933 records the renewed attempt on the mountain after nearly a decade’s interruption, while Everest: The Unfinished Adventure describes the 1936 expedition, frustrated by severe weather and monsoon conditions. Together they complete the story of Britain’s pre-war Everest campaigns before the eventual successful ascent by Hillary and Tenzing in 1953.

The set is richly illustrated throughout with photographs, panoramas, plates and maps, giving a remarkable visual record of early Himalayan exploration, Tibetan travel, expedition organisation, high-altitude climbing and the evolving techniques of mountaineering before the Second World War.

A strong and coherent Everest collection, bringing together the foundational printed accounts of the British attempts on the mountain during the classic age of exploration.

Condition: All plates and maps collated and complete. Bindings nice and tight. Occasional foxing. Repairs to the reverse of a couple of maps. Bindings with some rubbing, bumping and light wear. The 1925 volume in secondary Arnold binding and from the Permanent Library of The Times Book Club, marked “Not for Sale”. A very good indeed collection overall.

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