For the first time, drawing on unpublished letters and diaries, rare archival documents and interviews, this book tells the remarkable story of Griffith Pugh, the overlooked member of the team, whose scientific approach made possible the ascent of the highest mountain in the world.
This doctor and physiologist revolutionized almost every aspect of high-altitude mountaineering, from the appropriate use of oxygen, to clothing, equipment, the fight against dehydration and acclimatization at extreme altitudes.
Yet, far from receiving the recognition he deserved, he was met with suspicion and irony. His scientific contributions were, quite simply, at odds with the basic notions of bravery and amateurism traditionally associated with the sport at that time.
This insightful biography presents a Griffith Pugh who questions himself, troubled, yet brilliant. The fruit of eight years of research, and recounted with unwavering honesty by Pugh's daughter, Harriet Tuckey, "Everest - The First Ascent" is the fascinating portrait of an unlikely hero.
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