All 14 Eight-Thousanders

1953 Everest mountaineer George Band's own copy of this first English edition of mountaineer Reinhold Messner's account of his achievement in climbing the Himalays' highest peaks. Near fine in blue cloth, rubbed to head and foot of the spine, slight spine lean, in a very good plus dust jacket which is scuffed and rubbed to the corners. Neat ownership inscription of Roger Green 1988 to front pastedown, presumably the honorary librarian of the Alpine Club Library. Post it notes annotated by George Band and some pencil markings in the text. From the collection of English mountaineer George Band, the youngest member of the successful team which conquered Mount Everest in 1953. Band was President of the Mountaineering Club at Queen's College, Cambridge and his exceptional Alpine record caught the eye of John Hunt, who put him in charge of radio equipment on the Everest expedition. Band's finest achievement was the first ascent of Kangchenjunga in 1955. He pursued a professional career in oil exploration but continued to climb all over the world. He served as president of the Alpine Club and the British Mountaineering Council, and published several books on mountaineering. He was made an OBE in 2009.