SOLD - The Ascent of Everest - John Hunt, Illustrated 1953 First Edition, Hardback

The Ascent of Everest - John Hunt, Illustrated 1953 First Edition, Hardback

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Description

• Title: The Ascent Of Everest
• Author: John Hunt
• Foreword: HRH Prince Phillip
• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
• Edition: 1st, 1953
• Format: Hard covers, illustrated
• Pages: 299
• Dimensions: 15.3 x 22.6cm (6 x 9")
• Condition: Very good

Brigadier Henry Cecil John Hunt, later Baron Hunt of Llanfair Waterdine, was the leader of the 1953 British expedition to Everest in which Edmund Hillary and local Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first humans to stand on the summit of the 8848 metre mountain - the highest point on the surface of Planet Earth.

In this hardcover first edition of his book The Ascent of Everest, completed only months after the expedition returned home, he tells the story of how he came to lead the mission and the challenges he faced before they even left Britain - he was second choice after Eric Shipton, who is best known today as the man who took one of the most famous photos of footprints he believed were made by a yeti rather than for his own impressive list of climbing firsts was first choice until the Joint Himalayan Committee of the Alpine Club and Royal Geographical Society decided that Hunt's superior climbing skills and excellent record as a military leader made him the man for the job, which did not initially go down with the team who felt a great loyalty for Shipton. He also discusses the team's preparations for climbing into the "death zone" with the rudimentary equipment available at that time, the methods they chose and the problems they faced, and how they got around them.

Much of the book was written on Hunt's trusty British Typewriters Empire portable, and whilst he embodies the stiff-upper-lippedness of a very senior British Army officer of his day his emotions are frequently evident - on the 26th of May, he had climbed to within 500m of the summit to leave a stash of food and supplies for the final assault on the summit, knowing full well that he was not going to be part of it; his disappointment is clear, as is his exhilaration when Hillary and Norgay reached the top three days later. It is lavishly illustrated with numerous maps and drawings, black and white photographs and full-colour prints.

The book features a foreword written by Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who was inspired by the expedition's success to set up the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme in which children and young people receive awards for completing a series of self-improvement challenges, usually featuring outdoor activities, which now takes place in 144 nations around the world. Hunt, who resigned from the Army to assist in setting up the scheme, was its director for ten years.

The expedition had caught the world's attention and there was a public sense of jubilation when it met with success, so first edition copies of Hunt's book are not rare; however, it's unusual to find one in such excellent condition as this example. It retains its dustjacket, which features a beuatiful drawing of the mountain by the celebrated British landscape artist William Heaton Cooper and is showing some age-related wear with very light scuffing and discolouration at the tips of the spine section and edges, but is complete and very acceptable. The hardcovers beneath it, bound in light blue cloth, are near pristine with only a few minor spots on the back; the spine is structurally sound and the binding is tight so that there are no loose or missing pages. The endpieces and flyleaves are lightly discoloured, but the full-colour frontispiece photo depicting Norgay at the summit is excellent, as are the many other illustrations throughout. There is some foxing around the edges of the pages, but this spreads onto the printed faces in only a small number of instances; there are no folded pages, tears or annotation at any point.

Preserved with the book is an original copy of the special magazine commemorating the historic event produced by The Times newspaper which, despite the fold across the middle and rusty staples, remains in remarkable condition considering its nature as ephemera; there are no loose or torn pages and the text and photographs are in excellent order.

Due to the nature of this item it is not always possible for us to identify any missing parts.
For this reason we ask that you please check the pictures carefully, as these show everything that is included.

Further Details & Enquiries

This item has been very kindly donated to the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity.

Arthur Rank Hospice Charity supports people in Cambridgeshire living with an advanced serious illness or other life-limiting condition and those who need end-of-life care. Our ‘Outstanding’ services are provided free of charge to patients and their families. Our aim is to provide the highest quality care, helping them to make every moment count.

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About Arthur Rank Hospice Charity

Arthur Rank Hospice Charity supports people in Cambridgeshire living with an advanced serious illness or other life-limiting condition and those who need end-of-life care. Its ‘Outstanding’ services are provided free of charge to patients and their families. The aim is to provide the highest quality care, helping them to make every moment count.

Around 4,000 patients are cared for each year at the Hospice in Cambridge, the Alan Hudson Day Treatment Centre in Wisbech and in patients’ own homes via the Arthur Rank Community Team. This care supports people to improve their quality of life and fulfil their end of their life choices.

Alongside the care provided by the Inpatient Unit, Living Well services and Hospice at Home teams, patients can access: patient and family support; lymphoedema care; complementary therapy; medical and pain outpatient clinics; and advice from the clinical nurse specialists within the Specialist Palliative Care Home Team. Programmes are practical, holistic and tailored to the individual patient, family member or carer and may also include rehabilitative support, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and psychological support.

It will cost £10.5 million in 2021/2022 to run services, which are provided free of charge to patients and their loved ones. Contracted services from the NHS are budgeted at £6.98 million, meaning that £3.52 million needs to be raised through donations, fundraising activities and trading. The Charity is extremely grateful to the local community for the continual dedication, commitment and generosity they show in supporting towards meeting this target.

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