Peak Pursuits: The Emergence of Mountaineering in the Nineteenth Century

I highly recommend Peak Pursuits for anyone interested in the history of mountaineering. Not only does the author bring to life these men of science and mountains but also the atmosphere of discovery of new frontiers. The chapters are chock full of hilarious details of excursions into heights unknown like using wine to power up for a day of climbing and discovering if a pistol can fire at twenty thousand feet. To top it off the book is complete with an amazing collection of original illustrations.