Tiger of the snows: The Autobiography of Tenzing of Everest

The author, Tenzing Norgay, climbed Everest in 1953. He and Edmund Hillary were the first two to stand on the summit (with the unlikely but possible exceptions of Mallory and Irvine 29 years earlier). I had recently read "Touching My Father's Soul" by Norgay's son, Jamling Tenzing Norgay, in which he describes his experiences climbing Everest in 1996, and I wanted to hear his father's story about the 1953 ascent. They have very different voices and perspectives. The contrast was appealing. For both it was as much a spiritual as physical journey, but even in that respect their stories differed considerably. Jamling spoke in detail about his visits to spiritual advisors, his prayers and supplications, his dreams, and the nature of the gods and goddesses associated with the Himalayas, and Everest in particular. And, of course, as the title suggests, he describes how his relationship with his father, and his father's legacy, played a part in his motivations. Jamling, as a young adult had made a point of learning about his spiritual roots. His father Tenzing, on the other hand, had grown up in his faith. It was simply part of his life, like his skin, whereas in Jamling's case it was more like clothing he had sought out and put on. Also, Tenzing did not have a paternal shadow hovering over him to honor or measure up to. He had the mountain before him, and the climbers who sought to reach the summit, and he wanted to be a part of that. Both men had a deep respect for Everest, and mountains in general. Both know, in a way that few seem to, that fitness and gear and preparation and technology can, in the space of an hour, or an instant, become meaningless. They recognized that the mountain is not a place for humans, that we go at our peril, that if we return alive it is by grace.

It had been a year of waiting to locate this book. Tenzing, as anyone knew, had to be an exceptional man, yet the book revealed so much more. He is a tremendous hero, a legend, and a deeply honest man, considering all the risks he undertook to put Hillary into history. Such a wonderful read, and I will be re-reading it several times in the future.

the book was in good condition.

super!

A very moving story by an honest, humble man who achieved greatness through dedication to a dream, and persistence in the difficult, death-defying activity that made it possible. I bought the book from a library used book sale, and have read it several times. I wish I could have known Tenzing Norgay, and that is a rare feeling after reading an autobiography.

Totally enthralling book that describes the life of Sherpas as the real climbers of the Himalayas on whose backs the Europeans made their attempts at various summits. It describes Tenzing as a humble man with an ambition to climb Mt. Everest to satisfy the spirit of his bloodlines. He will be your hero by the end of the book, a mountain peasant who conquered the hearts of many people around the world. You will also see remnants of the racial, ethnic, and class bias as it was part of 20th century culture.

A genuinely inspiring book, and a totally inspiring man. It's a great autobiography, full of stories of incredible hardship overcome by a love of the mountains and personal drive far beyond most of his contemporaries. It leaves you in no doubt that he was one of the great climbers, repeatedly going back up to try and rescue people when others lacked the strength. But he always had the right instincts for a turnaround, even when he and Raymond Lambert could probably have made the first ascent of Everest. It's also quite clear that he loved Lambert and would have died trying to rescue him if it had come to that. This is not a man who steps over a climber in trouble. Although told to Ullman in a mix of English and Nepali, you really get a sense of Tenzing's voice throughout. I laughed out loud a couple of times at his dry wit. This sentence on the final walk-in sums up both the man and the style for me: 'As I thought of Everest and the great days ahead of us the complaints of my companions sounded like the cackling of so many hens'. I found a battered 1955 reprint some time ago and am very happy I did. A real shame that this is out of print.

I was reading a leadership book when I ran across the name and achievements of two men one Tenzing Norgay and the other Edmund Hillary. The account of their conquest made me want to know more about this 'Sherpa' and the "The Mountain So High No Bird Can Fly Over It". This is a GREAT read on being a person of 'integrity' and 'purpose'. It would have been an extreme honor to have known this man Tenzing Norgay. I am so glad I read this book, as Tenzing closed I too will close this "I am greatful".