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The White Spider: The story of the North Face of the Eiger
 
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The White Spider: The story of the North Face of the Eiger (Paperback)

by Heinrich Harrer (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
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The White Spider: The story of the North Face of the Eiger + Into Thin Air: Personal Account of the Everest Disaster + Touching the Void
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Product details

  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: HarperPerennial; New edition edition (17 Jan 2005)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0007197845
  • ISBN-13: 978-0007197842
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 2.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 3,301 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #5 in  Books > Sports, Hobbies & Games > Climbing & Mountaineering > Mountaineering History & Biography
    #59 in  Books > Biography > Sport

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Product Description

Review

'An outstanding book in the mountaineering library .. The author is well qualified for his task.' Guardian 'Even to look at the photographs of the terrible slopes of the Eiger chills the blood. Heinrich Harrer enables the reader to vicariously experience the cold and the terror of the climb.' Irish Press 'The White Spider provides almost the classic statement of the weird and frequently misunderstood psychology of the moder rock-climber. Despite the grimness of much of what he is doing, Harrer communicates the irresistible joy of climbing as an antidote to the idea that climbers are masochistically trying to prove something to themselves.' Sunday Times


Product Description

A classic of mountaineering literature, The White Spider tells the story of the harrowing first ascent of the Eiger's North Wall, one of the most legendary and terrifying climbs in recorded history. Heinrich Herrer, author of Seven Years in Tibet, was a member of the four-man party that scaled the previously untouchable North Wall of the Eiger in 1938. In The White Spider, Herrer tells the story of this harrowing first ascent, a gripping first-hand account of daring and resilience in the high Swiss Alps. Moving from his own amazing experiences to the numerous later attempts to replicate his team's achievements (some tragic failures, others spectacular successes), Herrer writes as well as he climbs, drawing the reader into a beguiling story of courage, strength and a confidence always on the edge of hubris. A new introduction by Joe Simpson, author of the acclaimed mountaineering epic Touching the Void, reminds us of the enduring relevance of this absolute classic.
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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The White Spider: The story of the North Face of the Eiger
79% buy the item featured on this page:
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Customer Reviews

19 Reviews
5 star:
 (9)
4 star:
 (7)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An absolutely essential mountaineering classic, 16 Sep 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: The White Spider: Story of the North Face of the Eiger (Paladin Books) (Paperback)
No mountaineering bookshelf is complete without a copy of this compelling volume. It details every significant attempt on the North face of the Eiger from the first disastrous climb in 1932 to the many successes and failures of the 1960s. By the time you reach the end you'll feel as if you've climbed every agonising or inspiring step with the men and women that Harrer portrays.

The horror of the failed climbs and the ecstasy of the successes are vividly painted by Harrer's straightforward, unadorned style, which makes this such a gripping read. The only part of the book that jars is his rather old-fashioned and patronising description of the first attempts on the face by women. But this is a minor flaw in an otherwise influential and well-written book.

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Famous Book about the first ascent of the Infamous Face, 8 Sep 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: The White Spider: Story of the North Face of the Eiger (Paladin Books) (Paperback)
Heinrick Harrer, along with his companions Fritz Kasparek, Andreas Heckmair and Ludwig Vorg, made the first successful ascent of the North face of the Eiger, arriving on the summit at around 3:00pm on 24th July 1938. The book describes the endless battles faught on the face, sometimes to save others, sometimes to save themselves and sometimes in vain. It also tries to resolve some of the mysteries which shroud the face (It even has a route guide for anyone considering the climb). Despite the fact that the book was first published 40years ago and that the translation slips up from time to time does not alter the fact that this is a brilliant read. Unfortunately it didn't inspire to climb big faces as much as Joe Simpson's books did but alas it did inspire Joe Simpson and undoubtably many others to go out to the far flung reaches of the globe and climb.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Compulsive reading., 28 May 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: The White Spider: Story of the North Face of the Eiger (Paladin Books) (Paperback)
An absolute must for the true mountaineer or aspiring hopeful. Not to be read however immediatly before a bid to climb the face, but required reading whilst contemplating At times Harrer confronts you with the terrible bleakness of the stricken parties on the face, whilst remaining factual in a Tutonic way. Excellent. PS Another good account of the Eigerwand can be found in The Boardman Tasker Omnibus. The first book gives an account of the first succesful British Winter Ascent by Joe Tasker.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars The White Spider
'The White Spider' is Harrers masterly history of the north face of the Eiger. This is the book that inspired Joe Simpson, and indeed has an introduction by him. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Spider Monkey

4.0 out of 5 stars Justifiably a classic
Harrer has researched the history of the seminal attempts on this vertical mile of rock in meticulous detail and as a result this book gives a rich picture of the physical and... Read more
Published 15 months ago by urban fox

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is an excellent read for "armchair climbers" and true believers alike.
Allowing for he odd translation nuance, Harrer writes extremely well and has clearly carefully researched the story of the face and the attempts to climb it - not just his team's... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Mike Kellett

4.0 out of 5 stars Drama and Death on the Eiger
Superb description of the first successful climb of the North Face of the Eiger in 1936. Possibly the most dramatic description of a climb I have ever read. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Alexander H. Hofmann

2.0 out of 5 stars Great subject - clumsy book
This is a classic climbing book and fascinating for anyone with a bit of basic climbing knowledge and a love of the mountains. Read more
Published 22 months ago by D. K. Faulds

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Amazing Book!
This is a great book by one of the first ascentists of the North Face of the Eiger, one of the last major challenges in the Alps to be climbed. Read more
Published on 14 Nov 2007 by Simon Walliss

4.0 out of 5 stars Gripping Stuff!
As an armchair (couch potato!) reader of real-life high adventure, I've recently read various books of thrilling climbs, daring treks etc. Read more
Published on 28 Jun 2007 by Pamvire

5.0 out of 5 stars if you love mountain porn, you'll love this otherwise...
I had previously read Joe Simpson's 'The Beckoning Silence' and was fascinated by the Eiger and all that had happened in its eventful history. Read more
Published on 15 May 2007 by K-Pax

4.0 out of 5 stars The White Spider...
...was the first book on mountaineering that I ever read: it is also the scariest by far! Harrer writes in such a way that you identify with the brave souls high up on the Eiger;... Read more
Published on 2 Jun 2006 by Zarafa

2.0 out of 5 stars Mountain books for beginners
This is not the best-ever mountaineering book in the history of time, as some may affirm. Harrer's history of the north face of the Eiger is a fair example of early mountaineering... Read more
Published on 1 Aug 2005 by Lis

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