The writer has a great story to tell. His narrative is not confined to the conquest of Everest, since he writes sensitively of the whole glorious country of the Himalaya and of the attempts on Nanga Parbat, K2, Kangchenjunga, and the other majestic peaks; nor is it limited to the physical record of climbs and climbers. For the author sees in these attempts a great adventure, and also a symbol and parable of man's urge to spiritual achievement. This theme runs throughout the book, reaching its climax in a superb description of the climber - the pilgrim - among the mountains and the stars. He is a reconciler of those age-old opponents - thought and action - and for this, no less than for the story it tells, his book is one that will endure.