Book Review- Paths of Glory!

Lets start from the end. Coz ending of this real story is what that has bothered mountaineers for over 70 years. Did Mallory climb Everest? Or was he just another casualty of the world's largest mountain? Archer, being a devout Britisher tells their side of the story. No more spoilers.

The book starts at a pretty slow pace. As with almost all the biographies, its not the childhood but the wonder years that are worth exploring. Mallory's was no different, and this takes it's toll on the pace of the book. The first half is pretty boring, with exceptions of his very few climbing experiences. However, the moment he is selected for the climbing party, fun begins, and refuses to die down till the last page.

I've been an ardent fan of Archer. He is one author who never disappoints. True Archer is visible in the last 200 or so pages of the book. The description of the climbing party, mountains, mountaineering etc is lucid and coherent, even to a novice. Last few pages are a roller coaster ride, though with few bumps, but much more excitement and thrill.

This is not one of those books where you are satisfied on reading it. It leaves you with dozens of questions and within few minutes of completing the book, you will find yourself researching on the story, getting various perspectives, reading different versions etc, and the only definitive conclusion that'll be arrived on reading this book is "Truth is indeed stranger than fiction".