A CHOICE OF MOUNTAINEERING BOOKS

As a step towards making the Library of the American Alpine Club more useful, as well as to stimulate a general interest in mountaineering literature, the Library Committee recently asked five members of the Club, known to have an unusually broad knowledge of the field, to prepare each a list of approximately fifty books chosen with regard to readability and variety of interest. The books were to be in English and available in the Club Library. The results have been consolidated in the appended list.

It is interesting to observe that only two books were chosen by all five compilers, and only six more by four of them. This undoubtedly reflects the highly individual character and tastes of those invited to contribute." For this very reason the selections should appeal to a greater number of the Club's members than would be the case if a single list of fifty books had been compiled by a committee in collaboration.

In addition to the sixty books listed below, which were the choice of two or more compilers, there were ninety-one that were not duplicated. Among the latter are a great many very fine books, such, for instance, those of Frank Smythe, at least one of which appears on each of the five lists, but oddly enough no two of the compilers chose the same one.

All this leads to the conclusion that the Club Library contains an immense treasure of mountaineering literature which all members of the Club are privileged to enjoy. Certain rare books and reference books, and the periodicals, are, of course, not suitable for circulation; but a great many books are available for borrowing and Club members are invited to make their desires known to the Assistant Secretary.

FRANCIS L. CARY, Chairman of the Library Committee

On All Five Lists

MUMMERY, A. F.: My Climbs in the Alps and Caucasus. WHYMPER, E.: Scrambles Amongst the Alps.

On Four Lists

EVANS, C.: Kangchenjunga: The Untrodden Peak. IRVING, R. L. G.: The Mountain Way. NORTON, E. F.: The Fight for Everest: 1924. STEPHEN, L.: The Playground of Europe. TILMAN, H. W.: Ascent of Nanda Devi. YOUNG, G. W.: On High Hills.

On Three Lists

BATES and others: Five Miles High. BROWNE, B.: The Conquest of Mount McKinley. BRUCE, C. G.: The Assault on Mount Everest: 1922. BURDSALL and EMMONS: Men Against the Clouds. CONWAY, W. M.: The Alps from End to End. HUNT, J.: The Ascent {Conquest} of Everest. IRWIN, W. R.: Challenge: An Anthology of Mountaineering Literature. KAIN, C.: Where the Clouds Can Go. KLUCKER, C.,: Adventures of an Alpine Guide. LONGSTAFF, T.: This My Voyage. NOYCE, W.: South Col. SLINGSBY, W. C.: Norway, the Northern Playground. THORINGTON, J. M.: Mont Blanc Side-Show. WILLS, A.: Wanderings Among the High Alps.

On Two Lists

BAUER, P.: Himalayan Quest. BROWN, T. G.: Brenva. CHAPMAN, F. S.: Helvellyn to Himalaya. CLARK, R.: The Early Alpine Guides. CLARK, R.: The Victorian Mountaineers. COOLIDGE, W. A. B.: The Alps in Nature and History. DAUDET, A.: Tartarin on the Alps. DE BEER, G. R.: Early Travellers in the Alps. DE FILIPPI, F.: Karakoram and Western Himalaya, 1909. FINCH, G. I.: The Making of a Mountaineer. FORBES, J. D.: Travels Through the Alps. GRIBBLE, F.: The Early Mountaineers. HARPER, A. P.: Pioneer Work in the Alps of New Zealand. HERZOG, M.: Annapurna. HINCHLIFF, T. W.: Summer Months Among the Alps. HOUSTON and BATES: K2-The Savage Mountain. LUNN, A.: A Century of Mountaineering. LUNN, A.: The Mountains of Youth. LUNN, A.: The Englishman in the Alps. MASON, K.: Abode of Snow. MONTAGUE, C. E.: The Right Place. OUTRAM, J.: In the Heart of the Canadian Rockies. PALMER, H.: Mountaineering and Exploration in the Selkirks. PASCOE, J.: Unclimbed New Zealand. PILLEY, D.: Climbing Days. REBUFFAT, G.: Starlight and Storm. REY, G.: Peaks and Precipices. SCHUSTER, C.:, Peaks and Pleasant Pastures. SHIPTON, E.: Blank on the Map. SMITH, J. A.: Mountain Holidays. TILMAN, H. W.: Mount Everest, 1938. TYNDALL, J.: Mountaineering in 1861. ULLMAN, J. R.: White Tower. UNDERHILL, M.: Give Me The Hills. "WHIPPLESNAITH”: The Night Climbers of Cambridge. WHYMPER, E.: Travels Amongst the Great Andes of the Equator. WILCOX, W. D.: The Rockies of Canada. YOUNG, G. W.: Mountain Craft.

* Robert H. Bates, Francis P. Farquhar, Henry S. Hall, Jr., David A. Robertson, J. Monroe Thorington.