Sam (“Alone”). Tomo Cesen. Didakta, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia, 1990. 160 pages, 120 photographs in color.

From the title of this book, Sam, which means “alone” in Slovene, it is apparent that Tomo Cesen has made many of his extreme climbs solo. These he describes and illustrates in this volume. Articles by Tomo Cesen have appeared in the American Alpine Journal. In fact, the lead article in AAJ, 1991 describes his solo ascent of what Messner called “a problem for the 21 st century,” the south face of Lhotse. In AAJ, 1990, he told of his remarkable solo ascent of the north face of Kumbhakharna (Jannu). Earlier new routes have also appeared in these pages.

Although the text of the present volume is in Slovene, this is a book which will reward the peruser because of its beautiful color pictures and the mountain historian because of the routes clearly marked on excellent photographs.

H. Adams Carter