Mallory, Irvine and Everest: The Last Step But One

The last climb of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, towards the summit of Mount Everest on 8 June 1924, has been shrouded in mystery for a century. Were they the first humans to stand at the highest point in the world? The discovery of Mallory's body in 1999 did nothing to resolve the mystery. Until now, accounts of their climb have been driven by speculation and preconceived narrative. In this book, which marks the 100th anniversary of the fateful climb, Dr Robert Edwards brings the fresh and original perspective of a mathematician to the story of Mallory and Irvine. Dr Edwards has assembled the contemporary accounts of the early British expeditions, written by the climbers and their leaders, and has identified their anomalies and inconsistencies. He has studied the letters of George Mallory, and has held in his hand the diaries of Andrew Irvine. He has viewed, in person, some of the surviving artifacts: the ice axe found in 1933, and Mallory's boots, recovered in 1999\. He has corresponded with modern mountaineers who have climbed Everest. Above all, he has applied mathematics and modern imaging and mapping technology to an analysis of what the 1924 climbers could, and could not, have seen and done.