This classic account of the first ascent of an 8,000-meter peak was dictated by expedition leader Herzog from his hospital bed in Paris. Herzog and his companions originated the now well established practice of using Sherpas and acclimatizing to higher and higher altitudes at a series of base camps. The extraordinary rescue and agonizing return to civilization is all the more powerful for its matter-of-fact tone. The book also includes a glimpse of Ghurka society in Nepal, circa 1950.  (HML07, $16.95)