“A FEW MORE WHACKS OF THE ICE-AXE, A FEW VERY WEARY STEPS, AND WE WERE ON THE SUMMIT OF EVEREST”: HIGH ADVENTURE, SIGNED BY HILLARY AND EIGHT OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HISTORIC 1953 EVEREST EXPEDITION

HILLARY, Edmund. High Adventure. London: Hodder & Stoughton, (1955). Octavo, original blue cloth, original dust jacket. $4000.

First edition of Hillary’s account of his life as a mountain-climber, signed on the title page and eight other members of the 1953 Everest expedition, the first to reach the summit: John Hunt, George Lowe, Charlie Wylie, Alfred Gregory, Jan Morris, Michael Westmacott, George Band and Michael Ward.

"The Everest saga would now appear to be complete with this latest book—the story of the 1953 climb written by the man probably most responsible for the final hours of supreme effort which made the British expedition victorious" (New York Times, contemporary review). Illustrated with numerous maps, sketches and photographic plates. First-issue dust jacket, without Daily Mail blurb on front flap. Neate 369. Jan Morris, one of the signers, was the only journalist on the expedition, reporting for The Times. In addition to being members of the expedition, George Lowe and John Hunt are dedicatees of this work. Contemporary gift inscription. Small dealer ticket.

Book with one bump to edge and a small stain to front, spine a bit cocked; price-clipped dust jacket with toning to spine, two small holes to front panel, rubbing and chipping along spine extremities and front panel top corner. A very good copy with an excellent collection of signatures.