Annapurna: A Woman's Place (20th Anniversary Edition)
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Product Description
In 1978, 13 women set out to climb Annapurna I in the Nepal Himalaya, achieving the first ascent of the world's 10th highest mountain by an American and by a woman. By proving that women had the skill, strength, and courage necessary to make this difficult and dangerous climb, the 1978 Women's Himalayan Expedition's accomplishment had a positive impact around the world, changing perceptions about women's abilities in sports and other arenas. Twenty years later, Arlene Blum has republished her account, offering her story to a new generation. Blum writes in the introduction, Annapurna has become for me a metaphor for difficult and important goals. Striving to achieve such objectives draws on all of our abilities and brings out the best in us. There are still many 'Annapurnas' to be climbed in the world--such as protecting our natural environment; decreasing the gap between rich and poor; providing basic necessities for everyone on this planet; and raising our children to live with love and good values. Impressive black-and-white photos record the women's journey from Katmandu to the summit and back again. This book documents the personal triumphs and tragedies of these women with insights that only a firsthand account can offer. --Kathryn True
Spotlight Customer Reviews:
Summary:
Frank, humorous, and sometimes deeply moving
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Comment:
A lifetime ago, when I was a young woman just entering the work force, an all-woman climbing party raised $80,000 (a tremendous sum then) to fund their expedition to Annapurna. At that time this dangerous Himalayan peak, tenth highest in the world, had not been climbed by an American or by a woman. After more than 40 grueling days of laying seige to the mountain, two team members and two Sherpas reached its summit. Those are the facts. They aren't what make this book fascinating, though. It's the story author Arlene Blum (the team's often harried and frustrated leader) tells, of how these pioneers in what was then very much the "man's world" of climbing worked together and achieved their goal.
Blum's writing is frank, humorous, and sometimes deeply moving. In this 20th anniversary reissue of a book originally published shortly after the expedition, she adds an intriguing new dimension by updating readers on the climbers' lives since 1978. If this book isn't considered a classic, it should be. So much has changed, and women like these made it happen!
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Summary:
An important book
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Comment:
This book describes an important event in mountaineering history - the first women's expedition to Annapurna. It is a gripping story and a must read for anyone interested in mountaineering. This is an especially important book because there are such few books about women's accomplishments in mountaineering - a very neglected topic.
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Summary:
Gripping and Inspiring Read
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Comment:
I don't know how you can't feel the call of the mountains after reading this book. I wanted to jump on the next plane to India. An excellent documentary style book on women's relationships with each other and men, the image women hold of themselves and how others perceive us, and a moving story illustrating that women can do anything. Excellent.
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Summary:
Wow.
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Comment:
This new release of a 20yo book is a winner. I still have my tattered T-shirt proclaiming women should be 'on top,' that I bought in Berkeley way back then, in support of Blum?s fundraising for her 1978 all-woman assault on Annapurna. By proving to the skeptical small mountain-climbing community of men, as well as to the world at large, that women COULD be leaders of expeditions into the high Himilayas, Blum opened the door to a new vision of women's abilities in sports as well as all other areas of life.
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Summary:
Read this book!
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Comment:
Arlene Blum's book is the best mountain-climbing book I've ever read, by far, and as the daughter of a climber, I've read quite a few. This book excels because of its author. Her sensitivity, perceptiveness, and concern for others is evident throughout. She's also a good writer with a good story.
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