After John Hunt's successful 1953 expedition he wrote in his diary that at least the Everest story was finished. In fact, it had scarcely begun. The first ascent was the end of a chapter but far from the end of the story. Since those days, well over 300 men and women have stood on the summit of the world's highest mountain, some of them several times, seeking new routes, faster times, or simply to be numbered among the elite who have stood on the roof of the world. Everest: The Mountaineering History tells the truth about many of the world's mountaineering heroes, about the incompetence, the pettiness, and rages, as well as the courage and skill.