Jim Perrin is one of Britain's most highly regarded travel writers and was one of the best British rock-climbers - with many new routes, significant solo ascents and free ascents at the top standards of the day. He is a regular contributor to the Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, Climber, The Great Outdoors and broadcasts regularly on radio. His biography, Menlove, was the first outright winner of the Boardman Tasker Prize, for which all of his subsequent books have been shortlisted. His previous book, The Villain, was joint winner of the Boardman Tasker Prize and winner of the Mountain History Prize at the Banff festival.

"Required reading" The Alpine Journal "This is witty, literate, erudite and committed writing, and I'll be surprised if this anniversary year sees a better mountaineering book." Geographical Magazine "A fascinating portrait of a friendship that pushed the boundaries of knowledge and endeavour" Sunday Times "The author's great strength is his knowledge of climbing, which gives him an insight into the psychology and practice of mountain exploration" Guardian "This comprehensive and important book, the result of 30 years of research, deserves to be read to the end. It gets better and funnier, as it progresses and it leaves even those such as me, for whom mountaineering has always been something of a mystery, beginning to understand and respect what drives true climbers" Country Life

Jim Perrin is one of Britain's most highly regarded travel writers and was one of the best British rock-climbers - with many new routes, significant solo ascents and free ascents at the top standards of the day. He is a regular contributor to the Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, Climber, The Great Outdoors and broadcasts regularly on radio. His biography, Menlove, was the first outright winner of the Boardman Tasker Prize, for which all of his subsequent books have been shortlisted. His previous book, The Villain, was joint winner of the Boardman Tasker Prize and winner of the Mountain History Prize at the Banff festival.

"Required reading" The Alpine Journal "This is witty, literate, erudite and committed writing, and I'll be surprised if this anniversary year sees a better mountaineering book." Geographical Magazine "A fascinating portrait of a friendship that pushed the boundaries of knowledge and endeavour" Sunday Times "The author's great strength is his knowledge of climbing, which gives him an insight into the psychology and practice of mountain exploration" Guardian "This comprehensive and important book, the result of 30 years of research, deserves to be read to the end. It gets better and funnier, as it progresses and it leaves even those such as me, for whom mountaineering has always been something of a mystery, beginning to understand and respect what drives true climbers" Country Life

Jim Perrin is one of Britain's most highly regarded travel writers and was one of the best British rock-climbers - with many new routes, significant solo ascents and free ascents at the top standards of the day. He is a regular contributor to the Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, Climber, The Great Outdoors and broadcasts regularly on radio. His biography, Menlove, was the first outright winner of the Boardman Tasker Prize, for which all of his subsequent books have been shortlisted. His previous book, The Villain, was joint winner of the Boardman Tasker Prize and winner of the Mountain History Prize at the Banff festival.

"Required reading" The Alpine Journal "This is witty, literate, erudite and committed writing, and I'll be surprised if this anniversary year sees a better mountaineering book." Geographical Magazine "A fascinating portrait of a friendship that pushed the boundaries of knowledge and endeavour" Sunday Times "The author's great strength is his knowledge of climbing, which gives him an insight into the psychology and practice of mountain exploration" Guardian "This comprehensive and important book, the result of 30 years of research, deserves to be read to the end. It gets better and funnier, as it progresses and it leaves even those such as me, for whom mountaineering has always been something of a mystery, beginning to understand and respect what drives true climbers" Country Life