When leadingmountaineer Sir Chris Bonington was researching Quest for Adventure,his study of post-war adventure, he contacted Sir Robin Knox-Johnston,the first person to sail single-handed and non-stop around the world, for aninterview. This simple request turned into an exchange of skills, which thengrew into a joint expedition to Greenland’s unexplored Lemon Mountains. Sea,Ice and Rock is the story of this epic journey. With both Boningtonand Knox-Johnston having little experience in the other’s craft, their expeditionwas not without difficulty. But through one another’s support, the two men andtheir team sailed from Britain to Greenland, going on to twice attempt the LemonMountain’s forbidding highest peak, the Cathedral. Though theirattempts ended in a dramatic descent, this could not dampen the unfailingoptimism with which the two approached their task. They recount their experiencesnot only with appreciation for the awe-inspiring nature that surrounded them,but also for one another. Layers ofalternate narration between Bonington and Knox-Johnston make thisa truly collaborative memoir. In the same way they exchanged skills on theirexpedition, the two authors rely on one another’s recollections to fill thegaps in their own. Full of ambition and perseverance, anyone wondering whyBonington and Knox-Johnston are masters in their fields need onlyread Sea, Ice and Rock.
