THE THIRD POLE Mystery, Obsession, and Death on Mount Everest

Did George Mallory and Sandy Irvine summit Everest in 1924 and perish while coming down? It's a mystery that continues to captivate. Mark Synnott alternates the story of that expedition with his own search in 2019 for Irvine's body. Steve Campbell's narration proves to be an excellent guide up Everest. His deep voice, enthusiasm, and brisk pacing are a perfect match for Synnott's candid and journalistic style. He captures Synnott's transformation from initial disinterest in Everest as a climb--because it lacks technical difficulties, wealthy amateurs can summit--to a summit fever excitement. Perhaps most fascinating is the politics on Everest: Sherpas must summit for professional success, the Chinese government wants Synnott's expedition off the mountain, and then there's that famous traffic jam picture. A.B. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2021]