Everest - The First Ascent

<p><b>WINNER OF THE OUTSTANDING GENERAL SPORTS WRITING AWARD, BRITISH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS<br><br>WINNER OF THE BOARDMAN TASKER PRIZE</b><br><br><b>WINNER OF THE MOUNTAIN & WILDERNESS PRIZE, BANFF FESTIVAL</b><br><br><b>WINNER OF THE TONY LOTHIAN AWARD, BIOGRAPHERS’ CLUB</b><br><br>For the first time, drawing upon previously unseen diaries and letters, rare archive material and interviews, Everest – The First Ascent tells the remarkable story of Griffith Pugh, the forgotten team member whose scientific breakthroughs ensured the world’s highest mountain could be climbed. A doctor and physiologist, Griffith Pugh revolutionised almost every aspect of British high-altitude mountaineering, transforming the climbers’ attitude to oxygen, the clothes they wore, their equipment, fluid intake and acclimatisation. <br><br>Yet, far from receiving the acclaim he was due, he was met with suspicion and ridicule. His scientific contributions were, quite simply, at odds with old-fashioned notions of derring-do and the gentlemanly amateurism that dogged the sport. <br><br>Later in his career, his impact in helping athletes enhance their performance lasts to this day in the fields of cycling, swimming and running.<br><br>This insightful biography shows Pugh to be troubled, abrasive, yet brilliant. Eight years in the writing, closely researched, and told with unflinching honesty by Pugh’s daughter, Harriet Tuckey, <i>Everest – The First Ascent</i> is the compelling portrait of an unlikely hero.</p> <p><b>WINNER OF THE OUTSTANDING GENERAL SPORTS WRITING AWARD, BRITISH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS<br><br>WINNER OF THE BOARDMAN TASKER PRIZE</b><br><br><b>WINNER OF THE MOUNTAIN & WILDERNESS PRIZE, BANFF FESTIVAL</b><br><br><b>WINNER OF THE TONY LOTHIAN AWARD, BIOGRAPHERS’ CLUB</b><br><br>For the first time, drawing upon previously unseen diaries and letters, rare archive material and interviews, Everest – The First Ascent tells the remarkable story of Griffith Pugh, the forgotten team member whose scientific breakthroughs ensured the world’s highest mountain could be climbed. A doctor and physiologist, Griffith Pugh revolutionised almost every aspect of British high-altitude mountaineering, transforming the climbers’ attitude to oxygen, the clothes they wore, their equipment, fluid intake and acclimatisation. <br><br>Yet, far from receiving the acclaim he was due, he was met with suspicion and ridicule. His scientific contributions were, quite simply, at odds with old-fashioned notions of derring-do and the gentlemanly amateurism that dogged the sport. <br><br>Later in his career, his impact in helping athletes enhance their performance lasts to this day in the fields of cycling, swimming and running.<br><br>This insightful biography shows Pugh to be troubled, abrasive, yet brilliant. Eight years in the writing, closely researched, and told with unflinching honesty by Pugh’s daughter, Harriet Tuckey, <i>Everest – The First Ascent</i> is the compelling portrait of an unlikely hero.</p>