[.ca] Not Without Peril: 150 Years of Misadventure on the ... (ISBN 1929173067)

From Amazon.com:
Like a piece of granite chipped off a Presidential peak, veteran journalist Nicholas Howe's assessment of misadventure in New Hampshire's rugged mountains has a crisp, puritanical feel that fairly rasps New England. Take his description of the near-vertical (and now well-skied) slope that nearly killed Max Engelhart in 1926: "Tuckerman Ravine is a sort of twin to Huntington Ravine, a left-hand punch into the side of Mount Washington by the same primordial giant that made Huntington with his right." Underlying Not Without Peril is the not-so-subtle message that the Presidential Range, topping out at just over 6,000 feet, is as uncompromising as any other mountain range. After all, these mountains--named for Washington, Lincoln, Madison--are home to some of the most vicious weather recorded on the planet. Howe makes no judgment about those whose misfortunes he chronicles; there are tender moments that manage to stay faithful to a crusty Yankee sensibility, as in the tale of Lizzie Bourne, who died in a snowstorm while huddled in a makeshift lean-to. Howe quotes her uncle George: "She was dead--had uttered no complaint, expressed no regret or fear, but passed silently away." Such sober tales, scrupulously researched, tell the history of a mountain range and its climbers, some of whom are immortalized for their ill-fated treks. It's a gritty read, a touch morbid, but more than compensated for by sharp writing and compelling drama. --Tipton Blish

depends who you are:
You will see reviews here rated one and five stars - it depends upon who you are. The book is not tremendously written, stylistically, though not bad (redundant in places). If you know the place(s) written about - Mt. Washington and near peaks it will surely be a thrilling and fascinating read. If not - tedium. I know a bit of the area, so it was just ok - a three star book I would only recommend to White Mountain fans.

Where Do You Live and Where Do You Hike?:
You will see reviews here rated one and five stars - it depends upon who you are. Stylistically, this book is not tremendously written, though not bad (redundant in places). If you know the place(s) written about - Mt. Washington and near peaks it will surely be a thrilling and fascinating read. If not - tedium. I know a bit of the area, so it was just ok - a three star book I would only recommend to White Mountain fans. The author certainly knows the area and the subject.

History Comes Alive:
I had the chance of meeting the author at the base of Mt. Washington after climbing it and getting a pretty bad headache at the summit. While this little peril of my own set me back, this book couldn't have captured the spirit of these mountains any better. Howe has a talent with taking the dusty accounts of adventure and plight back onto the behemouth from which they were told. I would reccomend this book to anyone who has ever been to the White Mountains and wanted to go back again.

Fascinating!:
If you can answer YES to any of the following questions (especially the questions at the bottom of the list), you will enjoy this book. 1. Are you a hiker/outdoors person? 2. Have you ever visited the White Mountains of New Hampshire? 3. Have you ever climbed any of the Presidential Mountains in the Summer? 4. Have you ever climbed any of the Presidential Mountains in the Winter? 5. Did you reach the top? If you answered YES to ALL of the above, you will LOVE this book. It gives an appreciation of the unknown element involved within extreme weather activities. Enjoy!

Boring!:
I don't agree with the other reviews--this book was tedious. One uninspired chapter after another on deaths, no summary, lots of conjecture. Dull. The title was much more promising. Skip this one, read the American Alpine Club Moutaineering Accidents instead.