Every year our tireless Book Man, Chris Harle reads pretty much everything mountain related that he can lay his hands on. This is his run down of the best outdoor books you can find for this Christmas.
No Easy Way: The challenging life of the climbing taxman - Mick Fowler (SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR hardback £24.00)
Far removed from the high-altitude circus, a group of visionary and specialist mountaineers are seeking out eye-catching objectives in the most remote corners of the greater ranges and attempting first ascents in lightweight style. Piolet d'Or winning Mick Fowler is the master of this style and in No Easy Way recounts a series of expeditions to stunning mountains in China, India, Nepal and Tibet alongside Paul Ramsden, Dave Turnbull, Andy Cave and Victor Saunders. Understated, witty and very readable, this is Fowler’s third book of climbing memoirs.
Tides: A climber’s voyage - Nick Bullock (SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR hardback £24.00)
Winner of the Mountain Literature (non-fiction) category in the Banff Mountain Book 2018. Competition judge Ian Welsted said: 'In Tides Nick Bullock carries us with him on the sought-after dream life of a pro climber, seasonally migrating from Llanberis to Chamonix, and other hotspots along the way. Young want-to-be-sponsored climbing bums beware, all is not glory on this path, for as well as the slippery sea-cliff holds, long runouts and Himalayan storms lie other perils: self-questioning, angst at ageing, failed relationships, and a search for meaning.’ Intense, literary and a worthy prize winner.
John Muir Trust Wild Nature Diary 2019 – John Beatty (ed.) (ring-bound softback £13.95)
Presented in a clear, week-to-view design with informative captions, the work of Britain's top nature and landscape photographers is showcased here in a superb collection that truly represents the atmosphere and moods of wild places. Commissioned by the John Muir Trust, this desk diary is the best of its kind and will remind and inspire all those with an interest in the natural world.
The White Cliff: Epic tales of life and death on the world’s best sea cliff - Grant Farquhar (ed.) (hardback £35.00)
The White Cliff is a collection of writings about Gogarth on Anglesey. This book has a historical narrative into which are embedded essays by many of the pioneers including Martin Boysen, Joe Brown, Pete Crew, Henry Barber, Ed Drummond, Mick Fowler, Pat Littlejohn, Ron Fawcett, John Redhead, Johnny Dawes, Paul Pritchard, Stevie Haston, Andy Pollitt, etc. Bermuda based Grant Farquhar was himself highly active on Gogarth in the 90s. Informative, interesting and visually appealing this is the No.1 coffee table book of 2018.
Adventures Around the Globe - Lonely Planet (large format paperback £9.99)
Adventures Around the Globe is a wonderful sticker book that takes young readers aged 3 – 100+ on a non-stop tour of the continents, adding fun and humour along the way. Find out fun facts, decorate sticker scenes, add colour and patterns to some iconic sights, and solve puzzles as you travel across the world. Perfect for keeping the young and not so young entertained while on the road. There is also a fold-out 3D model surprise…