Books › Paths of Glory
Paths of Glory
First published 2009 · 503 pages
A sweeping historical journey into the heart of human ambition and the enduring mysteries of unproven triumphs.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like standing at the base of a massive, insurmountable peak, driven by the sheer force of human ambition. It is a steady, atmospheric journey through history, blending the reverence of biographical fiction with the suspense of an unsolved mystery. The narrative wraps you in a mood of relentless determination and lingering doubt, exploring what it means to chase a dream so grand that it defies proof. The prose is dramatic and accessible, carrying the reader through the emotional weight of family ties, the harsh realities of a soldier's life, and the haunting finality of death. It is a perfect match for readers captivated by historical legends, the pursuit of greatness, and the tantalizing question of who truly belongs in the history books.
- Mood
- adventurous
- suspenseful
- haunting
- ambitious
- Tone
- reverent
- dramatic
- questioning
- earnest
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- the pursuit of greatness · historical legacy · the cost of ambition · unproven triumphs · mortality and memory
- The writing
- Accessible and dramatic, focusing on the sweeping scale of history and the intimate drive of the individual.
- The arc
- Moves from the soaring heights of grand ambition to a lingering, haunting question of legacy and truth.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love historical mysteries and biographical fiction centered on exploration, ambition, and the limits of human endurance.
Content notes
- death
- war and soldiers
- grief
About the book
Some people have dreams that are so outrageous that if they were to achieve them, their place in history would be guaranteed. Francis Drake, Robert Scott, Percy Fawcett, Charles Lindbergh, Amy Johnson, Edmund Hillary and Neil Armstrong are among such individuals.
But what if one man had such a dream, and when he'd achieved it, there was no proof that he had fulfilled his ambition?
Paths of Glory is the story of such a man. But not until you've turned the last page of this extraordinary novel, will you be able to decide if George Mallory should be added to this list of legends, because if he were, another name would have to be removed.
Description from Open Library.
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