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Weisse Spinne
the story of the north face of the Eiger
First published 1960 · 364 pages
A harrowing, frostbitten chronicle of human ambition pitted against an unforgiving vertical world.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like clinging to a sheer, icy rock face while a storm brews on the horizon. It is a masterclass in mounting dread and awe, chronicling the fatal obsession and ultimate triumphs on one of the world's most dangerous mountains. The prose is straightforward and authoritative, stripping away melodrama to let the sheer, terrifying reality of the climbs speak for themselves. You will feel the biting cold, the claustrophobia of the bivouacs, and the agonizing tension of every misplaced piton. It is a propulsive, deeply respectful narrative that delights readers who seek out true stories of extreme human endurance, offering a visceral journey into the sublime and unforgiving heart of the Alps.
- Mood
- chilling
- dread-soaked
- awe-inspiring
- claustrophobic
- Tone
- authoritative
- reverent
- tense
- somber
- earnest
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- man versus nature · limits of human endurance · fatal obsession · camaraderie in extremis · the sublime terror of the mountains
- The writing
- Clear, unadorned, and journalistic, relying on the sheer extremity of the facts to generate breathtaking suspense.
- The arc
- Moves from a sense of looming historical dread into white-knuckle, life-or-death tension, finally settling into a profound, exhausted awe.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave gripping, true-life accounts of extreme survival, mountaineering history, and the unforgiving majesty of the natural world.
Content notes
- fatal accidents
- severe frostbite
- death by exposure
- starvation
- psychological distress
About the book
This ed. first published in paperback: London: Paladin, 1989. Originally published: London: Hart-Davis MacGibbon, 1976. - Previous ed.: London: Hart-Davis, 1959.
Translation of: Die Weisse Spinne.
Description from Open Library.
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