Norton of Everest - The biography of EF Norton soldier and mountaineer

Hugh Norton

Synopsis

Major Norton gave the order to fire two or three times. Their advanced machine gunners could be seen rushing forward and establishing themselves in commanding posts. Almost at once the ridge we were occupying was swept by machine gun fire.
E.F. Norton lived a life of distinction in the declining years of the British Empire. Born into an accomplished, well-travelled family, he followed his heart and enlisted for a professional career as a soldier. A distinguished military career followed, punctuated with indulgences in his passion for exploration and mountaineering. The British Empire was starting to crumble, and Norton would be called upon more than once to rise to a variety of challenges.
Norton's gift for leadership was first demonstrated via his rapid progression through the ranks in the First World War, which paved the way for future leadership appointments, having earned the confidence and respect of those under his command. Events in the Second World War followed suit, when Norton was abruptly assigned the post of acting governor of Hong Kong, entrusted to save the civilian population from imminent Japanese invasion.
The 1924 Everest expedition also exemplifies the pattern of having had leadership thrust upon him - in this case when General Charles Bruce was struck down by malaria on the approach march. Leading from the front, Norton set an altitude record for climbing on Everest without supplementary oxygen - a record only bettered in 1978 when Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler made the first ascent of Everest without oxygen. Yet tragedy would follow Norton's achievement, when George Mallory and Andrew Irvine disappeared high on the mountain.
In Norton of Everest, Hugh Norton has written sensitively and knowledgably about his father's remarkable life as mountaineer, soldier, naturalist, artist and family man. As on Everest, the real story is not only the death of the gallant, but also the heroics of the quiet survivors like E.F. Norton.

Disponible depuis: 11/05/2017.

Longueur d'impression: 300 pages.

D'autres livres qui pourraient vous intéresser

The Sacred Acre - The Ed Thomas...

Mark Tabb

When tragedy devastated a small town, an unlikely source of inspiration pieced the community back together in this dramatic true story.
On a Sunday in May 2008, an F5 tornado hit the town of Parkersburg, Iowa, killing eight people and destroying 250 homes and businesses within a span of 34 seconds. The next day, Parkersburg's beloved football coach, Ed Thomas, made a stunning prediction: "God willing, we will play our first home game here on this field this season."
One hundred days later, the home team scored a victory on the field they dubbed the Sacred Acre, serving as a galvanizing point for the town to band together and rebuild. But just as Parkersburg was recovering, another disaster struck.
While working with a group of football and volleyball players early one morning, one of Thomas's former students walked in and gunned him down at point-blank range. Thomas was only 58 years old. The murder of this hometown hero spread across national news headlines, and Thomas's community reeled from the shock. But his story doesn't end there.
As you discover more about this incredible town, you'll learn:That grief is no match for loveThe life-changing power of faith and forgivenessWhat it truly means to lean on your communityHow to use your God-given gifts for good
Praise for The Sacred Acre:
"Ed Thomas was a man who lived the gospel, loved his family, and believed in doing things the right way. He taught his players that there are no shortcuts and that you will ultimately be judged, not by what you did, but on how you did it. His heart, his faith, and his Christian character are evident in so many of them. I believe that reading this book will give you a better understanding of this special man and the example he left for all of us to follow."
--Tony Dungy, former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts

Voir livre

The Art of BMW - 90 Years of...

Peter Gantriis

The Art of BMW: 90 Years of Motorcycle Excellence presents stunning studio portraiture of the rolling sculpture that BMW has been creating for the past 90 years. Each bike portrait is accompanied by a concise, authoritative profile of the machine. All the classic bikes are here—pre-World War II BMWs like the R5 that defined performance in that era; the military R12 that carried the Wehrmacht as it blitzkrieged its way across Europe; the R75M that accompanied Rommel’s Panzers in North Africa; the Earles-forked R69S that offered the perfect platform for mounting a Steib sidecar; the R90S café racer; the K1 “flying brick”; and the GS (Gelände Sport) series that launched a dual-sport revolution. All the bike families are covered—the side-valve machines from the early years, the early overhead-valve performance bikes, the postwar Airheads and Oilheads, the four-cylinder and six-cylinder touring bikes, the early pushrod singles, the modern overhead-cam singles, the latest parallel twins, and inline-four cylinder sport bikes. From the first model, the R32 that launched BMW's motorcycle dynasty, to the latest (and fastest) model, the World Super Bike dominating S1000RR, this book captures nearly a century of motorcycling excellence.

Voir livre

The Olympics

Stephen Halliday

“Halliday is a pass master at assembling golden nuggets of fact . . . amusingly written . . . a fun way to brush up on your Olympic history” (Londonist).   Who reprimanded Hitler during the 1936 Olympic Games? When did the Olympic event “shin-kicking” get banned? Which Shakespearean play refers to the Olympic Games? Who was the first official cheat in 388 BC?   Find the answers to these questions and many other intriguing aspects of the Olympic Games in this absorbing collection of stories and trivia.  Amazing & Extraordinary Facts: The Olympics reveals the beguiling stories behind the well-known history of the Games. It delves into ancient origins in Greece, the predecessors to the modern Games from the seventeenth century onwards, and the little-known facts behind the Olympics in our era. Brush up on the hidden history and unusual facts of the “Greatest Show on Earth,” past and present.

Voir livre

Rising - Becoming the First...

Sharon Wood

In Rising, Wood reflects on the seventy days she spent on Everest and on the pivotal experiences and influences that brought her to that staggeringly beautiful and austere corner of the world. Beyond the physical hardships, she faced personal challenges as an outlier in the male bastion of Himalayan climbing. These were compounded by the vexing presence of her past mentor and lover with his new girlfriend on the American team climbing on the same side of the mountain. It didn't help that the media pitched the two women as rivals, both vying to become the first North American woman to reach the summit of the highest mountain in the world. Wood rose to all these challenges, finding camaraderie and inspiration among her teammates.Rising is both a gripping, adrenalin-filled mountain story and a reflective memoir that reaches beyond the summit to explore a life lived in Everest's long shadow: unexpected acclaim, outrageous expectations, and personal struggles. As Wood tells her story today, her perspective is steeped in six decades of life experience rich with adventure, change, growth, and humility. It is a tale that feels poignantly relevant—a testament to the strength of the human spirit to overcome all obstacles, whether mountain peaks, social expectations, or self-imposed barriers.

Voir livre

Saint Mick - My Journey From...

Mick Foley

From beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author and WWE Hall-of-Famer Mick Foley comes a Yuletide tale like no other. After a lifetime of putting his body on the line to entertain his dozens (and dozens!) of fans, the Hardcore Legend is paying the price—physically and emotionally. When the final bell on Mick's career tolls, not in the ring, but in a neurologist's office, his future seems far from merry and bright. Until Mick is given the chance to become Santa Claus—not dress up, not pretend, but become Santa—allowing him to rediscover the joy of performing. 
Fully committing to his new mission, Mick details the drastic measures he takes to keep the Christmas magic alive for his young children, as well as the many children he meets in his travels who are in need of some Christmas Spirit. In order to fully embrace his new red-suited responsibilities, Mick enters the fascinating world of the Santa subculture, where he hones his Christmas craft while worrying he'll be excommunicated from the Santa world for, among other things, his Santa character being run over by a motor vehicle on Christmas Eve on WWE television. But with the help of an unlikely elf—eight-time Grammy Award winner Norah Jones—Mick learns valuable lessons about the real power and responsibility of wearing the red suit.

Voir livre

A Jerk on One End - Reflections...

Robert Hughes

For Robert Hughes fishing was a lifelong obsession and the pastime that he loved best. In A Jerk on One End he brings the wit and insight that have characterized his art criticism to the subjects of fish and fishing. He traces his love of fishing to his boyhood on Sydney Harbour and recounts the high and low points of his career with rod and reel, from his first catch to hair-raising tales of shark hunts he has picked up from other fishermen. Mixing memoir and history with folklore and anecdote, this audiobook is a celebration of the delights and beauties of fishing as well as a powerful and reasoned plea for the protection of the ecology of the ocean.

Voir livre