Some people have dreams that are so magnificent that if they were to achieve them, their place in history would be guaranteed. Francis Drake, Robert Scott, Charles Lindbergh, Amy Johnson, Edmund Hilary, Neil Armstrong, and Lewis and Clark are among such individuals. But what if one man had such a dream, and once heвЂTMd fulfilled it, there was no proof that he had achieved his ambition? Jeffrey ArcherвЂTMs latest book, Paths of Glory , is the story of such a man---George Mallory. Mallory once told an American reporter that he wanted to climb Mt. Everest, “because itвЂTMs there.” On his third attempt in 1924, at age thirty-seven, he was last seen six hundred feet from the top. His body was found in 1999, and it still remains a mystery whether he ever reached the summit. But only after youвЂTMve turned the last page of this extraordinary novel, inspired by a true story, will you be able to decide if George MalloryвЂTMs name should be added to the list of legends, in which case another name would have to be removed. Paths of Glory is truly a triumph. From Publishers Weekly A real-life mountaineering mystery serves as the springboard for bestseller Archer's abysmal latest. The plot begins promisingly with the body of mountaineer George Mallory discovered on the slopes of Mt. Everest in 1999, possibly having been the first man to have reached the summit. But hopes of an adventurous yarn are soon dashed as the novel becomes a long flashback, offering stock vignettes of Mallory's childhood, Cambridge days and mountaineering adventures. These passages are hampered by phoned-in writing, clumsy attempts at verisimilitude and a notable lack of psychological depth. Along the way, Mallory marries, becomes a father, serves in WWI and finds himself pitted against Australian mountaineer George Finch as a potential leader of Britain's push to conquer Everest. Archer does eventually offer his opinion as to whether Mallory summited Everest, but by that point all but his most devoted fans will have fled the icy crags of this lifeless novel. (Mar.) Copyright В© Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review Praise for Jeffrey Archer: “A dynamite commercial novel … Archer brings it off with panache.” “Bestseller Archer pays homage to DumasвЂTMs The Count of Monte Cristo in this delicious updating of the adventure classic.… The authorвЂTMs firsthand knowledge of prison life and legal maneuvers help make this a thoroughly enjoyable entertainment.” “Like other Archer thrillers, the book is compulsively readable.” “A worthy successor to the still bestselling The Da Vinci Code.” “One of the top ten storytellers in the world.” Formats : AZW3, EPUB, MOBI
International bestselling author Jeffrey Archer returns with a triumphant historical novel, Paths of Glory.
Paths of Glory, is the story of such a man—George Mallory. Born in 1886, he was a brilliant student who became part of the Bloomsbury Group at Cambridge in the early twentieth century and served in the Royal Garrison Artillery during World War I. After the war, he married, had three children, and would have spent the rest of his life as a schoolteacher, but for his love of mountain climbing.
Mallory once told a reporter that he wanted to climb Mt. Everest, "because it is there." On his third try in 1924, at age thirty-seven, he was last seen four hundred feet from the top. His body was found in 1999, and it remains a mystery whether he and his climbing partner, Andrew Irvine, ever reached the summit.
In fact, not until you've turned the last page of Archer's extraordinary novel will you be able to decide if George Mallory should be added to that list of legends, while another name would have to be removed.
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.
