5 comments about Nanda Devi: The Tragic Expedition.

1. Wow. My first reaction on reading this book was amazement as to how dysfunctional this team was due to the fractured leadership style. The inability of the strongest climbers to agree on strategy and work loads contributed to the team's overall slowness on the climb. Yet they still managed to put people on top of the mountain. Other climbing expedition books often make allusions to similar types of disagreements on strategy and plan but this one really lays it all out in front of you.

   My second reaction was that there are surely two or more sides to any story -- this version of the climb was surely colored by Roskelley's own self-acknowledged aggressive personality and his bias/perceptions of what his team members were thinking at each step of the way. The second afterword from Roskelley describes a bit more of other team members' own reactions.

   The story was compelling but I left one star off the review because the writing style was somewhat wooden. Plus, I wanted to hear more about the climb from someone other than Roskelley to get a different perspective.




2. Between the fragmented leadership, conflicting agenda's of the climbers and general lack of cooperation between various members of the expedition it's a small wonder that more people weren't seriously injured or killed. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. The suspense that John Roskelly creates is fantastic. With so many possible things that could go wrong...



3. I have read a number of mountain climbing books over the past few months, and this was the least enjoyable of the bunch. The problem is both the subject matter and the writing style. The expedition itself seemed like a mess--two leaders, one of whom lost interest half-way through and left the country, the other of whom didn't seem to notice or care that his lovely college-age (I think) daughter was dangerously ill. A team that had widely different ideas about what the goals of the expedition were and who never overcame those differences in philosophy and skill-level. And a climb scheduled at the wrong time of the year to accomodate the teaching schedule of the leader who left half-way through. It's surprising that Roskelley and two other members got to the top of the mountain, but by the time they did, I couldn't even take any joy in their accomplishment.
   
   The other problem, and perhaps the more serious as far as the worth of this as a book, is that it is Roskelley's first book and it shows. It is apparent much of the time that his narration is barely edited diary entries. The narrative doesn't have the flow and the perspective that fully-fleshed-out story-telling requires. Many of his sentences are short and wooden; for example: "The weather was bad." There is little attempt to make the technical aspects of the climb comprehensible to non-climbers.
   
   All in all, the book left me feeling depressed. Many mountain-climbing books have a tragic tale to tell, of human error and over-powering difficulties, and yet something of the human spirit, of the struggle to overcome, shine through. But perhaps as a result of the personality of John Roskelley, this story just seemed pitiful and sad.



4. John Roskelley's "Nanda Devi: The Tragic Expedition" is a brutally honest narrative of the 1976 American-Indian climb of 25,000 foot Nanda Devi in Northwest India. The expedition never came together as a cohesive group, leading to endless arguments en route to and on the mountain, and perhaps contributing to the death of Nanda Devi Unsoeld, daughter of expedition co-leader Willi Unsoeld and named for the mountain itself.
   
   Roskelley's description of the effort to bring a team together, gather the necessary equipment, and move it to Base Camp in India contains the early signs of trouble. The expedition co-leaders seemed unwilling to assert themselves. Perhaps worse, the expedition members did not share a common climbing philosophy. Team "A", of which Roskelley was a founding member, was focused on summitting the mountain. Team "B" seems to have entertained the notion that the trip was the adventure, with reaching the summit a seemingly secondary objective. Whatever the merits of the respective approaches, they were incompatible in the same expedition and left Team B less mentally prepared for the horrendous challenges of the actual climb.
   
   Roskelley's description of the approach march into the remote valley at the base of Nanda Devi is fascinating. The actual climb makes for exciting reading; the expedition worked under marginal weather conditions on an untried and extremely dangerous route up the Northwest Ridge of Nanda Devi. Team A repeatedly pushes the pace, alternately bullying and shaming Team B to participate in placing camps higher on the mountain. Several climbers suffer from illness and crises of confidence. One sick climber is evacuated; another quits. In retrospect, Team B's misgivings about the route were well-taken; Roskelley describes a series of hair-raising pitches over difficult rock in poor weather and under constant threat of avalanche. Only some superb mountaineering overcomes the challenges and places three men on top. A second summit team which included Devi Unsoeld moved to the top camp but turned back when Devi sickened and died at the 24,000 foot level.
   
   Roskelley's candid commentary appears to have been adapted from his diary entries and letters; the story is told day by day, without undue foreshadowing of the outcome.
   
   Leadership challenges should not have been unexpected given the fierce will, competitiveness and self-confidence required to climb at high altitude. The failure to pick a more balanced team might have been the first failure of leadership. The reluctance by the expedition leaders to impose organization led to a second major failure: rolling chaos in the creation and supply of the various camps and in constant bickering over assignments. In retrospect, the lack of leadership created a third failure: a situation in which an unwell and unacclimatized Devi Unsoeld was allowed to proceed on a summit attempt against the expressed better judgement of the expedition doctor and several more experienced climbers.
   
   Roskelley's multiple epilogues underline the hard feelings that followed the expedition. Death at altitude is a common hazard of the sport; unnecessary death made all the bickering less forgiveable. Although not within the scope of this book, an account by a member of Team "B" would be of interest in providing "the rest of the story."
   
   This book is highly recommended to those interested in high altitude mountaineering and to those interested in some lessons in leadership.



5. As an avid reader of mountain books, this is one of the better ones. The story of the ascent of Nanda Devi and the unfolding tragedy is a compelling one. That being said, I have read other accounts of this expedition, and of other expeditions that included John Roskelly, and it is obvious that the author has very much climbing skill and very little emotional intelligence. This version is self-serving, and it is doubtful that it represents anything other than his perspective. One thing that is glaringly obvious- Roskelly's complete lack of respect for the Unsoeld family and their values, his distain for women (except the kind he can control), and his lack of interest in anything other than the summit.Who knows what effect this had on the expedition's outcome? I sincerely hope he has grown up by now.

No comments about India North Nelles Map (Nelles Maps).

No comments about Travel Through: India.

1 comments about Caravans of the Himalaya.

1. If you love Nepal, Tibet and it's beautifull people, you'll love this book. The stunning pictures tell a great story. About the people in the Dolpho region. They trade salt against food. But to do so, they have to travel hard miles trough a stunning but barren country, with incredible moutains, lakes and of course a caravan of yaks. The author lived with these people and you'll see in his picture the love he has for this region. He knows how to tell a story and how to make the picture to encounter the beauty of it.

   The movie CARAVAN tells the same story but then the pictures move (haha) As you can read I'm not used to write in English, but my message is this one ... buy it and go see the picture, you won't be disapointed !

5 comments about To the Elephant Graveyard.

1. As you can tell from my moniker, I am a lover of elephants. So it was with some trepidation that I bought this book (against my wife's advice) to read about a modern version of George Orwell's short story "Shooting an Elephant." Here, it seems that a rogue elephant has gone berserk in India and is killing a number of Indians for no apparent reason.

   The narrator, an AP reporter, catches up with the hunter who has been retained by the local government to kill the elephant. The hunter, Mr. Chowdhury, is, strangely, a lover of animals, especially elephants. There is some nice discussion of why he nevertheless takes tasks like this one.

   The book takes Hall (the narrator), Chowdhury, and others (mostly elephant riders) on a hunt for the rogue throughout northeastern India. They have a number of interludes, some of which are funny, others tragic, until the final confrontation. Along the way, we learn a bit about why the elephant was going berserk.

   Hall has a nice, unobtrusive writing style. It's not flashy, and he knows enough to let the narrative momentum carry the book, although he throws in occasional travel- or history-related discussions of the local Indian culture. For example, he recounts the myth of why the Indian god Ganesh has the head of an elephant. (The gods had to replace his head after an accident, and an elephant was the first creature they saw.)

   I was afraid that I would find this book incredibly sad and painful (see Barbara Gowdy's "The White Bone"), but instead, it was very saistfying. It's still sad about the rogue elephant, but maybe because it's not as senseless as poaching, the story, while sad, is understandable.




2. A horrifing serial killer is loose in the north Indian state of Assam. He has claimed 38 victims. Horrible murders, all have literally been beat into pulp. Additionally,some are impaled-some receive a final crushed head. The killer is most cunning. He lays ambushes, he is even capable of tracking a victim to his home,destroying the house to make his kill. For some he will bury his evidence,others are left to rot so others will see what may await them. The populace is powerless to stop the killer and demand relief. The government decides that these killings will end. There will be no need for a trial. An execution contract is put out for bid. Who steps forward but India's greatest elephant hunter- Dinesh Choudhury. Elephant hunter? Yes, that's right, our serial killer is a terribly cunning and dangerous rogue elephant! Choudhury assembles a seasoned team including a war decorated Gurkha tracker and elephant professionals-mahouts- with their own trained elephants. While Choudhury has accepted the execution contract,he is not sure he will complete the killing. He wonders why the rogue is bent on this road of human destruction? Is it possible to reform the rogue..to separate him into the wild? If not, will he have the strength to finish the rogue before the elephant can kill him?Choudhury endeavors to learn the elephant's story and move toward a final decision all the while closing in on the killer. You see not only is Choudhury India's greatest elephant hunter but he also deeply loves and respects them all. To this strange crime story comes a British journalist-Tarquin Hall- our author. Indeed a strange tale,but true none the less. As the mystery unfolds,Hall fills in the atmosphere of the crime scene. He tells of Northern India, it's people,sights,history..just like a good traveloge. He also tells us much about elephants and what they mean to north Indians,so there's a little zoology. There it is.... a zoological traveloge murder mystery hunting book. I can't say I've ever read such an odd mix of ideas. But it all melds well and in the end it's a surprisingly pleasant read.



3. It is a great travel book that, as one review says, 'wonderfully hits on all cylinders'; and I, being from the sate of Assam, can vouch for that. Mr Hall ventured into Assam, the remote North-East corner of India, and accompanied Mr Chaudhury, the Assamese Elephant Hunter in his wild journey across the roads and paddy fields of Assam. In the process, Mr. Hall not only gave a gripping portrayal of his close encounter with elephant hunting in Assam, a state famous for elephants from ancient days, but he also described about Assamese life and culture. He narrates his meeting with Mr Gaela, the greatest elephant catcher (bor-phendi) of Assam, in whose house he ate authentic Assamese dish, 'patot-diya-mas'(fish cooked in banana leaf). He also described his brief encounter with the some ULFA insurgents of Assam in its reality. Mr Hall did not forget to capture the scinic beauty of Assam. I liked his following narative which seem to capture Assam in its totality:
   "Despite the staggering beauty and rich folklore, India's North-East is a part of the world avoided by even the most intrepid backpackers. As such there was little in my guidebook about Assam: it has been off-limits to tourists for many years. However it did say thay that the word Assam is derived from the Sanskrit word 'asama' meaning 'peerless'. or 'unequalled'. It was so named by the Thai or Shan invaders called the Ahoms who conquered the valley in the thirteenth century and loved it so much that they never left. I was beginning to appreciate why. Whenever I looked, the landscape was lush and green. Rickety wooden bridges spanned streams and brooks whose surfaces were covered with sweet smelling water lilly blossoms. Peepul trees, their branches straining under flocks of white birds that suddenly lifted intothe air at the sound of our approach, lined the road. In the distance, hills bristling with jungle rose up above the fields, mist crawling across the foliage and pouring down into the valley like amoke brimming off a witch's cauldron,"
   
   Mr Hall is also keen to catch a lively conversation with Rudra, the betel nut chewing driver as noted in the following excerpt:
   "Rudra, the driver of the Hindusthan Ambassador, had been chewing paan all night. He kept his stash in a stainless steel dabha, an Indian lunch box, in his glove compartment and periodically would ask me to take it out and open it for him. Keeping an eye on the road, he would first extract a lump of lime paste with index finger and smear it into the space between his teeeth and his bottom lip. He would then pop one or two choice chunksof betel nut into his mouth. Finally, uttering a satisfied grunt, he would start to chew.....By Indian stadrds, Rudra was a good driver - that is to say, we only came close to death once during more than six hours on the road....
   By now, I was in no mood for conversation. All I wanted to do was sleep. I tried conveying this to Rudra, but even when I closed my eyes and pretended to snore, he kept up his one sided, tedius conversation. His main interest in life, apart from betel nut and playing chicken with oncoming heavt vehicles, was the vital statistics of Bombay's Hindi film actresses. The latest goddess to grace the Indian screen, Karishma Kapoor, had won a special place in his heart - and, no doubt in his fantacies.
   "She is the most beautiful pearl of our continent!" he boasted, pushing the Ambassador into fourth gear around a tight bend.
   He slapped me hard on the thigh and guffawed, grunting and breathing through his nose and mouth simultaneously, a feat that would have been remarkable had it not been so revolting.
   "You should see her dance! Her legs go all the way up! And for her breasts - they are big! As big as mangoes!"
   I reccommend this book to anyone who wants to know about Assam or wants to travel to Assam.
   
   Rajen Barua, Houston, Texas



4. This is the kind of book I usually love, where a writer brings you into intimate contact with another human culture, and at the same time acquaints you with the behavior of a fascinating animal.
   
   However, like other reviewers here, I found the prose clunky, shallow, and rather egotistical and condescending. Maybe that's due to the youth of the author.
   
   There are occasional bright spots, where Hall weaves in information about Asian elephants, and historical and cultural information about the Assam region of India.



5. Let me say first of all that I'm really fond of elephants, India and travel writing, separately or together, and quite frankly this book is an affront to all three. It's one of the worst books I've read recently, both for style as well as content.
   
   Mr. Hall's narrative suffers from "Dr. Watson Syndrome." No matter how trivial or well-known a piece of information is ("Yes, elephants can swim"), he responds with the stunned equivalent of "Holmes, you astound me!" Upon catching sight of the rogue elephant and seeing a broken chain still on one of its legs, he is absolutely stumped for any explanation at all until his companion tells him the animal obviously used to be captive. ("Holmes...!)
   
   On the other hand, he swallows whole the most blatant bunk: "I can turn myself into a tiger (for 800 rupees)!" "Sure, there's an elephant graveyard! I'll take you there right now!" "Yes, I saw the elephant run away from my house carrying a whole case of my Scotch!" In one passage, Mr. Hall reports that the footprint of the rogue elephant, measured right in front of him, is over four feet in diameter! That would make the poor animal about the size of a Seismosaurus! (Perhaps he misunderstood his informant, who might have been referring to length of stride.) I got the distinct impression, though, that many of his companions on this journey were having some fun with him at his expense, as when a mahout encouraged him to come climb aboard a kneeling trained elephant. During the process, the elephant mysteriously stands up, leaving the author dangling from its side with both hands painfully snarled in the rope harness. I suspect the mahout -and possibly the elephant - worked that one out beforehand. And I don't blame them.
   
   I say that because Mr. Hall's "gee whiz" style is not the only problem here. For the most part, he shows contempt for most of the Indians he meets. "Plump Punjabi aunties with flabby midriffs bulging from their polyester saris gobbled down ...chicken as their undisciplined children chased each other..." They're filthy, their food is disgusting. One of them, born with the wrong number of toes on one foot, is "hideously deformed." And one of the most egregious passages in the book: "I guessed that he was a Marawari, a term used to describe businessmen...who are said to own half of India. ...Indians despise them as a class for their ...materialism and legendary stinginess. They are...the Jews of India."
   
   I did enjoy some examples of his prose style because they were unintentionally comical: "An old mahout...was preparing an herbal mixture for the wounded elephant in the pot over the fire." How do you suppose they got the elephant into that little pot?
   
   In short, if you love elephants and books about elephants, please do not choose this one. Mr. Hall's motivation may have been of the very best (his Author's Note, on the last two pages, is the only worthwhile part of the book), but it's poorly written and fairly offensive, plus it insults your intelligence. There are many beautifully written, informative books, such as "When Elephants Weep," by Masson and McCarthy, and "Elephant Memories" by Cynthia Moss. Please enjoy them!

No comments about A European Experience of the Mughal Orient: The Ijaz-I Arsalani (Persian Letters, 1773-1779) of Antoine-Louis Henri Polier (Oxford India Paperbacks).

3 comments about Lonely Planet India & Bangladesh Travel Atlas.

1. The maps are better than what most Indians have ever seen in their lives, which is exactly why travellers don't need it. If you are taking public transport around the country, you get plenty of information about how to go where from LP India or from information at train stations, bus stations and other travellers. It simply isn't worth the excess weight (in a rucksack). If on the other hand you are cycling or have your own motorized vehicle, this would be irreplacable (so be careful who you show it to).



2. While working on an on-going university research project I have spent five years driving the back roads of India. This book has saved my sanity as well as my tires and axles. It is by far and away the most helpful road atlas available.



3. If you know where you want to go then I would agree with the above reviewer- a guidebook will tell you about nearby sites and how to get there and for that you can get by without an atlas. But for those who want to explore a particular region- how else are you going to plot an itinerary? This atlas is fully indexed by place, and also by beaches, capes & headlands, caves, forts, islands, mountians & passes, rivers, lakes, & bays, ruins and temples. And no matter how good a guidebook- only an atlas like this will assure you that you haven't missed anything of interest whereever you happen to be.
   
   Map Scale is 4cm = 50K (1.5" = 31 miles)
   
   For security reasons (I'm told) quality maps are not easy to find in India- and rarely for sale.

3 comments about Arrian: Anabasis of Alexander, Books 5-7. Indica. (Loeb Classical Library No. 269).

1. Arrian's Books, in two volumes, are perhaps the most informative and accurate existing account of the expeditions of Alexander the Great. The accounts are historical and also give insight into the personality of Alexander. Contrary to most histories, the texts are an easy read, with descriptions of places, people, and events giving the reader a good sense of the adventures encountered by Alexander and his men. The tale is told directly. Alexander's sexuality, the love of his troops for their leader, and all the other human qualities intermingled in a real life situation are presented without bias.
   The text is in greek and english, in flanking pages. The footnotes are helpful, providing clarity to definitions of words in their historical context. The second volume contains various Appendixes providing added information on Military Questions, India, Mearchus' Voyage (Alexander's Sea Captain), etc.
   For one wising to learn of Alexander, this is the best source available.



2. This book is one of two volumes written by Arrian on Alexander the Great. So many books have been written about this fascinating and charigmatic young man.Although most of the documents from Alexander's lifetime have vanished,this one is the closest that we can get to him.
   
   In my own opinion I think that the documents that vanished may have been in the Alexandria library,or possibly were the body or remains of Alexander are.
   
   What I liked the most in this book is the fact that the name of the cities and places that Alexander conquered are also named with today's actual names,making it easy for us lovers of history to relate to today's geography.
   
   The Theban battle is very well written with so many details, not only the amount of horses,companions,hypastis and so on but the way that Alexander he himself planned.How Alexander took care of the innocent people,and how he cared for them,example the battle of Agis. What he did to the citizens of Soli, giving their land and money back.Details of Darius' mother,wife and children.
   For instance I did not know that Dairus married his own sister.
   there is so much in this book that it is really worth having if you are a true historian buff of Alexander's time.
   
   The details of the army that conquered which tribe and city.How many horses, carriages, elephants, companions were used for each battle.
   
   The treason fo Philotas and the killing of Parmenio,are also detailed here.The revolt of Agis,India and the Persian Empire, plus detailes of Alexander's army.
   
   I enjoyed reading it very very much.I hope that you will do the same.



3. This is an excellent translation. The book contains a number of appendices which are superb analyses of different issues dealing with Alexander's history.
   As a professional historian I can recommend the book without hesitation.
   
   MJ Olbrycht

2 comments about Seduced By the Beauty of the World: Travels In India.

1. This magical book of beguiling photos and writing seduced me with the beauty of the world its authors captured. These aren't just colorful shots of India, but shots and text so vivid that I felt as if I were partaking in this "masti," the Indian philosophy which Bloch describes at one point as not so much seizing the day as letting the day seize you. I've been to India, but with Bloch and Bijleveld as guides, I felt I could move beyond the "rich surfaces" of the place, as Bloch aptly calls them, to the treasure beneath. The very first picture takes us inside: we're looking through two doors, the first giving onto a courtyard where someone minds a child, the second into a room beyond where a squatting couple polish gem,stones in their primitive shop. Whether the pictures are of tea pickers at lunch, their babies in baskets by their sides, or a naked holy man or a stonecutter using the heels of his powdery feet to steady his saw, there's masti in every one. Bijleveld's colors, the warmth of his eye, the brazen light suffuse each scene with human feeling and fellowship, of the viewer and the viewed. Masti is in Bloch's stories of encounters with barbers and fishermen, hijra and Sufis. It's in his descriptions of a man's "driftwood" face, a sari enveloping a woman like "a pod," the "soothing growl" of the yoga master, the dance of old women who "brace their feet against their partner's, clasp each other's wrinkled hands, and lean back and start spinning, their gaunt arms fully extended." This isn't just a great holiday gift, it's a joyous holiday in itself.



2. BEAUTIFUL BOOK AND IN GOOD CONDITION. THANK YOU.

2 comments about Delhi, Agra & Jaipur (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

1. As I first-time traveler to India, I spent much time searching for a travel guide that would offer the perfect combination of history and culture, while providing insightful advice. The Eyewitness Guide provided both excellent and detailed information, while offering regional and cultural snapshots of the "Golden Triangle." This piece proved extremely helpful and insightful to a first-time traveler.



2. It is not as detailed as Frommer's but I like the color photographs and just the highlights it points out. I was in a group so I didn't need the complete detail other books gave. I really like all Eyewitness Travel Guides...I always look for their books first!