On 29 May 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first ever to set foot on the highest point on earth: the summit of Everest. It was a magical moment, news of which flashed round the globe. Since then many men and women have striven to reach the top of this awesome mountain, which can be at once beautiful and mystical, unpredictable and highly dangerous, never straightforward and always incredibly tough. In this timely and remarkable book, published to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the original ascent, mountaineers from all round the world tell what motivated them to make their own summit bids.They highlight how it felt to reach the top of Everest and the impact it made on them, ranging from practical comments to personal spiritual reflections, to philosophical statements on the future of our planet, including thought-provoking contributions from climbers such as:Chris Bonington Alan Hinkes Eric Simonson Michael Groom Reinhold Messner Jamling Tenzing Norgay Bear Grylls Greg Mortimer Junko Tabei Peter Hillary Doug Scott Stepohen VenablesNot only is this a fascinating and insightful collection to mark half a century of the highest adventure, it is also an inspiration to any one of us when we contemplate heroic achievements of our own - whatever they may be.