Reaching the top of the world in 1953 was one of the most significant achievements in the history of human endurance. The British expedition that would eventually put Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgay atop Mount Everest was also packed with political repercussions, intrigue, jealousies, and pitfalls of every human sort.

Everest 1953 is the story of the climb, but also of the drama surrounding the expedition both before the climbers embarked and after they returned home. British author Mick Conefrey used his unprecedented access to diaries, letters, memoirs, and a variety of archival materials, as well as interviews with the surviving team members and their families, to develop this rich, more complete story. Adventure tale aficionados will find new details about the first successful Everest summit expedition that haven't been previously published in one book.