How have I missed this 2001 Boardman-Tasker prize winner? By Roger Hubank, the author of NORTH FACE, this historical novel of the Golden Age of Lake District rock climbing is a gem. Many of the scenes are set in Wasdale head out on the Gable, Napes Needle, and Scafell. Many of the luminaries - Collie, OG Jones, and the Abraham Brothers - are here. This is a coming of age story set in an England consumed by the Boer War, conformity to Edwardian mores, the increasing industrialization of the country, and the fore-shadowing of the loss of the Empire. Brilliantly written and with a scope that places it well beyond the average climbing novel, if indeed there is such a thing!
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