Mountaineers Books
“I must stress that this book is a fascinating read,” wrote Noel Dawson in his review of Sherpa: The Memoir of Ang Tharkay, which appeared recently in an issue of the UK’s Climber magazine. “It tells a very important story that could so easily have been lost.”
Part of Mountaineers Books’ mission is to keep significant mountaineering histories in print. That's why Mountaineers Books, in its Legends and Lore series, published this historic autobiography earlier this year. Sherpa, which was originally published in France in 1954, had never before been available in English. We're proud to have received a review like this validating our mission to impact our mountain community - even across the Atlantic.
Born in 1908, Ang Tharkay worked for great twentieth-century explorers including H.W. Tilman and Eric Shipton. He was the Sirdar (head Sherpa) on Maurice Herzog’s famous 1950 ascent of Annapurna. Tharkay’s autobiography—as told to a Western writer—gives the earliest account of how a Sherpa perceived his Western employers, as well as his view of the seminal expeditions he took part in on Everest, Nanga Parbat, and Annapurna, among others.
“Ang Tharkay was a remarkable gentleman,” wrote Dawson in his Climber review. “He was a humble man who only wanted the best for the many western explorers he helped. It is perhaps the greatest tribute to Ang Tharkay that some of the most admired climbers of their generation held him in the highest regard as a great leader of men and loyal friend."
We're happy to say Sherpa is available now. Get your copy today.
