An outrageously funny spoof about the ascent of a 40,000-and-a-half-foot peak, The Ascent of Rum Doodle has been a cult favourite since its publication in 1956. Led by the reliably under-insightful Binder, a team of seven British men including Dr Prone (constantly ill); Jungle the route finder (constantly lost), Constant the diplomat (constantly arguing) and 3,000 Yogistani porters, set out to conquer the highest peak in the Himalayas.
First published in 1956, The Ascent of Rum Doodle quickly became a mountaineering classic. As an outrageously funny spoof about the ascent of a peak in the Himalayas, many thought it was inspired by the 1953 conquest of Everest. But Bowman had drawn on the flavour and tone of earlier adventures, of Bill Tilman and his 1937 account of the Nandi Devi expedition. The book’s central and unforgettable character, Binder, is one of the finest creations in comic literature.
Recenzijos
I just love this book. Everything about it is nearly perfect... hugely enjoyable and brilliantly sustained. * From the introduction by Bill Bryson * An amazing book about mountain climbing from 1956. Laugh-out-loud literature -- Tim Key * Guardian * This wonderfully funny parody of adventure stories was first written in the 1950s but is just as fresh today with a truly brilliant comic narrator whose commentary on the expedition members is unintentionally hilarious. Buy it * Sunday Mirror * Wonderful. Rum Doodle does for mountaineering what Three Men in a Boat did for Thames-going or Catch-22 did for the Second World War. It is simply an account of the leader of an expedition up Rum Doodle, a 40,000 and a half foot peak in the Himalayas, in the same way that Scoop is simply a tale about newsgathering in Africa. The tone is nearer to Pooter than anyone else I can think of, but the flavour is all W.E. Bowman's own * Sunday Times * This gentle, deadly parody of the tight-arsed old school of British exploration narratives is seemingly a cult book among mountaineers, but it has been virtually unknown to the reading public since its first publication in 1956 * Guardian * A veritable feast... incredibly enjoyable... a marvellous romp * Geographical Magazine * A hilarious spoof and perfect parody of Britishness...it shames what now claims to be comedy * The Times *
Daugiau informacijos
'A hilarious spoof and perfect parody of Britishness...it shames what now claims to be comedy' The Times
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vii | |
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| Foreword |
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xix | |
| Introduction |
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xx | |
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1 | (3) |
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4 | (8) |
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12 | (19) |
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31 | (16) |
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47 | (10) |
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6 North Wall: the First Assault |
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57 | (11) |
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7 The North Wall Conquered |
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68 | (12) |
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8 Advanced Base to Camp 2 |
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80 | (19) |
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99 | (11) |
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110 | (13) |
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123 | (11) |
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134 | (15) |
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149 | (8) |
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14 Return of the Summit Party |
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157 | (10) |
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15 Farewell to Rum Doodle |
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167 | |
W E Bowman (Author) W. E. Bowman (1912-1985) was a civil engineer who spent his free time hill-walking, painting and writing (unpublished) books on the Theory of Relativity. He was married with two children.
Bill Bryson (Introducer) Bill Bryson was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1951. His bestselling books include The Road to Little Dribbling, Notes from a Small Island, A Walk in the Woods, One Summer and The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. In a national poll, Notes from a Small Island was voted the book that best represents Britain. His acclaimed work of popular science, A Short History of Nearly Everything, won the Aventis Prize and the Descartes Prize, and is the biggest selling non-fiction book of the 21st century. The Body: A Guide for Occupants was shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize and is an international bestseller. Bill Bryson was Chancellor of Durham University 2005-2011. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society. He lives in England.
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