Everest is the world's highest mountain, towering like an icy giant over the Himalayas. For the millions of people living nearby, it has always been a magical place, known as "Goddess Mother of the World" or the "Peak of Heaven". To explorers and adventurers, it represents a perilous but thrilling challenge to be conquered.In this exhilarating account by award-winning author David Long, he looks back at the first attempts by international mountaineers to reach the fabled summit, many of which ended in death and disaster.

David Long is a journalist and author of non-fiction for both adults and children. A writer since leaving university, his work has appeared in the Sunday Times and London's Evening Standard. His engaging non-fiction reflects his unquenchable thirst for fascinating stories from the past, and in 2017 his book Survivors won the Blue Peter Award for the best book with facts.