A SON, A MOUNTAIN, A LEGACY

Whittaker, Leif

My Old Man and the Mountain: A Memoir [Everest Legacy – Coming of Age in the Shadow of a Legend]

Seattle: Mountaineers Books, 2019. HE CLIMBED EVEREST—BUT FIRST HE HAD TO ESCAPE HIS FATHER'S SHADOW
The son of legendary American mountaineer Jim Whittaker presents a candid, humorous, and deeply personal memoir about family expectations, identity, and high-altitude ambition. Rather than another expedition narrative, this volume explores what it was like growing up in America's most famous climbing family and the challenge of forging an independent path beneath a towering legacy.

Blending adventure writing with memoir, Whittaker recounts childhood expeditions in the Olympic Mountains and on Mount Rainier, competition with his brother Joss, recovery from a serious back injury, and his eventual journey to Mount Everest. The result is both an engaging climbing narrative and an accessible coming-of-age story filled with self-deprecating humor and insight into one of mountaineering's most recognizable families.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Publisher's illustrated softcover wraps. 9 inches tall. 284 pages. Illustrated throughout with color photographs.

CONDITION: Bindings are tight and secure. Text is clean; light, even age-toning. No flaws or blemishes noted. Appears unread. Gift quality. Paperback edition.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE —
Originally published in 2016 and later issued in paperback by Mountaineers Books, this memoir captures a generational perspective on American mountaineering. The narrative reflects both the enduring influence of Jim Whittaker's historic 1963 Everest ascent and the evolution of modern climbing culture. The work was recognized as a finalist for the Washington State Book Awards and the Banff Mountain Book Festival and received a Nautilus Book Award Silver Medal.

SUBJECTS: Mount Everest; Jim Whittaker; American Mountaineering; Climbing Memoirs; Outdoor Adventure; Pacific Northwest; Family Legacy; Expedition Literature; Everest Expeditions; Mountain Climbing, Mountaineering Memoir; Adventure Travel; Outdoor Literature; Biography.

Item #22126
ISBN: 9781680510690

Price: $14.00