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.