Download or read book I ll Call You in Kathmandu written by Bernadette McDonald and published by The Mountaineers Books. This book was released on 2005 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A biography of Elizabeth Hawley, an American woman on her own in Nepal for more than four decades, celebrated as the official chronicler of Himalayan expedition climbing.
Download or read book The Saint of Kathmandu written by Sarah LeVine and published by Beacon Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "You should come with us to Lumbini, Lord Buddha's birthplace," said the Saint of Kathmandu as she swept by me after evening devotions in the nunnery. Pausing at the bottom of the stairway to her quarters, she turned and, bright black eyes locking with mine, added, "Will we meet tomorrow? The buses leave at six"-an order, not an invitation, I realized, and so, putting my life on hold, the next morning [I joined the pilgrimage]. Sarah LeVine began doing research in Africa in 1969 as a young woman and sometime Anglican newly married to an anthropologist and provisionally, at least, to a rationalist view of religion. Over the next several decades, as she continued her research in cultures as various as Muslim Nigeria, Catholic Mexico, Buddhist Nepal, Hindu India, and New Age America, she honed a keenly observant eye. During this time she also raised two children, learned and forgot many languages, wrote highly praised novels (under the pen name Louisa Dawkins), and began to understand that religious faith has little to do with doctrine or philosophical abstractions. These deftly crafted accounts plunge us into the lives of some of the people LeVine became close to on four continents. In a northern Nigerian town we find orthodox Muslims trying- and failing- to ignore the thriving spirit possession cult in their midst. In a Mexican city women struggling with their husbands'infidelity and the loss of children and take the Virgin Mary as their role model. In the face of tragedy in a Kenyan village, tensions flare between traditionalists who live in dread of ancestral wrath and witchcraft and Christians who reject such beliefs. In affluent Hong Kong a Filipina maid, enduring a long separation from her son, turns for support to a charismatic Catholic church; and in Nepal, LeVine accompanies the remarkable Saint of Kathmandu, who fled an arranged marriage and earned renown as a Buddhist nun and feminist leader, on a pilgrimage to holy places all across north India. These lives led LeVine to think of religion as inseparable from cultural complexity and constraints, and to view less critically her own lingering attachment to what she calls The Life of Christ (The Movie). As engrossing and surprising as any novel, The Saint of Kathmandu is a richly textured and unsentimental depiction of the role of religion in lives all over the world. "This is a major work, the beginning of ongoing discussions about the role and impact of religion in multiple societies around the world. It fascinates and prods and disturbs and enlightens. Best of all, the book reads like a novel without losing a scintilla of academic credibility. My best advice: whatever you were going to read next, forget it. Read this book instead." -Joan Chittister, author of Called to Question: A Spiritual Memoir "In this remarkable book Sarah LeVine brings us into religious lives and cultural worlds portrayed with an immediacy, complexity, and intimacy so very different from 'textbook religion.'With her we enter into those borderlands of real encounter where we meet people who do not share our lived world and who ask us questions as penetrating and illumining as any we might ask of them." -Diana Eck, author of A New Religious America and Encountering God "Sarah LeVine's THE SAINT OF KATHMANDU is a reader's delight. The author's fine gifts as a novelist combine here with her long experience as an ethnographer. The result is a lovely confluence of stories--each one vivid in detail, elegant in structure, beautiful in prose expression, and brimful of human understanding." -John Demos, author of The Enemy Within: Two Thousand Years of Witch-Hunting in the Western World and The Unredeemed Captive "The Saint of Kathmandu is rich, intense, utterly credible. The tales are deeply engaging, and reveal m
Download or read book Brotherhood of the Rope written by Bernadette McDonald and published by The Mountaineers Books. This book was released on 2007 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The biography of Charles Houston, M.D., famed for leading the heroic K2 expedition of 1953 and his pioneering research in high-altitude medicine. · Drawn from extensive interviews with Houston and full access to his letters and personal journals· Historic photos from Houston's Himalayan expeditions, Peace Corps leadership in India, pioneering high-altitude medicine research, and more · Foreword by Bill Moyers, introduction by Tom Hornbein
Download or read book Keeper of the Mountains written by Bernadette McDonald and published by Rocky Mountain Books Ltd. This book was released on 2012-10-15 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beginning in 1946, Elizabeth Hawley worked for Fortune magazine as a researcher. Shortly thereafter, she left both her job and the United States itself to travel the world, and thus began her lifelong attraction to the exotic and remote sovereign state of Nepal. In the years that followed, she began reporting on the political and cultural events taking place in her adopted homeland for the likes of Reuters and Time Inc., letting the world in on the strange community of mountaineers, pilgrims and politicians who were descending on Kathmandu, whether in search of adventure, enlightenment or prestige. Despite the fact that Elizabeth Hawley has never climbed a mountain or visited the hallowed grounds of Everest base camp, she has become the most important record keeper and inspirational authority figure regarding the expeditions, stories, feats, scandals and disasters in the Nepal Himalaya. Now 90 years of age, she has commanded the respect of such legendary personalities as Edmund Hillary, Reinhold Messner, Chris Bonington, Tomaž Humar and Ed Viesturs. With production under way on a film examining her life and legacy, it is likely that Hawley will continue to hold a special place in the hearts and minds of all visitors looking to experience the legend and grandeur of the world’s most celebrated mountain landscape.
Download or read book Grasping for Heaven written by Frederic V. Hartemann and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2014-01-10 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Operating in some of the most challenging and dangerous conditions on earth, mountain climbers are uniquely driven men and women. In these interviews, 15 well-known climbers and three leading historians of the sport, all native to or living in North America, recount experiences shared by only a tiny portion of humanity. They discuss all aspects of international climbing, including physical conditioning, high-summit ascension, the ethics and environmental concerns of the sport, the risks and rewards of mountaineering, and a number of their famed expeditions and first ascents.
Download or read book Freedom Climbers written by Bernadette McDonald and published by Mountaineers Books. This book was released on 2013-02-20 with total page 422 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: CLICK HERE to download the first chapter from Freedom Climbers (Provide us with a little information and we'll send your download directly to your inbox) "One of the most important mountaineering books to be written for many years." —Boardman-Tasker Prize See this book trailer for Freedom Climbers made by RMB Books, its publisher in Canada, where the cover is slightly different from the Mountaineers Books U.S. edition * Behind the Iron Curtain, Cold War mountaineers found freedom on the world's highest peaks—and paid an awful price to achieve it * Winner of the Boardman-Tasker Prize, Banff Grand Prize, and American Alpine Club Literary Award Freedom Climbers tells the story of Poland's truly remarkable mountaineers who dominated Himalayan climbing during the period between the end of World War II and the start of the new millennium. The emphasis here is on their "golden age" in the 1980s and 1990s when, despite the economic and social baggage of their struggling country, Polish climbers were the first to tackle the world's highest mountains during winter, including the first winter ascents on seven of the world's fourteen 8000-meter peaks: Everest, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri, Cho Oyu, Kanchenjunga, Annapurna, and Lhotse. Such successes, however, came at a serious cost: 80 percent of Poland's finest high-altitude climbers died on the high mountains during the same period they were pursuing these first ascents. Award-winning writer Bernadette McDonald addresses the social, political, and cultural context of this golden age, and the hardships of life under Soviet rule. Polish climbers, she argues, were so tough because their lives at home were so tough—they lost family members to World War II and its aftermath and were so much more poverty-stricken than their Western counterparts that they made much of their own climbing gear. While Freedom Climbers tells the larger story of an era, McDonald shares charismatic personal narratives such as that of Wanda Rutkiewicz, expected to be the first woman to climb all 8000-meter peaks until she disappeared on Kanchenjunga in 1992; Jerzy Kukuczka, who died in a fall while attempting the south face of Lhotse; and numerous other renowned climbers including Voytek Kurtyka, Artur Hajzer, Andrej Zawaka, and Krzysztof Wielicki. This is a fascinating window into a different world, far-removed from modernity yet connected by the strange allure of the mountain landscape, and a story of inspiring passion against all odds. This title is part of our LEGENDS AND LORE series. Click here > to learn more.
Download or read book Shook written by Jennifer Hull and published by University of New Mexico Press. This book was released on 2020-09-15 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dave Hahn, a local of Taos, New Mexico, is a legendary figure in mountaineering. Elite members of the climbing community have likened him to the Michael Jordan, Cal Ripken, or Michael Phelps of the climbing world. The 2015 expedition he would lead came just one short year after the notorious Khumbu Icefall avalanche claimed the lives of sixteen Sherpas. Dave and his team—Sherpa sirdar Chhering Dorjee, assistant guide JJ Justman, base-camp manager Mark Tucker, and the eight clients who had trained for the privilege to attempt to summit with Dave Hahn spent weeks honing the techniques that would help keep them alive through the Icefall and the Death Zone. None of this could have prepared them for the earthquake that shook Everest and all of their lives on the morning of April 25, 2015. Shook tells their story of resilience, nerve, and survival on the deadliest day on Everest.
Download or read book The Awakening written by Norman Hall and published by Varium Films. This book was released on with total page 377 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The sequel to Good Girl... Five years after she abandoned her wretched existence in search of a better life, 28-year-old Jess has three beautiful daughters and wealth she could never have imagined. She has everything she needs – except answers.When shocking new revelations threaten to destroy everything, she’s determined to seek the truth, unprepared for the dark and sinister world that awaits her.And in this, her Awakening, will she finally discover true love?… the pathway to truth is lit only for the enlightened to see.
Download or read book Forget Me Not written by Jennifer Lowe-Anker and published by The Mountaineers Books. This book was released on 2009-04-15 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1999, Lowe's husband Alex died tragically in an avalanche on the Himalayan mountains. Through letters and expedition notes from Alex, "Forget Me Not" spans continents and tells the story of three people whose lives intertwine to a degree they could never have imagined.
Download or read book BROTHERHOOD of the ROPE Volume 1 of 2 EasyRead Super Large 20pt Edition written by and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Arresting God in Kathmandu written by Samrat Upadhyay and published by HMH. This book was released on 2014-09-23 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From “a major new talent” come short stories set in modern Nepal, about arranged marriages, forbidden desires, and the universal yearning for human connection (Amitav Ghosh). Set in a city where gods are omnipresent, privacy is elusive, and family defines identity, these are stories of men and women caught between their own needs and the demands of their society and culture. Psychologically rich and astonishingly acute, with “a masterful narrative style” (Ian MacMillan), Arresting God in Kathmandu introduces a potent new voice in contemporary fiction. “Upadhyay brings to readers the flavor of Nepal and its culture in this impressive collection of nine short stories. Like Ha Jin’s Bridegroom, Upadhyay’s stories portray the lives of simple yet psychologically complex characters and reveal much about the universal human condition in us all. . . . Upadhyay’s stories leave the reader with much food for thought and will make a good choice for book discussion groups.” —Library Journal
Download or read book The Godfather of Kathmandu written by John Burdett and published by Vintage Crime/Black Lizard. This book was released on 2010-01-12 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sonchai Jitpleecheep—John Burdett’s inimitable Royal Thai Police detective with the hard-bitten demeanor and the Buddhist soul—is summoned to the most shocking and intriguing crime scene of his career. Solving the murder could mean a promotion, but Sonchai, reeling from a personal tragedy, is more interested in Tietsin, an exiled Tibetan lama based in Kathmandu who has become his guru. There are, however, obstacles in Sonchai’s path to nirvana. Police Colonel Vikorn has just named Sonchai his consigliere (he’s been studying The Godfather on DVD): to troubleshoot, babysit, defuse, procure, reconnoiter—do whatever needs to be done in Vikorn’s ongoing battle with Army General Zinna for control of Bangkok’s network of illegal enterprises. And though Tietsin is enlightened and (eerily) charismatic, he also has forty million dollars’ worth of heroin for sale. If Sonchai truly wants to be an initiate into Tietsin’s “apocalyptic Buddhism,” he has to pull off a deal that will bring Vikorn and Zinna to the same side of the table. Further complicating the challenge is Tara: a Tantric practitioner who captivates Sonchai with her remarkable otherworldly techniques. Here is Sonchai put to the extreme test—as a cop, as a Buddhist, as an impossibly earthbound man—in John Burdett’s most wildly inventive, darkly comic, and wickedly entertaining novel yet.
Download or read book A Wind Under Heaven written by Alfred John Dalrymple and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Nepal, Jim Bart is invited to speak about democracy. He attacks caste and economic deprivation, after which thousands follow him to the National Secretariat. There the changes asked for so threaten one leader that he soon orders Jim's arrest and execution. Jim heads to Everest, hoping to reach Tibet.
Download or read book Love and Death in Kathmandu written by Amy Willesee and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2014-05-27 with total page 349 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On June 1, 2001, the heir to the Nepalese throne, Crown Prince Dipendra, donned military fatigues, armed himself with automatic weapons, walked in on a quiet family gathering, and, without a word, mowed his family down before turning a gun on himself. But Dipendra did not die immediately, and while lying in a coma was declared king. He was now a living god. Award-winning journalists Amy Willesee and Mark Whittaker set out to understand what could have led to such a devastating tragedy, one that fascinated and appalled the world. Exploring Kathmandu and other parts of the kingdom, they conducted exhaustive interviews with everyone from Maoist guerillas to members and friends of the royal family, gaining insight into the people involved in and the events behind the massacre. At the heart of the story is the love affair between Dipendra and the beautiful aristocrat Devyani Rana, whom he was forbidden to marry. Culminating their portrait of Nepal is a chilling reconstruction of the events of that fatal day. As conspiracy theories circulate and rebels threaten to topple the monarchy, the future of this small Himalayan kingdom promises to be as tumultuous as its past. Revealing a country where the twenty-first century mingles uneasily with the fourteenth, Love and Death in Kathmandu is both an enlightening portrait of a place that is a world apart and a riveting investigation of an incredible crime.
Download or read book The Call Of Ice written by Simone Moro and published by Mountaineers Books. This book was released on 2014-09-19 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: * Adventure memoir from a renowned winter climber at the top of his game * Moro reflects on some of his most significant climbs * A bestseller in Italy, this is the first English-language edition of Moro’s story Simone Moro is a celebrated Italian alpinist who specializes in winter climbing: He holds the record for first winter ascents of 8000-meter peaks——Shisha Pangma, Makalu, and Gasherbrum II. A passionate climber, he is also an accomplished helicopter pilot and founder of a helicopter rescue program in Nepal. The Call of the Ice was written during Moro’s dramatic winter attempt on Nanga Parbat in 2012——his twelfth attempt on that mountain——during weather delays and other breaks in the climb. Moro reflects on past climbs and partners, including the death of his longtime friend and climbing partner, Anatoli Boukreev, on Annapurna, his mourning when Boukreev died, and his subsequent recovery; Denis Urubko and the nature of climbing partnerships; two attempts on Shisha Pangma; Broad Peak; Makalu; and Gasherbrum II, which he, Urubko, and Cory Richards completed in February 2011 despite near-tragic moments when they miraculously escaped after being swept away by an avalanche. Many of Moro’s climbs do not result in a summit and he explains why his interest lies in the attempt itself. In addition to these reflections, we relive in real-time his attempt on Nanga Parbat, which he and Urubko had to abandon after 51 days and 6600 meters! “I will go in winter. Again. Yes in winter. Just because it’s my dream. Just because exploration never ends.” – Simone Moro
Download or read book Kathmandu written by Thomas Bell and published by Haus Publishing. This book was released on 2016-04-15 with total page 592 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the greatest cities of the Himalaya, Kathmandu, Nepal, is a unique blend of thousand-year-old cultural practices and accelerated urban development. In this book, Thomas Bell recounts his experiences from his many years in the city—exploring in the process the rich history of Kathmandu and its many instances of self-reinvention. Closed to the outside world until 1951 and trapped in a medieval time warp, Kathmandu is, as Bell argues, a jewel of the art world, a carnival of sexual license, a hotbed of communist revolution, a paradigm of failed democracy, a case study in bungled western intervention, and an environmental catastrophe. The layered development of the city can be seen in the successive generations of its gods and goddesses; its comfort in the caste system and ethos of aristocracy and kingship; and the recent destabilizing effects of consumerist approaches and the push for egalitarianism and democracy. In important ways, Kathmandu’s rapid modernization can be seen as an extreme version of what is happening in other traditional societies. Bell also discusses the ramifications of the recent Nepal earthquake. A comprehensive look at a top global destination, Kathmandu is an entertaining and accessible chronicle for anyone eager to learn more about this fascinating city.
Download or read book Cause for Alarm written by Gareth Rubin and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2010-09-07 with total page 83 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comedy for seven actors. Everything is running smoothly at the Founderston micro-nuclear power plant. Until Adam Trellows, a bright young idiot from the Health and Safety Executive turns up to check.
