{"product_id":"9781912560219-conquistadors-of-the-useless","title":"Conquistadors of the Useless","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFrom the Alps to Annapurna\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eConquistadors of the Useless\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e is the autobiography of French Alpine guide Lionel Terray, one of the greatest alpinists of his time. Terray made first ascents in the Alps, the Andes, and the Himalaya  -  including the second ascent of the Eiger North Face  -  and was at the centre of global mountaineering at a time when Europe was emerging from WWII.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e'I have given my whole life to the mountains. Born at the foot of the Alps, I have been a ski champion, a professional guide, an amateur of the greatest climbs in the Alps and a member of eight expeditions to the Andes and the Himalaya. If the word has any meaning at all, I am a mountaineer.'\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo \u003cb\u003eLionel Terray\u003c\/b\u003e begins \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eConquistadors of the Useless\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - not with arrogance, but with typical commitment. One of the most colourful characters of the mountaineering world, his writing is true to his uncompromising and jubilant love for the mountains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTerray was one of the greatest alpinists of his time, and his autobiography is one of the finest and most important mountaineering books ever written. Climbing with legends \u003cb\u003eGaston Rébuffat\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eMaurice Herzog\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eLouis Lachenal\u003c\/b\u003e, Terray made first ascents in the \u003cb\u003eAlps\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eAlaska\u003c\/b\u003e, the \u003cb\u003eAndes\u003c\/b\u003e and the \u003cb\u003eHimalaya\u003c\/b\u003e. He was at the centre of global mountaineering at a time when Europe was emerging from the shadow of the \u003cb\u003eSecond\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eWorld War\u003c\/b\u003e, and he came out a hero. \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eConquistadors of the Useless\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e tells of his wartime escapades, of life as an Alpine mountain guide, and of his climbs - including the second ascent of the \u003cb\u003eEiger North Face\u003c\/b\u003e and his involvement in the first ever ascent of an 8,000-metre peak, \u003cb\u003eAnnapurna\u003c\/b\u003e. His tales capture the energy of French post-war optimism, a time when France needed to reassert herself and when climbing triumphs were more valued than at any other time in history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTerray's death, in the Vercors, robbed mountaineering of one of its most passionate and far-sighted figures. His energy, so obvious in \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eConquistadors of the Useless, \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003ewill inspire for generations to come. A mountaineering classic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40945808080993,"sku":"9781912560219","price":9.96,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/orig_26830110.jpg?v=1721291683","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781912560219-conquistadors-of-the-useless","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}