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ElvisTheSewingMachine
Jan 17, 2008, 8:29 PM
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Hi all,
I'm looking for good american/british mountain books to be translated into French.
I need gripping stuff that gets something "special" to it and that is worth a (costly) translation! Any titles to recommend?
Thanks a lot!
Mathieu
P.S.: what do you think of "Kiss or Kill" by Mark Twight?
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kachoong
Jan 17, 2008, 8:43 PM
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I would have thought all the best climbing books would be translated into other languages... especially French, Italian, Spanish and German.
How about "The White Spider" and "This Game Of Ghosts"?
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ElvisTheSewingMachine
Jan 18, 2008, 8:35 AM
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Sometimes you can unearth untranslated literary gems!
There's actually only two "mountain-oriented" publishing companies in France (Glénat and Guérin) and one in Switzerland (Hoebecke) that can afford translations, so there is still much to do...
Thank you for your propositions of titles!
Mathieu
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dingus
Jan 18, 2008, 11:43 AM
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Tom Patey's 'One Man's Mountains.' Priceless, but probably already translated.
Richard Pronneke's 'One Man's Wilderness.' There isn't a sticth of real climbing in it and yet it is one of the finest mountaineering books I've ever had the pleasure to read.
DMT
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epoch
Moderator
Jan 18, 2008, 12:06 PM
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The World Is Flat - Thomas Friedman
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ElvisTheSewingMachine
Jan 18, 2008, 12:31 PM
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Thank you,
yes the Patey was translated by the publishing company I work for (Guérin, Chamonix).
The other seems untranslated...thanx for the tip!
Mathieu
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ja1484
Jan 18, 2008, 12:48 PM
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Pure Mountaineering content?
I rather enjoyed Ed Viesturs's "No Shortcuts to the Top". Great mix of enthralling stories and behind-the-scenes life as a sponsored climber.
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timd
Jan 18, 2008, 12:51 PM
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1. How To Shit In The Woods
2. Camp Sex
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zwillia1
Jan 18, 2008, 1:53 PM
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Well, this book does NOT focus on the climbing aspect, but "The Heart of the World" by Ian Baker is incredible. If anyone has the chance to pick it up, please do so.
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troutboy
Jan 18, 2008, 2:41 PM
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ElvisTheSewingMachine wrote: Hi all, I'm looking for good american/british mountain books to be translated into French. I need gripping stuff that gets something "special" to it and that is worth a (costly) translation! Any titles to recommend? Thanks a lot!
The all-time classic mountain tale, Into the Void by Joe Simpson.
Can't imagine it has not been translated yet, considering it was made into a movie.
TS
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skiclimb
Jan 18, 2008, 4:11 PM
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Some older books that I Enjoyed quite a bit.
"Nanda Devi the Tragic Expedition" by John Roskelly
The Shining Mountain by Peter Boardman
Sacred Summits also by Peter Boardman
(This post was edited by skiclimb on Jan 18, 2008, 4:12 PM)
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ElvisTheSewingMachine
Jan 18, 2008, 5:44 PM
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"How to shit in.." was translated. Can't find the other one...who's the author ?
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redsox5945
Jan 18, 2008, 10:45 PM
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Top 5 Mountain Books
1) Into Thin Air - I know this is a commercial/armchair/noob book, but Krakauer's account is incredible. It's not as much a mountaineering book, but a book about how people react when they're cold and tired.
2) No Shortcuts to the Top - Viesturs' autobiography is a great account of high altitude mountaineering. I inhaled it.
3) Eiger Dreams - All of the stories in here are good, but Eiger Dreams, Club Denali, Gill, and Chamoix stand out. Best of all is the Devil's Thumb. Krakauer has balls.
4) Touching the Void - Movie is pretty good as well.
5) The White Spider - A little slow, but the first third from Tony Kurtz to Harrer's own ascent is very good.
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harihari
Jan 19, 2008, 11:02 PM
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"Deep Play" by Paul Pritchard. I think he won the Bookman-Tasker for it if memory serves.
One of the best prose stylists in any genre...the chapter on the climbing-bum scene in Llanbergis is remarkable...but you will have translation issues with the wonderful English/Welsh idioms and cadences. This is the kind of storyteller with whom you want to be stuck on a portaledge and a bottle of whiskey.
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theteacher95
Jan 21, 2008, 6:22 PM
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I'll have to second Eiger Dreams, it's awesome. Plus one of the chapters is about Chamonix. Same with Into Thin Air. I just started reading Touching The Void but so far it seems great.
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rhei
Jan 22, 2008, 1:25 AM
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If something "special" equates to asking the big questions, look into translating Maria Coffey"s "Where the Mountain Casts Its Shadow."
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ElvisTheSewingMachine
Jan 28, 2008, 6:52 PM
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Thank you all for your tips,
I ordered most of the titles you mentioned (except already translated ones), now it's time to get gripped by the narratives of those great alpinists. I'll keep you posted on our selection!
Has anyone heard of "Camp Sex", I can't find it! The publisher is very intrigued... ;o)
Bye guys, have fun reading and sending hard,
Mathieu.
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summerprophet
Jan 28, 2008, 7:40 PM
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ElvisTheSewingMachine wrote: Has anyone heard of "Camp Sex", I can't find it! The publisher is very intrigued... ;o)
Ahhh, spoken like a true frenchman. Sex, cigarettes and soloing, If I enjoy it so much, then it must be good for me, no?
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pastprime
Jan 28, 2008, 8:57 PM
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A thoroughly delightful, but not well known book, is No Picnic on Mount Kenya. It is the true story of an Italian officer who was also a competent amatuer climber, who was captured during wwII by the British, and shipped to a prisoner of war camp in Africa, where he could see Mt Kenya, the 2nd highest peak in Africa, in the far distance.
The mountain called, there was little else to do in the camp, and a plan was concocted in which he and a couple of others made climbing gear from some of the most unlikely sources (crampons cut with a chisel from the fender of an abandoned car, for instance), escaped from the camp, and, using the picture on the label of a Mt Kenya brand can of fruit as a route map, they made it up.
Having climbed the peak, with no where else to go, they made the long trek back to the camp, and turned themselves in. Though British felt they had to dish out some sort of punishment, it was pretty mild, and the officials of the camp seemed more amused by it than resentful
Great book.
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ElvisTheSewingMachine
Jan 29, 2008, 11:46 AM
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Yes you're right, this book is awesome.
It was translated straight after its release, then a second time years after...
Thank you anyway!
Mathieu
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ElvisTheSewingMachine
Jan 29, 2008, 11:47 AM
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;o)
Anybody can tell me where to order it (name of the author/year of publication too if ever you've got that too)?
Thank you !!!
Mathieu
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