Not Without Peril: 150 Years of Misadventure on the Presidential Range of New Hampshire
Not Without Peril: 150 Years of Misadventure on the Presidential Range of New Hampshire book cover

Not Without Peril: 150 Years of Misadventure on the Presidential Range of New Hampshire

Paperback – April 1, 2001

by
Price
$13.92
Format
Paperback
Pages
336
Publisher
UNKNO
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1929173068
Dimensions
6.25 x 0.75 x 9.25 inches
Weight
2 pounds

Description

¿Howe tells the stories straightforwardly, deftly blending in the historical and geographical information needed to make them complete. Not Without Peril makes a memorable, informative, and ultimately sobering read about the high peaks of the Northeast.¿ ¿Sentinel & Enterprise, Leominster, MA ¿Between the excellent prose, the interesting historical details and the riveting accounts of misadventure, Not Without Peril will be appreciated by anyone with an interest in outdoor recreation or in the Presidential Mountains of New Hampshire. Reading about these mountains is gripping.¿ ¿The Bridgton News, Bridgton, ME¿Howe has used his writing talent and vast experience to create a compilation of well-researched and captivating stories about New Hampshire¿s White Mountains.¿ ¿Foreword Magazine¿Others have been quick to recommend the book.¿The New England Booksellers¿ Association named it a Discovery Honor Book for the month of April [2000], saying, ¿The stories are gripping, the characters compelling, and the relevant historical aspects fascinating.¿¿ ¿The Conway Daily Sun The Presidential Range of New Hampshire is like few places in the world. Located only 150 miles north of a major city, the range is home to beautiful alpine gardens, stunning vistas, and a carefully maintained network of hiking trails. But these same mountains can offer some of the world's worst weather. While the valleys below are bathed in warm sunshine, the exposed summits may be lashed by hurricane-force winds, blinding snows, and numbing cold. Into this potentially deadly environment come hikers, skiers, and climbers by the thousands, drawn by the beauty, accessibility, and history of the mountains. It is a recipe for challenge, adventure - and tragedy. Not Without Peril offers extensive and intimate profiles of twenty-two climbers who found trouble on the Presidential Range from 1849 to 1994. Summer snowstorms, raging rivers, impenetrable fog banks, and a single misplaced step are all part of the dangers awaiting even the most careful hiker. Veteran journalist Nicholas Howe sifted through crumbling archives, interviewed dozens of participants, and hiked the mountains to retrace each fateful journey. The result is a compelling story of our changing relationship with the mountains we love and the risks they pose. (6 x 9, 320 pages, maps, b&w photos) Jackson, New Hampshire resident Nicholas Howe grew up in the shadows of the White Mountains. A journalist for over 18 years, he has reported for ABC, NBC, CBS, and ASPS television networks, and ABC, National Public, BBC, and Swiss National radio networks.Additionally, his work has appeared in newspapers and magazines including Backpacker. In 1994 his Yankee Magazine article "Fatal Attraction" was runner-up for a National Magazine Award. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • These compelling profiles of 22 adventurous¿yet unlucky¿climbers chronicle more than a century of exploration, recreation, and tragedy in New Hampshire¿s Presidential Range.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(348)
★★★★
25%
(145)
★★★
15%
(87)
★★
7%
(41)
★
-7%
(-41)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Death on Mt. Washington

Not Without Peril details the deaths and mishaps that have claimed over a hundred lives of hikers on Mt. Washington and the surrounding Presidential Range Mountains.

I bought this book in the Mt. Washington Observatory bookstore at the top of the mountain - fresh from the thrilling views observed on the way up to the 4,000 foot level and the cold enveloping mist of the ever present fog at the peak (one wonders why so many flock to a mountain top whose view is obscured 300 out of 360 days a year on average - but the views on the lower levels are spectacular). And I have to agree with one reviewer who stated that this book will primarily be of interest to those who know the Presidential Range. I would add avid outdoors types to this list, also.

The author writes an interesting book about death and mayhem on the mountain. The chapters cover a hapless (nearly always) hiker or hiking party who met usually with death at the place billed as having the world's worst weather (and the highest ever recorded wind speed of 231 miles per hour). Mt. Washington is the convergence point for three jet streams and its altitude combined with location produces wild, cold, and snowy weather with high winds very consistently.

Most of those who died did so because they ignored warnings or were foolish in estimating their ability to survive in extreme weather or took very bad risks. That central theme runs through nearly all the stories. This book is in some ways a warning to those who would take risks in the outdoors - don't; and even if the weather reports are fine, be prepared with shelter and food and most importantly let others know your route. The writing is fine, though some of the stories picked are very short. The author also fills in the stories with the history of exploration of the mountain, its weather station and important personalities who have figured in rescue operations over the last century. There is one very interesting and contemporary case where a man was left to die near a shelter based on the judgment of the shelter manager and the perceived risk to rescuers with a night time rescue attempt. Although the author is sympathetic to the judgment of the shelter manager, I'm sure lots of people will continue to debate whether or not she made the correct call.

If you enjoy this book, I'd recommend another one just like it called "Death in the Grand Canyon." This is an enjoyable book that highlights the dangers of taking Mother Nature for granted on Mt. Washington.
6 people found this helpful
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An Enjoyable Read

I read this book while flying for business this fall. I found that about 80% of the stories interested me. Some of them seemed to be the same story repeated about people wandering in the snow. Other stories were much easier for me to visualize and to really become involved with.

I have hiked Mt. Washington from Pinkham Notch to the summit twice in the summer and I have skied Tuckerman Ravine twice. I would reccomend this book to anyone who has considered going on the mountain during the winter but has only spent similar low-risk time on the mountain like myself. It definitely makes you think twice about preparation if you are heading up into the whites, even in the late spring and early fall.

I took two major thoughts away from this book.

1. The danger of hiking in the Whites if you are not prepared. The White Mountains are a beautiful place that anyone who enjoys the outdoors would enjoy. You just need to be adequately prepared with the right equipment and sound judgement.

2. The history of the White Mountains, the AMC, and Joe Dodge. The focus of the book was clearly more on the dangers of hiking in the Whites; however, it was interesting to get a short history lesson about the first people to make the area more accessible for recreation.
4 people found this helpful
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depends who you are

You will see reviews here rated one and five stars - it depends upon who you are. The book is not tremendously written, stylistically, though not bad (redundant in places). If you know the place(s) written about - Mt. Washington and near peaks it will surely be a thrilling and fascinating read. If not - tedium. I know a bit of the area, so it was just ok - a three star book I would only recommend to White Mountain fans.
4 people found this helpful
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Testament to Safety and Prudence

Many people describe this book as "tedium". It would be if you arent truly interested in history, or are just interested in long winded descriptions of nature views. What Howe has done is written a frank reminder that needs to be revisited frequently: that no one can take their safety for granted on the trails and faces of the Presidential Range, least of all on Mt Washington. Clear testament to the need for this reminder is as close as the NH evening news where there are increasingly routine reports in the White Mountainns of seriously injured climbers, fatalities and lost hikers of all levels of experience and expertise. Howe simply pulls togehter the why and how - if climbers, experienced and potential were to read this book perhaps they would pause to make sure they were adequately prepared for their climbs or at least give themselves the best fighting chance against the fickle and unpredictable elements to be encountered there.
Obviously those who found it boring were looking for entertainment more likely found in [[ASIN:0307279464 A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail]] or surfing the remote control, skipping the History channel, A&E, Discovery and PBS.
3 people found this helpful
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it is fun just to read about the trails and the history

This is a very well written sequence of stories. The author really knows the area, trails and mountains. If you have been in the Whites, it is fun just to read about the trails and the history. Of course, the loss of life is tragic. If you're like me, it helps to reground you so that you enjoy the wilderness more and appreciate the times that the Lord didn't punish your arrogance. Maybe it will help prevent becoming a statistic.
1 people found this helpful
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Entertaining

I thoroughly enjoyed Howe's quirky, brahmin style and there is certainly no shortage of interesting material to work with. The characters he introduces are often some of the ballsiest, stubbornest and sometimes the most foolhardy one could ever hoope to meet. In fact, because of these characters and becuase of the erratic and ferocious weather, the book often reads like fiction. I love the mountains of New Hampshire and I loved reading about some of the courageous men and women who have tested and pushed themselves (often too far) in these deceptively dangerous peaks.
1 people found this helpful
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Similarities to Stories of Bigger Peaks

Those who say "If you know the area, you'll love this book" have a point. I answered "yes" to all of the questions in another review. In fact, I bought the book while in New Hampshire to receive my award for climbing all of the 4000-foot peaks, including Mt. Washington and its neighbors. I started it on the way back to Illinois, where I presently live, and my attention drifted a bit in the early chapters. But lately I've been reading it more intently, and the story near the end about Don Carr was worth the cost of the book. It bears a striking similarity to the tone of "Into Thin Air," John Krakauer's narrative of the 1996 tragedy on Everest. So many bad decisions by the hiker (and so many chances to change course)! The college-age crew and other rescue workers had to make hard decisions in short order, and acquitted themselves admirably.

The annotated maps are an asset, as another reviewer mentions.

If you're not interested in hiking or the White Mountains, and if you've never pushed on when perhaps you shouldn't have, you won't be interested in this book. And yes, there are run-on sentences and comma splices. But if you are at all interested in the subject matter, you've probably had to decide whether to continue a hike as conditions deteriorated. Most of us, most of the time, either make the right call or are lucky. The exceptions make for high drama, and that trumps perfect prose for me.
1 people found this helpful
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Well written review of many events on Mt. Washington ...

Well written review of many events on Mt. Washington. Informative, and cautionary for those who venture to the top of this mountain
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Must read!

Must read if you are infatuated with the White Mountains!
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A great read for those planning to hike in the White ...

Book arrived as it should. A great read for those planning to hike in the White Mountains.

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