- Shopping Bag ( 0 items )
Available on NOOK devices and apps
Want a NOOK? Explore Now
Want a NOOK? Explore Now
Some people have dreams that are so magnificent that if they were to achieve them, their place in history would be guaranteed. Francis Drake, Robert Scott, Charles Lindbergh, Amy Johnson, Edmund Hilary, Neil Armstrong, and Lewis and Clark are among such individuals.
But what if one man had such a dream, and once he’d fulfilled it, there was no proof that he had achieved his ambition?
Jeffrey Archer’s latest book, Paths of Glory, is the story of such a man---George Mallory. Mallory once told an American reporter that he wanted to climb Mt. Everest, “because it’s there.” On his third attempt in 1924, at age thirty-seven, he was last seen six hundred feet from the top. His body was found in 1999, and it still remains a mystery whether he ever reached the summit.
But only after you’ve turned the last page of this extraordinary novel, inspired by a true story, will you be able to decide if George Mallory’s name should be added to the list of legends, in which case another name would have to be removed. Paths of Glory is truly a triumph.
Veteran actor Roger Allam brings an impressive range and energy to Archer's historical novel. The tale finds its inspiration in the real-life mystery surrounding adventurer George Mallory, who may-or may not-have reached the summit of Mount Everest in 1924 before perishing in the ice and snow. Allam's remarkable accents are the highlight of the audio book, especially in his brief but highly memorable turn as a colorful American agent who organizes a rather exploitative and ethically dubious publicity tour for Mallory. Allam also shines in his portrayal of Mallory's devoted wife, Ruth, who chooses to mask her doubts and fears in order to support her husband's lifelong dream of climbing to the highest point on the planet. Admittedly, Archer's text offers a hero who would rather explore mountains than the depths of moral or psychological complexity, but Allam's performance renders the listening experience entertaining. A St. Martin's hardcover (Reviews, Jan. 5). (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.In 1984 Thompson-Cannino was raped at knifepoint by a man who broke into her apartment. In a lineup, she "picked" Ronald Cotton as the person responsible, but the real rapist, Bobby Poole, who resembled Cotton, was not in that line. Eleven years later Cotton was cleared by DNA evidence and Poole was convicted. Thompson-Cannino, who had been sure of her original identification, was overcome with grief, and this book is her mea culpa for her mistake. Divided into three parts-the author's story, Cotton's story, and the story of the meeting and eventual friendship between the two-this easy-to-read book is often touching as Thompson-Cannino challenges our ideas of memory and judgment, and as Cotton talks about his faith and forgiveness. Although it does not offer a lot that is new in the annals of crime and punishment, it does offer the reader a different perspective. An asset to any crime collection.
—Frances Sandiford
Jeffrey Archer, whose novels and short stories include Not A Penny More, Not a Penny Less, Kane & Abel, and A Twist in the Tale, has topped the bestseller lists around the world, with sales of more than 135 million copies. A Prisoner of Birth, his most recent novel, was a global number-one bestseller in both hardcover and paperback, and remained on the UK bestseller charts for over two months. The author is married with two children, and lives in London and Cambridge.
Born in London and raised in Somerset, Archer attended Wellington School and worked at a succession of jobs before being hired to teach Physical Education at Dover College. He gained admission to Brasenose College at Oxford, where he distinguished himself as a first-class sprinter and a tireless promoter, famously inveigling the Beatles into supporting a fundraising drive he spearheaded on behalf of the then-obscure charity Oxfam.
After leaving Oxford, Archer continued work as a fundraiser and ran successfully for political office. He was elected to the House of Commons in 1969 but was forced to step down in 1974 when he lost his fortune in a fraudulent investment scheme. He turned to writing in order to stave off bankruptcy. His first novel, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, was published in 1976 and became an instant hit. It was followed, in quick succession, by a string of bestsellers, including his most famous novel, Kane and Abel (1979), which was subsequently turned into a blockbuster CBS-TV miniseries.
On the strength of his literary celebrity, Archer revived his political career in 1985, serving as Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The following year he was forced to resign over a scandal involving payment to a London prostitute. (He admitted paying the money, but denied vehemently that it was for sex.) In 1987, he sued a British tabloid for libel and was awarded damages in the amount of 500,000 pounds.
Despite the adverse publicity, Queen Elizabeth (acting on the advice of Prime Minister John Major) awarded Archer a life peerage in 1992. The Conservative Party selected him to run for Mayor of London in the 2000 election, but he withdrew from the race when perjury charges were brought against him in the matter of the 1987 libel trial. In 2001, he was convicted and served half of a four-year prison term. (He turned the experience into three bestselling volumes of memoir!) Since his release, Lord Archer has expressed no interest in returning to public office, choosing instead to concentrate on charity work and on his writing career.
Controversy has dogged Archer most of his adult life. Claims still circulate that he falsified his paperwork to gain entrance to Oxford; and, at various other times, he has been accused of shoplifting, padding expenses, insider trading, misappropriation of funds, and financing a failed coup d'état against a foreign government. Needless to say, all this has kept him squarely in the sights of the British tabloids.
Yet, for all the salacious headlines and in spite of lukewarm reviews, Archer remains one of Britain's most popular novelists. His books will never be classified as great literature, but his writing is workmanlike and he has never lost his flair for storytelling. In addition to his novels, he has also written short stories and plays. Clearly, in "art," as in life, Jeffrey Archer has proved himself an affable survivor.
Regarding the sex scandal that ultimately landed her husband in prison, Lady Mary Archer, the author's wife of 35 years, told reporters that she was "cross" with her husband but that "we are all human and Jeffrey manages to be more human than most. I believe his virtues and talents are also on a larger scale."
The prison where Archer was transferred for carrying out his perjury sentence in October 2001 is a "low security" jail on the Lincolnshire coast, a facility known for raising high-quality pork. According to one authority, "It is considered to be a cushy little place."
After his "fall from grace," Archer counted former Conservative PMs Margaret Thatcher and John Major among his many loyal supporters.
In the 1980s, Archer and his wife, Mary, purchased the Old Vicarage, Grantchester, a house associated with the poet Rupert Brooke.ONE St. Bees, Cumbria, Tuesday, July 19th, 1892
If you had asked George why he’d begun walking toward the rock, he wouldn’t have been able to tell you. The fact that he had to wade into the sea to reach his goal didn’t appear to concern him, even though he couldn’t swim.
Only one person on the beach that morning showed the slightest interest in the six-year-old boy’s progress. The Reverend Leigh Mallory folded his copy of The Times and placed it on the sand at his feet. He didn’t alert his wife, who was lying on the deckchair beside .shine, oblivious to any danger their eldest son might be facing. He knew that Annie would only panic, the way she had when the boy had climbed onto the roof of the village hall during a meeting of the Mothers’ Union.
The Reverend Mallory quickly checked on his other three children, who were playing contentedly by the water’s edge, unconcerned with their brother’s fate. Avie and Mary were happily collecting seashells that had been swept in on the morning tide, while their younger brother Trafford was concentrating on filling a small tin bucket with sand. Mallory’s attention re.lutely toward the rock. He was not yet worried, surely PATHS OF GLORY the boy would eventually realize he had to turn back. But he rose from his deckchair once the waves began to cover the boy’s knee breeches.
Although George was now almost out of his depth, the moment he reached the jagged outcrop he deftly pulled himself out of the sea and leaped from rock to .self, and stared out toward the horizon. Although his favorite subject at school was history, clearly no one had told him about King Canute.
His father was now watching with some trepidation as the waves surged carelessly around the rocks. He waited patiently for the boy to become aware of the danger he was in, when he would surely turn and ask for help. He didn’t. When the first spray of foam touched the boy’s toes, the Reverend Mallory walked slowly .mured as he passed his youngest, who was now intently building a sandcastle. But his eyes never left his eldest son, who still hadn’t looked back, even though the .end Mallory plunged into the sea and started to swim .tary breaststroke he became more aware that it was much further away than he had realized.
He finally reached his goal, and pulled himself onto the rock. As he clambered awkwardly to the top he cut his legs in several places, showing none of the surefootedness his son had earlier displayed. Once he’d joined the boy, he tried not to reveal that he was out of breath and in some considerable discomfort.
.serve his wife, standing at the water’s edge, shouting desperately, “George! George!”
“Perhaps we should be making our way back, my boy,” suggested the Reverend Mallory, trying not to sound at all concerned. “We don’t want to worry your mother, do we?”
“Just a few more moments, Papa,” begged George, who continued to stare resolutely out to sea. But his father decided they couldn’t wait any longer, and pulled his son gently off the rock.
It took the two of them considerably longer to reach .dling his son in his arms, had to swim on his back, only able to use his legs to assist him. It was the first time George became aware that return journeys can take far longer.
When George’s father finally collapsed on the beach, George’s mother rushed across to join them. She fell on .ing, “Thank God, thank God,” while showing scant interest in her exhausted husband. George’s two sisters .etly sobbing, while his younger brother continued to build his fortress, far too young for any thoughts of death to have crossed his mind.
The Reverend Mallory eventually sat up and stared at his eldest son, who was once again looking out to sea although the rock was no longer in sight. He accepted .cept of fear, no sense of risk.
Excerpted from Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer.
Copyright © 2009 by Jeffrey Archer.
Published in December 2009 by St. Martin's Press.
All rights reserved. This work is protected under copyright laws and reproduction is strictly prohibited. Permission to reproduce the material in any manner or medium must be secured from the Publisher
CC37
Posted May 30, 2009
Can't say it's a thriller but once you start it you can't put it down. It's about a man's obsession to climb Mount Everest. At first I thought it was fiction but later found out it was a true story. Have loaned this book to three friends all of whom sat up all night because they couldn't put it down. Jeffrey Archer at his best again!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Normally, I much prefer to lose myself in a compelling work of fiction. Since I had read and appreciated some of Archer's other works, I thought I would give this one a chance. I was delighted almost from start to finish.
The story recounts, in novel fashion, the life of George Mallory and his attempts to "conquor" Mt. Everest. It allows the reader to really get in to the feel of the character and times. And it revisits the mystery of Mallory's final attempt - did he perish mere feet from the summit? Or was he truly the first person to reach the summit, only to perish on the way down? You decide. . .
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Jeffrey Archer normally weaves great tales from the mundane in a clever and thrilling way. While this is a decent read - interesting enough to finish the book - it lacks the originality and plot twists that make most of his other books so fast-paced and fascinating.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This was a new experience, as I had no prior interest to mountain climbing, and I also had never read any of Archer's work. However, the mystery of whether or not George Mallory made it to the top of Everest was intriguing enough that I picked up the book. It went by rather quick and that is my only minor complaint. I'm glad Archer chose to share this story. While the mystery surrounding George Mallory remains, it is noted in the post of the book that his grandson did get to the top of Everest in 1995.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 13, 2010
Jeffrey Archer's Paths of Glory is an enthralling and captivating tale of the adventures of a man seeking to reach his goals. This book follows the life of George Mallory, one of the men who aspired to be the first person on top of Mt. Everest. The most interesting part is that nobody knows if he ever made it to the top.
George Mallory worked his whole life trying to achieve this dream, but unfortunately died in his final attempt. Archer does an excellent job of drawing the reader into the life of George Mallory. From his school days, to his wedding, to his final endeavor at Everest, Archer captivates you in Mallory's world.
Beginning when Mallory was a young boy, he showed a love for adventure that continued to grow as he got older. After conquering every challenge he faced up to that point, he decided to push himself even further and attempt to climb the tallest mountain in the world.
His desire to climb this mountain was affirmed even more when he saw Everest for the first time: "George was lost for words. He stared up at the highest mountain in the world. Everest's radiant summit dominated the skyline, making the other peaks of the mighty Himalaya look like a kindergarten playground."
Mallory attempted this challenge in 1924 and never made it home. It is unknown whether he died on the way up to the summit, or if he made it to the top and died during his descent. Sadly, he was survived by his wife and three young children.
This isn't a biography of Mallory's life, but more a fictionalization. Archer takes the facts collected from different journals and then fills in the gaps of Mallory's history.
If you are looking for the happy love story ending, "and they all lived happily ever after," this might not be the book for you. Even though the tragic ending is known before the book has even been started, it's still an exciting page-turner. I truly enjoyed reading this book and being able to learn about the time period and what challenges Mallory faced. Did George Mallory make it to the top of Mt. Everest? The real ending is not known, but if you are curious, you will have to read the book and decide for yourself.
Anonymous
Posted April 19, 2010
A fictionalized account of the life of George Mallory, among the first men to attempt Mt. Everest. The book takes you from his young life through school and college, the love of his life and, of course, the attempts on Mt. Everest. The book is as true to Mallory's life as the author could get, full of the little details that really make a story interesting. Of special interest at the back of book the author followed up on all persons in the story, giving a brief account of their life. The whole book was fascinating but those tidbits at the end about everyone was the icing on the cake for me.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 20, 2010
Most enjoyable book I've read in a long time.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.bellan
Posted January 16, 2010
The style is of course as classy and fluent to read as always.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I had heard of George Mallory but never read much about him. Archer portrays him as an old school British hero. THe book is well written but I have a few complaints. Mainly, I wish he had given more detail at the end of the book. Did he make up Mallory's lettrs? Were the basic incidents of Mallory's life as written? It also would have been nice to have a list of sources he used to write the book and some reccomended reading about Mallory.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.KathyJean
Posted May 16, 2009
This changes everything. It reaches into the hearts and lives of those who experienced it through their own chronicles and letters. It is a story of hope and joy and most of all it is a story of a wife who knows that the true measure of loving a husband is to allow him and encourage him to be himself.
This story is about realizing that we cannot and should not try to change our true selves.
Anything is attainable by the human spirit - and Jeffrey Archer has finally set George Mallory's spirit free. He deserves our admiration.
ENK
Posted May 10, 2009
It was an interesting story that bogged down from time to time.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book was somewhat different from most of Jeffrey Archer's books, however if you are a a person who likes reading history you will find this interesting. I think that a lot of imagination was put into recreating the personal story of George Mallory. It was so good that I felt as though I because a personal friend of his.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Classic theme of main against nature, with a very human twist
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.DianeNJ
Posted April 27, 2009
No one tells a story like Jeffrey Archer. He is a master and this book is a masterpiece.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 10, 2009
I really enjoyed this book. I was not a big fan of his, but this book pleasantly surprised me. I could almost picture myself being with the characters as they were climbing. I will try some of his other writings.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 6, 2009
I Also Recommend:
Based on factual events this book took a look at the adventurer George Mallory, who may or may not have reached the summit of Mount Everst. That is what makes this book intriguing, the guessing game. Did he or didn't he? By the end of the book you queston should somebody be removed from that list of climbers and replaced with George Mallory. It's a great adventure book with a mystery twist.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 5, 2010
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted June 11, 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted August 4, 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted March 18, 2011
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
Some people have dreams that are so magnificent that if they were to achieve them, their place in history would be guaranteed. Francis Drake, Robert Scott, Charles Lindbergh, Amy Johnson, Edmund Hilary, Neil Armstrong, and Lewis and Clark are among such individuals.
But what if one man had such a dream, and once he’d fulfilled it, there was no proof that he had achieved his ambition?
Jeffrey Archer’s latest book, Paths of Glory, is the story of such a man---George Mallory. Mallory once told an American reporter ...