The Magician's Glass
The Magician's Glass by award-winning writer Ed Douglas is a collection of eight recent essays on some of the biggest stories and best-known personalities in the world of climbing. In the title essay, he writes about failure on Annapurna III in 1981, one of the boldest attempts in Himalayan mountaineering on one of the most beautiful lines - a line that remains unclimbed to this day.
Douglas writes about bitter controversies, like that surrounding Ueli Steck's disputed solo ascent of the south face of Annapurna, the fate of Toni Egger on Cerro Torre in 1959 - when Cesare Maestri claimed the pair had made the first ascent, and the rise and fall of Slovenian ace Tomaz Humar. There are profiles of two stars of the 1980s: the much-loved German Kurt Albert, the father of the 'redpoint', and the enigmatic rock star Patrick Edlinger, a national hero in his native France who lost his way. In Crazy Wisdom, Douglas offers fresh perspectives on the impact mountaineering has on local communities and the role climbers play in the developing world.
The final essay explores the relationship between art and alpinism as a way of understanding why it is that people climb mountains.
Shortlisted for the 2017 Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature.
Shipping
You can choose between Royal Mail's 24 or 48 hour tracked service in order to receive your items by post.
- 48 hr tracked (2-3 days) on orders bteween 0kg - 2kg is £2.80
- 48 hr tracked (2-3 days) on orders bteween 2kg - 20kg is £3.15
- 24 hr tracked (next working day) on orders bteween 0kg - 2kg is £4.15
- FREE standard delivery for orders over £30
Local delivery
If you live within 10 miles of our bookshop, then we offer free local delivery on all orders, just choose this option at the checkout.
Store pickup
You can also choose to pick up your order for FREE from our shop at:
1 Chaldicott Barns
Semley
SP7 9AW
Opening Hours:
Tuesday: 10am-4pm
Wednesday: 10am-4pm
Thursday: 10am-4pm
Friday: 10am-4pm
Saturday : 10am-2pm
We would be delighted to hear from you so please do drop us a line using the form below or alternatively, give us a call on 01747 898247