The Last of His Kind

"Stunning and stirring." --Boston Globe In The Last of His Kind, renowned adventure writer David Roberts gives readers a spellbinding history of mountain climbing in the twentieth century as told through the biography of Brad Washburn, legendary mountaineering pioneer and photographer. Jon Krakauer, author of Into Thin Air, has praised David Roberts, saying, "Nobody alive writes better about mountaineering"--and nowhere is that truth more evident than in this breathtaking account of the life and exploits of America's greatest mountain climber. He was a mountaineer, photographer, cartographer, and museum director--a true last of his kind. Mountaineering History: Follow Washburn from his early climbs in the Alps to his revolutionary expeditions that defined the golden age of Alaskan mountaineering. A Desperate Survival Story: Experience the gripping, minute-by-minute account of Washburn and Bob Bates's near-fatal crossing of the flooded Donjek River, a classic tale of true survival. Pioneering First Ascents: Stand on the summit of legendary unclimbed peaks like Mt. Lucania, as Washburn tackles the largest remaining blank spots on the map of North America. Landmark Mountain Photography: See the Alaskan wilderness through the lens of a master, who pioneered the art of aerial photography to create maps and images that remain iconic today.