"The mountains of the world have afforded some of the most spectacular achievements in history. More than mere athletic endeavors, first ascents involve exploration--breakthroughs into new frontiers, extensions of human knowledge both of the universe and of ourselves. The author, Tom King, has been an amateur mountain climber for many years. His book has a twofold approach, First, it provides historically accurate accounts that take his readers back in time to observe the first ascents of some of the most famous peaks in the world. It also invites readers to share Mr. King's own journeys to those very mountains in the footsteps of the pioneers. The fascinating stories recounted in this exciting and informative book are truly played out in In the Shadow of Giants: Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, Jungfrau, Mönch, the Eiger, Everest, Fujisan and various summits in the High Sierra. The highest and most inaccessible mountains of Europe, Asia and the continental United States are a breathtakingly brought to the mind's eye in historical and contemporary accounts of their ascents." --