Mountain

The oldest of them are more than 450 million years old, and they cover nearly one-quarter of the world's surface. Forced upwards by mighty subterranean forces, they are dramatic evidence of the unstoppable powers of geology. They range in height and shape from the cloud-scraping peaks of the Himalaya to the lesser immensity of the Urals, from the Matterhorn's vertiginous pyramid to Kilimanjaro's Dromedary hump: mountains and mountain ranges are as heterogeneous as the earth itself. In Mountain, Nicholas Crane introduces and profiles, in words and images, twenty-five of the world's most remarkable peaks, from Mount Everest to Mount Elbrus, and from Ben Nevis to Popocatépetl. He explores their physical nature, their history, their mythic, religious and cultural significance, and tells fascinating stories of those who have lived in their shadow and those who have sought to conquer them. All twenty-five mountains are depicted in stunning photographs drawn from the work of the most distinguished contemporary landscape photographers. Nicholas Crane's accessible introduction to the volume not only describes the geological formation and diversity of mountains, but also examines the multi-faceted nature of humanity's engagement with them through time, whether religious, recreational, emotional or aesthetic. A visually astounding celebration of the beauty and terror of mountains, Mountain will delight all those who love the natural environment and the wild places of the world.