Tenzing

The book that inspired the film Tenzing

On 29 May 1953, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary stood together on the summit of Everest, the first climbers to reach the roof of the world. The photograph of Tenzing, ice axe raised and flags flying in the wind, became one of the defining images of the twentieth century. But the journey that brought him there was more extraordinary still.

Born into humble circumstances in the Himalaya, Tenzing faced poverty, hardship and loss on his way to becoming one of the finest high-altitude mountaineers of his generation. Through years of perilous expeditions, he earned the admiration of fellow climbers and built a reputation for extraordinary strength, skill and determination. On his seventh expedition to Everest, his partnership with Hillary finally carried him to the summit.

Their achievement captured the worlds imagination. For Tenzing, it also challenged the assumptions of the colonial mountaineering establishment, transforming him into a symbol of pride and possibility across a changing Asia. Yet sudden fame came at a price, and the years after Everest brought struggles of their own.

In Tenzing: Hero of Everest, acclaimed mountain writer Ed Douglas draws on meticulous research and personal accounts to reveal the complex man behind the legend: ambitious, charismatic, resilient and deeply human. The book that inspired the film Tenzing, this is the remarkable story of a life as compelling as the climb that made him famous.