Peter Gillman

The North Face of the Eiger was long notorious as the most dangerous climb in the Swiss Alps, one that had claimed the lives of numerous mountaineers. In February 1966, two teams one German, the other BritishAmerican aimed to climb it by a new direct route. Astonishingly, the two teams knew almost nothing about each others attempt until both arrived at the foot of the face. The race was on.John Harlin led the four-man BritishAmerican team and intended to make an Alpine-style dash for the summit as soon as weather conditions allowed. The Germans, with an eight-man team, planned a relentless Himalayan-style ascent, whatever the weather.The authors were key participants as the dramatic events unfolded. Award-winning writer Peter Gillman, then twenty-three, was reporting for the Telegraph, talking to the climbers by radio and watching their monumental struggles from telescopes at the Kleine Scheidegg hotel. Renowned Scottish climber Dougal Haston was a member of Harlins team, forging the way up crucial pitches on the storm-battered mountain. Chris Bonington began as official photographer but then played a vital role in the ascent.Eiger Direct, first published in 1966, is a story of risk and resilience as the climbers face storms, frostbite and tragedy in their quest to reach the summit.This edition features a new introduction by Peter Gillman.

On a warm night in December 1977, David Holden, chief foreign correspondent for the Sunday Times, landed in Cairo to report on crucial peace talks between Egypt and Israel, an epochal moment in global politics. Shortly after dawn, his body was found dumped on a dusty roadside. He had been shot with a single bullet through the heart.Who killed Holden and why? These were the questions pursued for a year by the newspapers Insight team, overseen by legendary editor Harold Evans. Before he died in 2020, Evans said that their failure to solve the case was the biggest regret of his long career.Now, a member of the original Insight team has joined forces with a young investigative journalist from todays Sunday Times to resume the quest. Their search leads them into a world of intrigue and betrayal, exposing the fatal crossovers between journalism and spying.Meticulously researched and grippingly told, Murder in Cairo reveals the truth of one of the most enigmatic cold case mysteries of the past fifty years.

The North Face of the Eiger was long renowned as the most dangerous climb in the Swiss Alps, one that had cost the lives of numerous mountaineers. In February 1966, two teams - one German, the other British/American - aimed to climb it in a straight line from bottom to top. Astonishingly, the two teams knew almost nothing about each others attempt until both arrived at the foot of the face. The race was on. John Harlin led the four-man British/American team and intended to make a swift dash for the summit. The Germans, with an eight-man team and a mass of equipment, planned a slow, relentless ascent. Watching on was a young journalist reporting on the climb for the Daily Telegraph, Peter Gillman - for the Eiger is the most public of mountains, where tourists can observe the life-and-death struggles on the face from telescopes at the nearby hotels. Almost 50 years on, Gillman recalls the dramatic events on the North Face of the Eiger, and assesses their effect on those who took part. One man died and others were permanently injured through frostbite. For Chris Bonington, it opened a path to a career and reputation as Britains foremost mountaineer. It was an epic ascent with profound consequences, redolent of a golden age of adventure and mountaineering.