The Alps

William Martin ConwayProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 377K words
Chapters: 38

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Alps by Sir William Martin ConwayAuthor: Conway, William Martin, Sir, 1856-1937,Language: English, Class: DQ: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Switzerland, Release Date: Apr 27, 2012

Editor's review

Sir William Martin Conway's The Alps is an early systematic English account of the Alps, blending geographical description with mountaineering observations. Writing from first-hand experience, the author sketches peaks, glaciers, valleys and routes in restrained, measured prose that combines survey-like record with awe and relish before the high mountains. Its value lies not in practical route information but in offering a sample of how people a century ago viewed, approached and described the Alps; readers interested in mountain culture, travel writing and mountaineering history will find much to savor. The book is in the original English, with dense narration and abundant place names and terrain terms, suited to slow reading alongside a map. Those seeking a contemporary travel guide or a light travelogue may find the pace slow; but read as a mountain document bearing the mark of its era, it is a solidly rewarding experience.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Alpine geography and mountain culture
Readers who enjoy early travel writing and mountaineering literature
Those willing to read the original English slowly alongside a map
Readers studying mountain writing or the history of mountaineering

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking contemporary travel guides and practical routes
Readers who prefer light travelogues or strongly narrative works
Readers with limited English reading ability who want a bilingual edition

Reading tips

Keep an Alpine map at hand while reading and mark place names and peaks as you go to build a sense of space.
Read chapter by chapter, recalling the main terrain and routes after each; don't chase speed.
Skim over terrain terminology at first and focus on the author's angle and tone in observing the landscape.
Read alongside a modern Alpine travelogue to appreciate how ways of seeing differ across eras.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Can this book serve as an Alpine travel guide?

Not really. It was written long ago and focuses on geographical description and mountaineering observations, lacking current information on transport, lodging and routes. For trip planning, pair it with a modern guide and read it as background.

Can someone with no mountaineering experience read it?

Yes, but with some patience. The book deals heavily with terrain and routes, and readers unfamiliar with mountain terminology may find it dense. It works better as slow reading on mountain culture than as a technical manual.

How demanding is the original English?

Moderately high. Sentence structures are fairly formal and there are many place names and terrain terms, but the narrative is generally clear. Readers with reasonable English can make their way with a map and context, without looking up every word.

Comments

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About the author

William Martin Conway Author · British · 1856–1937

Sir William Martin Conway (1856–1937) was a British art historian, mountaineer and explorer. Born in Rochester, Kent, he served as Slade Professor of Fine Art at Cambridge and as president of the Alpine Club. In 1892 he led an expedition to survey the Karakoram region, for which he was knighted, and in 1931 he was created Baron Conway of Allington. Three of his works are held here, spanning art popularisation and alpine exploration: The Book of Art for Young People explains art to young readers in an accessible style, while The Alps and With Ski & Sledge over Arctic Glaciers record mountaineering and polar snow travel, combining the observations of a field investigator with narrative writing. His books tend to turn specialist knowledge into plain, readable prose, opening the worlds of art and mountains to general readers and giving him influence in both art popularisation and mountaineering literature.