Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 15, 2010 - 02:35am PT
|
I remember Tobias and the Anthropology of Ascent which I also didn't much care for (probably just over my head).
Taylor's book is way more entertaining because he includes so many first hand details of events ranging from climbs to ethical debates, to sexual attitudes, parties and ranger run ins. He includes a lot of opinionated commentary from climbers themselves though he doesn't list the source if they were spoken in an interview and requested confidentiality.
Surely part of the interest of the book is trying to figure out who he interviewed and what they said about others. In that regard, it is an interesting mixture of academic analysis and Camp 4 gossip.
|
|
Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
|
|
|
Sep 15, 2010 - 11:19am PT
|
I'm laughing at this thread as it is so typical of ST. A bunch of opinions expressed about the book and author, some pretty strong opinions, before anyone but Jan has read the book!
|
|
BBA
climber
OF
|
|
|
Sep 15, 2010 - 11:19am PT
|
I didn't have much if anything to contribute as Taylor was looking for original sources. I referred him to Guido. Taylor mentioned he had already received help from a number of others, some of whom he named, and they were the real deal. I'll leave their names out so as to make the guessing game of who said what more interesting.
|
|
Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
|
|
|
Sep 15, 2010 - 11:24am PT
|
IHP,
I still think of Michael Tobias, especially whenever I see something about
Mt Sinai. As I recall he wrote a nice piece on climbing that in Mountain Gazette.
I thought he was an excellent writer. Whatever became of him?
|
|
Eric Beck
Sport climber
Bishop, California
|
|
|
Sep 15, 2010 - 11:57am PT
|
Joseph Taylor was on the east side a few years ago doing interviews and we had him over for dinner. Still at Iowa State then. Seemed like a good guy and I am looking forward to the book.
|
|
Ihateplastic
Trad climber
It ain't El Cap, Oregon
|
|
|
Sep 15, 2010 - 12:25pm PT
|
Reilly... I met Michael once in the Mt. Room Bar. I was young and not supposed to be in there. I just remember listening to him talk and thinking I needed to go back to school ASAP! His vocabulary and ability to string words together into circumlocutory sentences astounded me.
Here is a link about him and his current activities:
http://www.dancingstarfoundation.org/biographies.php
|
|
Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 18, 2010 - 01:04am PT
|
The book is much more interesting than the article!
|
|
Ihateplastic
Trad climber
It ain't El Cap, Oregon
|
|
|
Sep 18, 2010 - 02:39am PT
|
My copy came in the post today. A quick (okay 45 minutes) glance through convinces me this guy did some MEGA research and it should be a great read.
Gotta love this Chouinard quote in the book:
"I have begun my campaign to wipe out CMI and Long and Leeper too. Phuck them all. Leeper gets phucked up for even thinking he can make a better piton than I can."
Don't worry, the book does not edit its expletives.
|
|
PhilG
Trad climber
The Circuit, Tonasket WA
|
|
|
Sep 18, 2010 - 11:53am PT
|
Thanks for the post, Jan. And for the turn on to the book.
I, for one, can't get enough Yosemite history!
|
|
Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
|
|
|
Sep 26, 2010 - 08:32pm PT
|
Okay, I am now halfway through the book. Thanks tons, Jan for bringing our attention to it. It is rather academic and scholarly but still engaging reading. The author has done his own massive review of the extant material and parts ways frequently with conventional views of climbing's development here in the U.S. It is quite interesting although nearly approaches redundancy at times with his thoroughness and review. It also achieves a pleasing intimacy at times with the principal characters in our past.
I should have it finished by next weekend. The second half is going to be addressing late forties and forward; this more recent period will be more familiar to me and maybe I can offer more of a critique. I am grateful to him for this impressive volume and I think it takes our whole American climbing history to new levels of scholarship.
|
|
couchmaster
climber
pdx
|
|
|
Sep 26, 2010 - 10:50pm PT
|
Hopefully enough of you hit on this book that the price of it used drops to my price point for a used, hardcover book. $ 1.75.
|
|
mark miller
Social climber
Reno
|
|
|
Sep 26, 2010 - 11:01pm PT
|
Is this turning into another..."Bring me the Head of J Taylor ",threads? Sometimes we forget it's AmeriKa and folks should be able to say anything they want. Oh well, I'll read it.
The R. Messner Book was tough to get through the first stuff, all the soloing and killing of partners (and brother). But the end seemed to reveal a different man and I'm glad I stuck it out.
|
|
TomCochrane
Trad climber
I've lost track...
|
|
|
Sep 29, 2010 - 12:45am PT
|
I've had problems reading various accounts of Yosemite climbing history, because I wind up sticking them full of tabs where my personal experience disagrees with the account reported. I managed to make it through this book without adding post-it tabs on the pages. I very much appreciate the honest reporting.
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Oct 14, 2010 - 01:05pm PT
|
There is a lot of buzz around this book and several academics that I know are engaged by it. Jan recently sent me a copy as a present and I can't wait to read it once my writing workload eases up.
The sections that I have sampled have been right on the mark and Taylor has really done his research well.
Jan-Thanks for starting this thread and turning me on to such a great book!
I recently talked with Mark Powell and he got a real kick out of being described as climbing's first ambassador of the beat generation! LOL
|
|
JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
|
|
|
Oct 14, 2010 - 02:04pm PT
|
I'm looking forward to reading it, but I must admit I'm jealous of Taylor. My dream job has always been to be a professor of climbing history at Berkeley.
John
|
|
steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
|
|
|
Oct 14, 2010 - 03:32pm PT
|
I'm glad to see this getting the thumbs up... I pretty much pulled the trigger when this thread popped up and the book is now sitting in the queue awaiting reading.
|
|
Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
|
|
|
Oct 14, 2010 - 04:04pm PT
|
Thanks for the heads up Jan, I'll look for it.
I met Tobias 35 years ago. Poor guy accidentally ingested a thesaurus and has been coughing up $3 words ever since. I don't think there is a cure.
|
|
klk
Trad climber
cali
|
|
|
Oct 14, 2010 - 10:16pm PT
|
Oct 14, 2010 - 11:04am PT
Im looking forward to reading it, but I must admit I'm jealous of Taylor. My dream job has always been to be a professor of climbing history at Berkeley.
John
Jay is actually a historian at Simon Fraser in BC.
Funny this thread popped up, since I just saw him about an hour ago at the conference.
|
|
BBA
climber
OF
|
|
|
Oct 30, 2010 - 12:05pm PT
|
A review of Taylor's book is in today's Wall Street Journal.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!