NEW REVIEW: 2014 Book Round-Up - Christmas Reading

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
 UKC Gear 20 Nov 2014
Book Montage, 6 kb2014 has been a bumper year for climbing publications. Here's a few of the ones that we have either read, or ones that we really want to read! We've listed them here with links to more information, and not only have we rounded-up the 2014 publications, but we have chucked in a few all time classics too.

We might have missed something vitally important, so please feel free to add any other essential reading in to the forum thread. Hopefully this list will give a few ideas for Christmas reading for those long winter nights by the fire...

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=6819

 angus 20 Nov 2014
In reply to UKC Gear
tears of the dawn...?
 Jack Geldard 20 Nov 2014
In reply to angus:

It's a great book Angus, that's for sure - I reviewed it here: http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=5992

It's not in this list as it was out in 2013, but you're right - maybe we should have squeezed it in anyway!

Cheers,

Jack
 Offwidth 20 Nov 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:
I also thought about Tears of the Dawn but in addition, The Langdale Guide and Dave Flannagan's Bouldering Essentials. All impressive books of their type that with a December review sort of miss out (being too late for their year).

https://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=6032

https://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=5985

Im reading Bouldering Essentials now and Tears of the Dawn next so its a bit ironic for me.
Post edited at 14:43
 Michael Gordon 20 Nov 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:

Wow, it's been quite a year for biographies!
 Sean Kelly 20 Nov 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:

What! No mention of Graham Hoey's & Phil Kelly's Peak Rock. It's on my Christmas list.
 adi3969 20 Nov 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:

Great choices Rob
 Graham Hoey 20 Nov 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:
Wrt all time classics surely Rock Climbers in Action in Snowdonia and The Black Cliff are at the top of the list, certainly when it comes to British (Welsh!) climbing. Definitely worth trying to get hold of copies of these.
Post edited at 20:52
 Jack Loftus 21 Nov 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:

And a pretty picture book for all the cavers out their. http://www.gouffreberger.org
 mav 21 Nov 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:

Totally agree with Deep Play, though unsure why it has suddenly jumped into the list of classics. Is it back in print? I got my copy a few years ago, a couple of years after the Totem Pole came out, and just tracking down a copy was a real struggle. Certainly worth it though - one of the great forgotten classics despite the Boardman Tasker win. Mind you, Pete Boardman's and Joe Tasker's books are also heading into the category of forgotten classics these days.
 Gary Latter 21 Nov 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:

Selfless plug I know, but another one to add to the list of guidebooks:


news.pesdablog.com/2014/11/20/scottish-rock-volume-2-north-–-second-edition-available-now/

Arrived at the distributors Cordee couple days ago, so should be in shops shortly
 Rob Parsons 21 Nov 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:

'Law Unto Himself' is a great book, and a good laugh. The 'Finalgon' incident alone is worth the price of admission ...
 Simon Caldwell 21 Nov 2014
In reply to Sean Kelly:

Peak Rock was published last year
 Sean Kelly 21 Nov 2014
In reply to Simon Caldwell:

> Peak Rock was published last year

Aye it might have been, but I've not seen it in any shops in the South West, and i like to see something before buying it. I should think that the Black Cliff and Rock Climbers in Action are not recently published, indeed you would do well to find a copy.
 Offwidth 23 Nov 2014
In reply to Sean Kelly:

How could I forget Peak Rock!???

Sure it was out in 2013 (but reviewed in Feb 14) but my point above is that books published late in the year should be included if UKC are doing November reviews and what a batch of brilliant books we got just before Xmas last year.
 Simon Caldwell 24 Nov 2014
In reply to Offwidth:

Well I got it last Christmas so it was my 2013 Christmas reading
 Offwidth 24 Nov 2014
In reply to Simon Caldwell:

A lot of books are aimed for a release date for that market. Its just a shame if an annual round-up in mid November always ends up missing some of the best books because of that.
 Dave Flanagan 24 Nov 2014
In reply to Offwidth:
Any publishers wanting some of the Christmas market should probably have their book their by mid-November I would think.
Post edited at 19:12
 tony 24 Nov 2014
In reply to Dave Flanagan:

> Anyone publishers wanting some of the Christmas market should probably have their book their by mid-November I would think.

It's known as Super Thursday in the book trade, and this year it fell on October 9. Mind you, this is very much a publicity campaign from (mostly) the big publishers and small independents in specialist areas such as climbing might not feel the need to join the campaign.
In reply to Dave Flanagan:

Yes, mid-Nov is far too late. The whole trade (distribution, marketing, publicity, catalogues etc) is geared up for at least a month earlier.
 Andy2 25 Nov 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:
The article says that South West Climbs Vol 2 (Pat Littlejohn) is "due to be published in mid-May"
This is a bit misleading, it was actually published in May 2014. Perhaps you could correct this?

 Jack Geldard 25 Nov 2014
In reply to Andy2:

Thanks Andy - now changed.

Jack
 planetmarshall 25 Nov 2014
In reply to Dave Flanagan:

> Any publishers wanting some of the Christmas market should probably have their book their by mid-November I would think.

I would imagine it would be advantageous for publishers in mountain literature to have their books ready for both Banff and Boardman Tasker in the same year, which would mean getting them published a lot earlier than November. This year there's an odd situation where Jules won the 2014 BT prize for "Tears of the Dawn" despite being published in 2013, and "One Day as a Tiger" won at Banff but, I assume, was not published in time for BT ( I don't know what the deadline was this year - Gordon?)

Andrew.
 Offwidth 25 Nov 2014
In reply to Dave Flanagan:

Fair enough. I still think its a shame if those books that (for whatever reason) are published in the window between an annual review and the end of the year don't get included in a yearly round up. Just to be clear there is no implied critisism of the UKC reviewer here as this is the first one. I only noticed as various good books that at first viewing I expected to be included were in fact published at the end of 2013.
In reply to planetmarshall:

Can't remember what the deadline times were exactly. I think the Banff is about mid-June and BT late-July or early-August. The point is that these things have to be thought about months ahead.
In reply to planetmarshall:

... further point. I think Vertebrate sensibly held John Porter's book back a month or two so that it will be eligible for next year's BT - because they already had two quite strong contenders for this year's BT.
 Only a hill 25 Nov 2014
In reply to tony:

> It's known as Super Thursday in the book trade, and this year it fell on October 9. Mind you, this is very much a publicity campaign from (mostly) the big publishers and small independents in specialist areas such as climbing might not feel the need to join the campaign.

Absolutely. It's totally different for anyone indie publishing, for example.
In reply to Offwidth:

> Fair enough. I still think its a shame if those books that (for whatever reason) are published in the window between an annual review and the end of the year don't get included in a yearly round up. Just to be clear there is no implied critisism of the UKC reviewer here as this is the first one. I only noticed as various good books that at first viewing I expected to be included were in fact published at the end of 2013.

Very few books are published in the 'window' you refer to. It's a daft time to publish, because the whole Christmas market is already sewn up. You're competing with a huge number of new books. If you have a really strong book that could be a very popular Christmas present, publish in Sept/Oct, but for anything more esoteric, spring or early summer is a better time (gives a chance for word-of-mouth to build).
In reply to Offwidth:

... IIRC, all four my mountain books with Constable were published in June, and Fiva was published at the end of March. I remember with my first book at Constable the editor complaining that I'd chosen a snowy mountain scene for the front jacket. Said I couldn't have a book coming out in June with a cover like that. I fought my corner, saying 'what if it's a big Christmas book?' and I'm happy to say I was proved right. I may one day write a book about my creative life in the film and publishing worlds, and touch on some of the idiocy I've come across in the latter.
 Offwidth 26 Nov 2014
In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

Very few and daft maybe but look at the books mentioned that were. Peak Rock has to be my favorite climbing history book ever.
In reply to Offwidth:

I agree that it was sad that Peak Rock was published in late November. A very curious publishing decision, IMHO.
 Simon Caldwell 27 Nov 2014
In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

But not one that seems to have affected sales too much, given that there's already been a 2nd printing
 nwclimber 27 Nov 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:

Please excuse the blatant self-promotion but although perhaps not vitally important 'the perfect gift for any climber' doesn't seem to be on the list. (Ah, just checked. There isn't a category for 'Humour'):
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Bumper-Book-Climbing-ebook/dp/B00AHAFOYK/
http://www.cliperati.com/

 full stottie 30 Nov 2014
In reply to UKC Gear:


Some great climbing books on the list and above, but it HAS been an especially bumper year or two for biographies and autobiographies - McLure, Boysen, Livesey, Lines, McIntyre to add to a fine collection in recent years - Fawcett, Radtke, Dawes, Moffatt, Hill, Cave, Pritchard etc all of which have generated a mix of emotions in this reader: regret (not trying hard enough and wasting good climbing years); envy (at aptitude and ability), admiration and respect (at determination, commitment and motivation, sweaty palms (at some of the blow by blow accounts) and now and again, exasperation (when basic biographical info and context is simply omitted).

I've estimated that over the years I've read upwards of 60 biographies and autobiographies of individual climbers, and wonder what 2015 will bring. Or WHO should it bring? When does a climber write their story, or have it written? In celebrity world it seems that being 21 is old enough, but what about climbers? Whose story are you looking forward to hearing?

Dave

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...