"Detectives on Everest" tells the story of the 2001 expedition that unsuccessfully searched for the remains of Sandy Irvine. They hoped to find a camera that would prove once in for all whether in 1924 Irvine and George Mallory actually reached the summit of Mt. Everest, but the camera remains missing.

While the team didn't find what they were looking for, they did find a treasure trove of artifacts from both Mallory's expedition and several later Chinese ascents. They offer tantalizing hints that Mallory and Irvine could possibly have reached the summit before plunging to their deaths. (At least, they were the more convincing arguments along that line that I've ever read.)

Also included in the book is a great rescue story where they helped several climbers down after a night up high on the mountain. The members of the expedition gave up their summit bid on a beautiful day-- all the while other climbers marched past them and even refused to help.

Well-written and with lots of great photographs of artifacts, this is a really interesting look at Mt. Everest and the early attempts to reach its peak. ( )

This recounts the story of the 2001 Mallory and Irvine Search Expedition which returned to Everest in the hope of finding Sandy Irvine's body and settling once and for all the question as to whether Mallory and Irvine reached the summit of Everest in 1924. The Expedition was unsuccessful in its goal, but made some interesting archaeological discovers which shed light on previous North Face Expeditions, including the 1922 and 1924 Expeditions. The climbers were also involved in a dramatic rescue attempt of other climbers who got into difficulty close to the summit, a salutary reminder that even with the advances in equipment and technique, scaling Everest is a risky busy and not one to be taken lightly. ( )