Peak Pursuits: The Emergence of Mountaineering in the Nineteenth Century

“Makes an important contribution by placing mountain studies as part of the current discussions around ecocriticism, such as new materialisms and the relations between gender, class, and the environment.”—Harri Salovaara, Ecozon@: European Journal of Literature, Culture and Environment “Yet, the most stimulating contribution to current scholarship in mountain studies lies in this book’s exposure of the dimly illuminated spots in the great show that is nineteenth-century mountaineering. Peak Pursuits takes interest in the fallen alpinists, the tragedies, the futile climbs, and their social struggles, weakened bodies, and failed marriages. The author also reads the ambivalent success stories of these historic alpinists within a larger social network that is sustained by women and mountain Others who might not always be documented in the writings of celebrated alpinists but are written back into mountaineering history in Peak Pursuits.”—Eva-Maria Müller, Journal of the Austrian Association for American Studies “Motivated by her own passion for climbing as well as concern about the environmental degradation of high spaces across the world...Schaumann’s essential overarching thesis is one that few would substantially dispute.”—Vanessa Heggie, Metascience “There is much current interest in the preservation of mountain and climbing heritage, and this book is a fitting reminder of key figures who helped to shape these, placed in a wider context of cultural, social, and historic trends…Summarising complex ideas about such mountaineers can be elusive, but Schaumann’s text is informative, the images fascinating and together they provided a satisfying intellectual and aesthetic experience for the reader.”—Mike Huggins, Cultural and Social History “Peak Pursuits raises critical questions and is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of mountaineering.”—Peter Hansen, Worcester Polytechnic Institute “Schaumann offers important new insights into well-studied subjects, and intervenes into ongoing, vibrant debates about the mountains and human-environment interactions writ large.”—Andrew Denning, University of Kansas "Lyrical and incisive, haunting and urgent, Caroline Schaumann’s Peak Pursuits provides an essential reexamination of the history of mountaineering and the resonance of its legacy in our Anthropocene Age."—Katie Ives, editor-in-chief of Alpinist "A brilliant and beautifully written contribution to the new cultural history of mountaineering.  A climber herself, Schaumann takes us from the Alps to the Andes with sensitivity and verve and puts her fascinating cast of characters from Humboldt to Muir in the many varied contexts in which they belong. Here finally is a climbing history for the Anthropocene."—Stewart Weaver, co-author of Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes "Peak Pursuits significantly enhances our understanding of man’s scientific, aesthetic, and material interaction with mountains during the long nineteenth century from a transnational perspective. A major achievement in mountain studies."—Harald Höbusch, author of Mountain of Destiny: Nanga Parbat and its Path into the German Imagination