• The first biography written of Michael Ward CBE, describing his achievements as a mountaineer, surgeon, scientist, explorer and writer.
• It examines his role as expedition doctor in the first ascent of MountEverest in 1953 and answers the ‘burning question’: Why did this expedition succeed when other equally well-resourced attempts before it had failed?

This is the first biography of Michael Ward (1925–2005): mountaineer, surgeon, scientist, explorer and writer. Amongst his many accomplishments, it describes – from his unique perspective – the first ascent of Mount Everest in 1953, when he was expedition doctor. Before this, he instigated the 1951 Reconnaissance Expedition, which discovered the route climbers would take to Everest’s summit after poring over forgotten maps and aerial photographs.

During the ground-breaking 1960–61 Himalayan Scientific and Mountaineering Expedition, he led the first ascent of the iconic Ama Dablam, notably during winter, a climb considered years ahead of its time. As an explorer, he was one of the first Europeans to travel through, and map, the remote northern regions of Bhutan, while conducting a medical survey of its inhabitants. He went on to write the first textbook on mountain medicine, which remains in print today.

In 1981, just as China was opening up following its turbulent Cultural Revolution, Ward organised and led an expedition there, which made the first ascent of Mount Kongur. The following year, the Royal Geographic Society awarded him its highest honour, the Founder’s (Gold) Medal.

Ward climbed with some of the legends of mountaineering: Eric Shipton, Ed Hillary, Tenzing Norgay and Chris Bonington; and this book relates many stories during his time with them. It also contains never-before published material, including Ward’s view of some controversial incidents during that history-making climb of Everest, as his widow allowed full access to his expedition diaries and his unpublished, hand-written autobiography.

Riaz Dean has travelled extensively through Asia and written two other books about this region: Mapping the Great Game and The Stone Tower (republished as Mapping the Silk Road). Born and raised in the Fiji Islands, he subsequently lived on three continents before settling in New Zealand.