Vertical Margins : Mountaineering and the Landscapes of Neo-imperialism

This analysis of 20th-century imperialism takes early mountaineering beyond the realm of recreation, revealing the deeper political forces at play in humanity's conquest of the world's highest peaks.

The book examines three pivotal expeditions in their larger historical context: Halford Mackinder's 1899 climb of Mt Kenya, Annie Smith Peck's 1908 ascent of Huascarán in Bolivia, and John Baptiste Noel's filming of the 1924 British attempt on Mt Everest. Each expedition becomes a lens through which to understand American and British foreign policy during the era of neo-imperialism.

By setting these mountaineering achievements against the backdrop of imperial ambition, this work illuminates how exploration and adventure were inextricably linked to the geopolitical strategies of the age.