On May 1, 1999, the Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition found George Mallory's body - astonishingly well preserved - high on the wind-swept North Face of Everest. But that is not all they found. In Mallory's pockets, and elsewhere on the mountain, the researchers found answers to the question that has plagued historians and mountaineers alike: Did they make it? And if they did, what happened to them?Ghosts of Everest is the exclusive inside story of what they found and, for the first time, what this new evidence tells us about Mallory and Irvine's momentous last day. Read more

'John Keay is the master storyteller and historian. This grand narrative of Himalaya is as epic as the mountains and peoples he describes' Dan Snow'Adds the human element to the hard rock. And what a rich vein it is' Michael PalinHistory has not been kind to Himalaya. Empires have collided here, cultures have clashed. Buddhist India claimed it from the south, Islam put down roots in its western approaches, Mongols and Manchus rode in from the north, and, from the east, China continues to absorb what it prefers not to call Tibet. Hunters have decimated its wildlife and mountaineers have bagged its peaks. Today, machinery gouges minerals out of its rock.Roughly the size of Europe, the region is one of the most seismically active on the planet. Summers bring avalanches, rainfall triggers landslides and winters obliterate trails. Glaciers retreat, rivers change course and whole lakes quietly evaporate.To some, Himalaya is an otherworldly realm, profoundly life-changing, yet forbidding and forbidden. It has mesmerised scholars and mystics, sportsmen and spies, pilgrims and mapmakers who have mingled with the farmers and traders on the 'Roof of the World'.Himalaya is the story of one of the last great wildernesses and, in particular, of the bizarre discoveries and improbable achievements of its pioneers. Ranging from botany to trade, from the Great Game to today's geopolitics, John Keay draws on a lifetime of exploration and study to enlighten and delight with this lively biography of a region in crisis. Read more

The International Bestseller ‘Barney White-Spunner’s book stands out for its judicious and unsparing look at events from a British perspective.’Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times Review 'This book is at its most powerful in its month-by-month narrative of how Partition tore apart northern and eastern India, with the new state of Pakistan carved out of communities who had lived together for the past millennium.' Zareer Masani, BBC History Magazine    ‘A highly readable account . . .’ Times Literary Review Between January and August 1947 the conflicting political, religious and social tensions in India culminated in independence from Britain and the creation of Pakistan. Those months saw the end of ninety years of the British Raj, and the effective power of the Maharajahs, as the Congress Party established itself commanding a democratic government in Delhi. They also witnessed the rushed creation of Pakistan as a country in two halves whose capitals were two thousand kilometers apart. From September to December 1947 the euphoria surrounding the realization of the dream of independence dissipated into shame and incrimination; nearly 1 million people died and countless more lost their homes and their livelihoods as partition was realized. The events of those months would dictate the history of South Asia for the next seventy years, leading to three wars, countless acts of terrorism, polarization around the Cold War powers and to two nations with millions living in poverty spending disproportionate amounts on their military. The roots of much of the violence in the region today, and worldwide, are in the decisions taken that year. Not only were those decisions controversial but the people who made them were themselves to become some of the most enduring characters of the twentieth century. Gandhi and Nehru enjoyed almost saint like status in India, and still do, whilst Jinnah is lionized in Pakistan. The British cast, from Churchill to Attlee and Mountbatten, find their contribution praised and damned in equal measure. Yet it is not only the national players whose stories fascinate. Many of those ordinary people who witnessed the events of that year are still alive. Although most were, predictably, only children, there are still some in their late eighties and nineties who have a clear recollection of the excitement and the horror. Illustrating the story of 1947 with their experiences and what independence and partition meant to the farmers of the Punjab, those living in Lahore and Calcutta, or what it felt like to be a soldier in a divided and largely passive army, makes the story real. Partition will bring to life this terrible era for the Indian Sub Continent.   Read more

For three decades one of the most secretive units in the British military has been a mystery force known as X Platoon.Officially there was no X Platoon. The forty men in its elite number were specially selected from across the Armed Forces, at which point they simply ceased to exist. X Platoon had no budget, no weaponry, no vehicles and no kit - apart from what its men could beg, borrow or steal from other military units.For the first time a highly decorated veteran of this specialised force - otherwise known as the Pathfinders - reveals its unique story. Steve Heaney became one of the youngest ever to pass Selection, the gruelling trial of elite forces, and was at the cutting edge of X Platoon operations - serving on anti-narcotics operations in the Central American jungles, on missions hunting war criminals in the Balkans, and being sent to spy on and wage war against the Russians.The first non-officer in the unit's history to be award the Military Cross, Steve Heaney reveals the extraordinary work undertaken by this secret band of brothers. Read more

Kathmandu is the greatest city of the Himalaya; a place where unique cultural practices that died out in India a thousand years ago have survived. It is a carnival of sexual license and hypocrisy, a jewel of world art, a hotbed of communist revolution, a paradigm of failed democracy, a case study in bungled Western intervention, and an environmental catastrophe. Kathmandu’s rapid modernisation is an extreme version of what is happening in many traditional societies with the destabilising spirits of consumer aspiration, individuality, egalitarianism, communism and democracy. Erudite, entertaining and accessible, this is the fascinating chronicle of a unique city. Read more

New York Times Book Review Editor's ChoiceThe shocking story of the massacre of a group of Nepalese men working as Defense contractors for the United States Government during the Iraq War, and the widow who dedicated her life to finding justice for her husband and the other victims—a riveting tale of courageous heroes, corporate war profiteers, international business, exploitation, trafficking, and human rights in the age of global capitalism that reveals how modern power truly works.In August of 2004, twelve men left their village in Nepal for jobs at a five-star luxury hotel in Amman, Jordan. They had no idea that they had actually been hired for sub-contract work on an American military base in Iraq. But fate took an even darker turn when the dozen men were kidnapped and murdered by Islamic extremists. Their gruesome deaths were captured in one of the first graphic execution videos disseminated on the web—the largest massacre of contractors during the war. Compounding the tragedy, their deaths received little notice.Why were these men, from a remote country far removed from the war, in Iraq? How had they gotten there? Who were they working for? Consumed by these questions, award-winning investigative journalist Cam Simpson embarked on a journey to find answers, a decade-long odyssey that would uncover a web of evil spanning the globe—and trigger a chain of events involving one brave young widow, three indefatigable human rights lawyers, and a formidable multinational corporation with deep governmental ties.A heart-rending, page-turning narrative that moves from the Himalayas to the Middle East to Houston and culminates in an epic court battle, The Girl from Kathmandu is a story of death and life—of the war in Iraq, the killings of the twelve Nepalese, a journalist determined to uncover the truth, and a trio of human rights lawyers dedicated to finding justice. At its heart is one unforgettable young woman, Kamala Magar, who found the courage to face the influential men who sent her husband to his death—a model of strength hope, bravery, and an unbreakable spirit who reminds us of the power we all have to make a difference. Read more

Their ferocity is as legendary as their loyalty to the British Monarch and their regimental histories are crammed with actsof incredible bravery and sacrifice. The Gurkhas' particular reputation as fearsome fighting men remains undisputed and the mere threat of their kukri knives has put fear into the hearts of opposing forces throughout the world.The Gurkhas have been on the British frontlines since 1815 and these small but extraordinarily tough fighters have demonstrated their courage ever since, in battles ranging from the Indian Mutiny through Afghanistan to Kosovo.John Parker has fully updated his bestselling book to include the Gurkhas' recent operations in Africa and to celebrate their successful campaigning for British citizenship. His book is a fascinating testimony to a fighting force that standsdramatically apart in British military history. Read more

Nepal has undergone unprecedented transformation: from the Constituent Assembly elections and its dissolution, the integration of the rebel army, and the end of the 240-year rule of the Shah dynasty, to the doubling of remittances to $5 billion, improved performance in the Millennium Development Goals, and the rise of consumption. Unleashing the Vajra tells the story of Nepal s changing economy, from the time of unification to the establishment of a remittance economy driven by the labour of Nepal s diaspora. Acclaimed columnist and business leader Sujeev Shakya examines not only the squandered opportunities of the past but also what Nepali citizens need to do to escape from a feudal history of dependence and powerlessness. Here is a Nepal that could be an Asian Tiger. Here are resourceful village communities who manage their own electricity, aspirational Nepali youth, energetic migrant workers, and driven foreign-aid workers who can make this dream a reality. Compelling and eminently readable, this updated and enriched version brings the country alive with its acute business understanding, humour and local colour. Read more

Introduced by Jeet Thayli, author of Booker Prize shortlisted novel Narcopolis.At the age of 20, Dom Moraes - already a celebrated poet who would go on to be regarded as one of India's finest writers - returned to his native India after finishing education in England. After spending time in Delhi, meeting Jawaharlal Nehru and the young Dalai Lama, he embarked on a meandering journey through northern India, Nepal and Sikkim at a time of political tension and the threat of invasion by China.Brilliant, curious and precocious, seldom without a drink in his hand, he chanced his way into some extraordinary situations - including staying in a Nepalese palace with a resident bear and being shot at and chased by Chinese soldiers. Gone Away details these adventures with a poet's eye for detail, and the luminosity and humour for which Moraes was known. Read more

‘Sometimes my mind reaches back beyond the fear and the arid landscapes of war, to memories of childhood that fill me with happiness and laughter.’___________‘A humane and gripping book which proves beyond doubt why the Gurkhas are known as such formidable warriors.’ – Sir Ranulph Fiennes___________This is a searingly honest memoir by Kailash Limbu, a serving Gurkha soldier who undertook five tours of active service in Afghanistan. Kailash Limbu was in the front line of the fighting in Helmand Province. On dangerous resupply missions and on offensive patrols that took them to the heart of the ‘killing zone’, he and his men came under frequent attack from Taliban fighters.He talks of other operations in which he has served – and, perhaps most movingly, of the other Gurkha soldiers – the united band of brothers – with whom he serves and on whom he relies every day.On many occasions he has feared he would not live to see the end of the day – and, inevitably, he lost several friends and colleagues from the close-knit Gurkha brotherhood. His means of coping with the trauma of conflict was to travel back in his mind to his childhood in a remote Himalayan village in Nepal. But even amid the simplicity of mountain life, danger and tragedy lurked.In this compelling narrative Capt Limbu celebrates his Gurkha heritage, relates remarkable stories of courage (his own and others’), and confronts demons that have shaped but never broken him. The result is a record of war and peace that is rare in its honesty and humility. Read more

The Mustang Archives explores locally produced documents from Mustang, Nepal, mostly dated to the year within the last two centuries. The archives are from five communities: Geling, Lubrak, Jharkot, Upper Tshognam and Lower Tshognam. The documents - some from private households, others the communal property of villages - were preserved in wooden or metal boxes, baskets or bags as a loose assemblage of folded sheets of paper. They are of several different kinds, including contracts, petitions, edicts, letters, dispute resolutions, tax records and community regulations. Besides being an important source of information for the reconstruction of Mustang's social history, are an extremely valuable source of knowledge about local paper- and book-production. It is not only their content but their material that provides information essential to tracing their past history, clarifying, among other things, the economic factors that shaped their production. Read more

The May 1996 climbing season on Mount Everest will go down in infamy. Its story has been recounted in David Breashears's gripping IMAX film, Jon Krakauer's bestseller Into Thin Air, and this NG film companion book, now updated with brilliant new panoramic photography. Written in suspenseful detail, the book documents how a courageous photographic team, facing hazards of their own, became an essential part of a rescue effort that brought some--but not all--of their companions down from the mountain alive. Added to the classic main text are fascinating updates: brief portraits of those who lived through the tragedy; a time line of subsequent climbing events on Everest, up to 2014; and never-before-published detailed panoramics of Everest and the Himalaya. The new feature film, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, Keira Knightley, and Robin Wright, presents the opportunity to refresh, update, and reintroduce one of National Geographic's most successful titles. Read more

'John Keay is the master storyteller and historian. This grand narrative of Himalaya is as epic as the mountains and peoples he describes' Dan Snow'Adds the human element to the hard rock. And what a rich vein it is' Michael PalinHistory has not been kind to Himalaya. Empires have collided here, cultures have clashed. Buddhist India claimed it from the south, Islam put down roots in its western approaches, Mongols and Manchus rode in from the north, and, from the east, China continues to absorb what it prefers not to call Tibet. Hunters have decimated its wildlife and mountaineers have bagged its peaks. Today, machinery gouges minerals out of its rock.Roughly the size of Europe, the region is one of the most seismically active on the planet. Summers bring avalanches, rainfall triggers landslides and winters obliterate trails. Glaciers retreat, rivers change course and whole lakes quietly evaporate.To some, Himalaya is an otherworldly realm, profoundly life-changing, yet forbidding and forbidden. It has mesmerised scholars and mystics, sportsmen and spies, pilgrims and mapmakers who have mingled with the farmers and traders on the 'Roof of the World'.Himalaya is the story of one of the last great wildernesses and, in particular, of the bizarre discoveries and improbable achievements of its pioneers. Ranging from botany to trade, from the Great Game to today's geopolitics, John Keay draws on a lifetime of exploration and study to enlighten and delight with this lively biography of a region in crisis. Read more

A year after the devastating earthquake that shook Nepal, former Gurkha Officer turned professional photographer, Johnny Fenn, shares his journey with the Nepalese people. Read more

Step into the captivating world of Nepal with "The History of Nepal," a fascinating journey through the rich tapestry of this enchanting country. Delve into the mythical origins, ancient dynasties, and medieval kingdoms that have shaped Nepal's vibrant history. Explore the architectural marvels, spiritual heritage, and natural wonders that make Nepal a truly unique destination.Uncover the mysteries of Nepal's prehistoric roots, follow the rise and fall of kingdoms, and witness the transformation of a nation. From the bustling streets of Kathmandu to the serene landscapes of the Annapurna Circuit, this book takes you on a journey through the breathtaking sights and cultural treasures that define Nepal.Discover the legendary Gurkhas and their legacy, explore the artistic splendors of the Newar civilization, and immerse yourself in the spiritual teachings of Buddhism and Hinduism. Traverse the pages to witness the architectural wonders, experience the flavors of Nepalese cuisine, and get lost in the tales of Nepal's hidden gems."The History of Nepal" is more than just a book—it is an invitation to embark on an adventure, to learn, to be inspired, and to connect with the rich heritage of Nepal. Whether you are a history enthusiast, a curious traveler, or someone seeking a deeper understanding of this remarkable country, this book is a must-read.Please note that this is a text-only book, free from distracting images or graphics, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the captivating narratives and factual insights presented within its pages. Read more

The inside story of the most daring SAS rescue mission everIn September 2000 eleven British soldiers were captured by a notorious militia gang in Sierra Leone. The so-called 'West Side Boys' had subjected their part of the country to a long reign of terror, murdering, kidnapping and mutilating anyone who stood in their way.Now British soldiers were at their mercy. Surrounded and hopelessly outnumbered, any resistance would have seen them all killed; yet their hopes of a quick exchange soon faded. They were assaulted and subjected to mock executions. Negotiations with the 'Revolutionary United Front' leaders and the 'West Side Boys' proved futile.Prime Minister Tony Blair ordered the armed forces to get the men back. The SAS and elements of the Parachute Regiment were rushed to West Africa and a naval squadron assembled offshore. The stage was set for the biggest British military operation on the continent for a generation - and their most daring rescue mission ever. Read more