Twenty-Five 25 Letters From Norman Clyde 1928-1964 --- 1998 FIRST EDITION

FIRST EDITION (first printing) of 500 copies only, not reprinted. This book was issued by the publisher WITHOUT dust jacket. No example of this book has a dust jacket. No dust jacket was ever made for this publication. The book is in excellent FINE condition in original red cloth with black lettering spine. There are no previous owner's marks or writing on any pages, no creased corners, very clean, no tears, no marks inside or outside book, tight binding, hinges are fine and not cracked. This book measures 276mm tall x 185mm and has 96 pages, 8 b/w photos, 8 sketches (by Mark Bright), relief map on endpages, bibliography, list of Clyde's first ascents, chronology. The book has a 16-page biography of Clyde by Dennis Kruska. Also, Kruska has made detailed annotations to Clyde's letters. The core of this book consists of 25 unedited letters (unpublished prior to this book) that were written by Clyde over a 41-year span. They all relate to his climbing, tramping, skiing, and various outdoor adventures in the Sierra Nevada of California. Clyde "climbed more Sierra peaks, hiked more Sierra miles, and found more missing Sierra hikers than any other 20th century mountaineer." Clyde also did some pioneer mountain skiing in the Sierra Nevada (one letter discusses some). Among Clyde's first ascents are East Face of Mt Whitney (1931), second ascent of El Picacho del Diablo in Baja Mexico (1932), first ascent of Mt Russell (1926), first ascent of Clyde Minaret (1928), fist ascent of Middle Palisade (1929), first ascent of the Devil's Crags (1934). Most of his mountaineering first ascents were made while climbing solo. This book won the "Award of Merit" from the 1999 Western Books Exhibition. This is an annual traveling exhibit sponsored by the Rounce & Coffin Club of Los Angeles that showcases outstanding examples of works produced by fine press printers and book artists.