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    Up: My Life’s Journey to the Top of Everest
    Up: My Life’s Journey to the Top of Everest
    Up: My Life’s Journey to the Top of Everest
    Audiobook7 hours

    Up: My Life’s Journey to the Top of Everest

    Written by Ben Fogle and Marina Fogle

    Narrated by Ben Fogle and Marina Fogle

    3/5

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    About this audiobook

    My eyes lifted to the horizon and the unmistakable snowy outline of Everest.

    Everest, the mountain of my childhood dreams. A mountain that has haunted me my whole life. A mountain I have seen hundreds of times in photographs and films but never in real life.

    In April 2018, seasoned adventurer Ben Fogle and Olympic cycling gold medallist Victoria Pendleton, along with mountaineer Kenton Cool, took on their most exhausting challenge yet – climbing Everest for the British Red Cross to highlight the environmental challenges mountains face. It would be harrowing and exhilarating in equal measure as they walked the fine line between life and death 8,000 metres above sea level.

    For Ben, the seven-week expedition into the death zone was to become the adventure of a lifetime, as well as a humbling and enlightening journey. For his wife Marina, holding the family together at home, it was an agonising wait for news. Together, they dedicated the experience to their son, Willem Fogle, stillborn at eight months.

    Cradling little Willem to say goodbye, Ben and Marina made a promise to live brightly. To embrace every day. To always smile. To be positive and to inspire. And from the depths of their grief and dedication, Ben’s Everest dream was born.
    Up, from here the only way was Up.

    Part memoir, part thrilling adventure, Ben and Marina’s account of his ascent to the roof of the world is told with their signature humour and warmth, as well as with profound compassion.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins Publishers
    Release dateOct 18, 2018
    ISBN9780008319212
    Author

    Ben Fogle

    Ben Fogle is the author of several books including The Accidental Adventurer, The Crossing and Race to the Pole. He has presented numerous television programs, including the BBC's Animal Park, Countryfile and Extreme Dreams. Ben's sporting achievements include completing the gruelling 160-mile 'Marathon Des Sables' through the Sahara, and rowing across the Atlantic with double Olympic Gold Medallist James Cracknell, OBE.

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    Reviews for Up

    3/5

    121 ratings106 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I was really excited to receive this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer Program. I had thought, prior to reading the blurb, that the book would be a continuation of The Eight with the focus on those familiar characters. Honestly, I'm glad it's not - I couldn't see how a whole book could come out of it. However, I was disappointed with the small role Alexander Solarin played in the story. He was my favorite character (next to Mireille) from The Eight. However, the story quickly picked up and I was able to put that small prejudice behind me.I found the first chapter that takes place in the past incredibly difficult to read. The names and places that are difficult to pronounce - even in my head - made things very disjointed for me. That too, quickly passed, though. Katherine Neville was able to tie these two books together in a way that really worked for me. The way things fell to the descendants of the previous story was a nice way to keep things familiar to old readers. It took a while for me to warm up to Xie and the other new characters. I had a hard time liking Key. She seemed to be entirely too convenient - her connections, her knowledge. There were, of course, things in the plot that were obvious from very near the beginning. I've found that most sequels follow a pattern similar to their predecessor, so it wasn't exactly surprising when certain things happened.The story was lively and there really weren't any dull moments. I was a little disappointed that the locales were not as exotic and varied as in The Eight, though the story itself more than made up for it. There were some things that I simply couldn't "get" - I'm no chess guru, nor do I have any esoteric or deep philosophical knowledge. I may not have a head for puzzles, but I do know a good book when I read one. I would very heartily recommend this book (and The Eight) to others.
    • 3/5
      Read Nov. 2013. Sequel to The Eight. A chess set which confers unlimited power. Vartan (White King) and Xie (Black Queen and daughter of Cat and Alexander Solarin from The Eight) complete the quest by their union. Not as good as The Eight. The sections devoted to the past not as absorbing as in The Eight.
    • 3/5
      A good sequel to The Eight, which I loved. It falls apart a bit at the end, as did The Eight, but I enjoyed it. I did feel I needed to re-read The Eight to remember enough about the characters to get into the plot.
    • 2/5
      I read The Eight a couple of years ago, shortly after The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons were all the rage. The Eight and The Fire are in a similar genre: the series involves an interesting story based in the world of chess and pulling in elements of fact and history. I enjoyedThe Fire although I found it somewhat "ploddy." I'm not a chess player, so perhaps I miss out on that aspect of both books -- the ongoing story enters around a magnificent chess set and the bigger chess game played in real life. The problem with The Fire is that it tries to cover too much. I really enjoyed the modern-era story and found the main character, Alexandra Solarin, to be interesting and well-developed, with some fascinating friends. However, the stories from the past cover a dizzying number of minor characters and seem contrived to pull in as many historical figures as possible. There are just too many twists and turns and dead ends involving relatively minor players to make this a truly enjoyable read. I felt like I was having to work too hard. I think the modern-day story with sparing references to the historical backstory would be just as effective. Neville introduces some unconventional friends of Alexandra, especially Nokomis Key. I would look forward to a continuation of this chess epic if it focused on Solarin, Key, and Azov. I suspect, however, that the sequel will draw in Mary Magdalene, Cleopatra, Lenin, Charlotte Bronte, and Charlie Chaplin, and have us believe that they, too, have been playing this grand chess game.On a technical note, I found a number of typos and grammatical errors that I hope will be fixed before publication.Overall, I admire the depth and breadth of Neville's idea -- I really want to love this book and the series but they just leave me tired.
    • 4/5
      The Fire by Katherine NevilleThinking the trip is much too dangerous, Cat Velis begs her husband, Alexander Solarin, not to take their daughter, 12 year old Alexandra Solarin , to Russia for a chess tournament. Even so, they travel to the walled park of Zagorsk for the match. While waiting in line to get into the vestry where the match is to be held, an old woman brushes past Alexandra and leaves her with an embossed card with the Russian word for danger on it. Alexander gets a quick look at the old woman but she can’t possibly be who he thinks she is, can she? He grabs his daughter’s hand to chase after the old woman when their world explodes .As a master story-teller, Neville really knows how to ramp up the suspense and intrigue. By the end of the prologue I was hooked. We fast forward ten years to adult Alexandra, also know an Xie, receiving a very cryptic invitation from her mother to a birthday party. Xie thinks this is a little odd since her mother never celebrates her birthday and actually does not like to even tell people the date. Even though she has not had much communication from her in five years, she travels to Colorado only to find her mother missing. Several others, including her aunt Lily , her best friend Nokomis Key and Vartan Azvov, young chess master, also show up at the house. When Xie finds a chess set with a game in progress that was the same game she was playing when her father was shot, along with a mysterious set of clues, Xie feels she must search out her mother.The story alternates from one century to the present. From the past we learn the history of the Montglane Chess set, a very powerful set made for Charlemagne. Most of the pieces have been hidden around the world and many people have looked for them. Vividly portrayed are those who over a span of many years coveted it’s power and those who did all they could to protect the pieces of the set, some dying while making the attempt. In the present we follow Xie, her aunt Lily and others as she tries to find her mother, one of the people who had hidden numerous pieces of the set twenty years previously. But now Xie wonders if” The Game “is back on? There are a lot of heart thumping moments as Xie does not know who to trust or distrust during her search. The reader will be deeply enthralled with all the intrigue and mystery related to this highly valued chess set, anxiously turning each page to see the outcome. One criteria I have of a good book is that it makes the characters memorable long after the last page is read. Another aspect of a good book is an element of the story that makes you want to read further on that subject. Although this is a book of fiction, the historical parts are so well researched I found myself wanting to read books on the Turkish Empire , Charlemagne or more on the French revolution. Many interesting aspects make up this book such as the intermingling of elements: mystery, thriller, puzzles, international intrigue and even some romance. Although The Fire is sequel to The Eight, it is a stand alone book but if you have not previously read The Eight, one of the most compellingly intriguing books ever, I recommend that you read it. There is a tremendous amount of fascinating history that will greatly enhance your understanding of The Fire. The characters are plausible, likeable and most are well developed. I think a few of the main characters could have been a little sharper. Historical figures are easily blended in with the fictional ones. The story is well paced and transitions smoothly from one time frame to the next with deep layers of complexity richly told. Neville’s descriptions transport the reader right into the scene. With some thrillers and international conspiracies, the readers’ need to suspend disbelief is implied. A few of the puzzle solving scenarios in the beginning I found a bit implausible but still and all a very enjoyable read . Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      It was a treat to read this fast-paced follow-up to The Eight. The double story lines of the present and nearly 200 years ago, complete with historical figures and world-wide locations, never felt boring or contrived. The Fire riveted my attention from page one and kept it till the very end. Katherine Neville is a very intriguing author - I love her attention to detail.
    • 3/5
      I received this book through the Early Reviewers. Not knowing that it was a sequel to The Eight, I read it first then went back to the other. I thought this was a decent read. Reading the two books, The Eight was definitely the best of them. Something seems to have gotten lost during the years betweent he two.
    • 3/5
      I put off reading this until I had read "The Eight", which I just recently finished. I really wanted to go against all the not-so-good reviews of this book & find some redeeming qualities. But...I don't think I can. As a stand-alone novel, this might've been okay, although having the background of the prequel is helpful (sort of). But as a follow-up, it just disappoints, as so many other readers have said. The potential was certainly there -- there were quite a few plot lines in "The Eight" that could've been expanded on & "The Fire" really could've been a good, if not great, novel. But it wasn't. The storyline was relatively dull, and the whole "black vs. white" team thing was just confusing. And then the ending -- very weak. For as much work & research as I'm sure Neville must've put into writing this, it just fell flat.
    • 5/5
      I received my ARC three days ago and all I can say is "wow!" After having read "The Eight" many years ago, I was excited to hear that there was a sequel, but was afraid it wouldn't live up to the original. I had no reason to worry; this book started me along the path of adventure from the very first page! Truly a page-turner; I couldn't put it down!!
    • 5/5
      The story starts with the Eight. A magnificent chess set, that once belonged to Charlemagne, is the key to unlimited power. It travels through history touching Napoleon, Catherine the Great, and many other names you will recognize. At the end of the Eight the chess set, called the Montglane Service appears safe from evil hands, but in The Fire it will resurface in frightening new ways. New players will be brought into the game and the line between black and white will become gray....I loved The Eight and for me The Fire scratched an itch I have been waiting to scratch for ten years. The Fire has it all romance, adventure, and history. It has brains and brawn and a funny bone to boot! It was fast-paced and surprising and the first book in a long time that I couldn't put down. I only hope that I don't have to wait ten more years for another book from Katherine Neville!
    • 3/5
      I received this book as an Early Reviewer's copy, and I found it very interesting. While I had some trouble keeping up with the author's style of switching from present day to 200 years in the past, I finally began to understand the story. Unfortunately, there is a 1st book that really would have been helpful to read before attempting this sequel, I still was absorbed by the story. I admit I came away still somewhat confused about the puzzles and games, but the overall theme made sense. I'm not sure if I want to go back and attempt to read the first book, The Eight, but my curiosity has been peaked, and I just might.The book is well written and the author deserves the kudos having been bestowed by others.
    • 3/5
      I received an advanced copy of Katherine Neville’s “The Fire” through LibraryThing Early Reviewers. I found it to be a compelling story mired down by unrealistic character interaction and ambitious desire to include minute detail that wasn’t needed to further the story line.The book centers around a chess set imbued with mystical powers and The Game, in which (sometimes unwitting) people in the real world play the role of the various chess pieces. People run around trying to keep the powerful chess set out of the wrong hands, or trying to figure out which chess piece they are, who the other players are, and what The Game is all about. It’s an interesting premise, and Neville obviously did her homework. The book is crammed with historical details, and Neville relishes a good puzzle (a puzzle within a puzzle is even better!). Her writing can richly evoke a sense of place and time. I have to say that this book didn’t grab me. I just couldn’t get into it. It switched around between the different story lines a lot in a way that interrupted the flow of the book, I felt. And I found a lot of the dialogue stilted and unrealistic. The way puzzles were used to send secret clues about what was going on, or conversations using code language to throw off eavesdroppers just seemed too forced to me. It would bring me out of the story to wonder if people like this actually existed. I will say that I have not read “The Eight,” the prequel to “The Fire,” so maybe I started out this book at a disadvantage. I will add “The Eight” to my reading list, as so many others have raved about it, and perhaps then this book will be a less arduous read.
    • 3/5
      Oh goodness, this book was a bit much for me. It seems like Neville took every element in the historical record, and tried in incorporate it into novel. Besides this, the story really lost its luster about halfway through the book. It is a shame that a novel with such promise really fell off. Too long, too complicated, and just too much.
    • 2/5
      When I read Neville's first book, The Eight, it immediately became my absolute hands-down favorite book of all time. By comparison, her second novel, Calculated RIsk, was interesting but hardly of the same caliber. SO when I heard about The Fire, as a sequel to The Eight, I was very excited. However, this preview proved a huge disappointment. I couldn't get into it. I couldn't get into it because the story-telling kept stalling. In a bungled attempt to build suspense, Neville kept telling us what she was going to tell us and then never told us. Additionally, the layout of the chapters and historical recollections seemed to follow a formulaic layout established in The Eight. And while it worked the first time around, a new approach is needed to bring this sequel out of the ashes. (by masterdeski's Mom)
    • 2/5
      Let me just say that I LOVED The Eight, so I was definitely excited for the sequel. Unfortunately I found The Fire to be very disappointing. Whatever magic made The Eight flow, with it's perfectly built mysteries that kept you interested and intrigued was totally missing in The Fire.
    • 5/5
      Wow! Neville crafts a mind-twisting story that I have been unable to put down. I would not have wanted to write the description for the book cover, because it is a near impossible task to distill this book down from the vast cornucopia of flavors offered within. History, secret societies, cultural identities, relationships, family issues, and of course, chess. All these topics are wrapped together with an ever-expanding stream of plot lines. Neville is masterful in creating situations and events that are endlessly connected and surprising. Each chapter brings forth a new set of characters that help unravel the mystery placed before the reader. This book is a tome of information, and serves not only as a fantastic source of entertainment, but also as motivation to add some spice, mystery, and puzzles into my every day life. While it is not the easiest or quickest read, you'll be amazed at how rewarding it is.
    • 4/5
      I was intrigued by the description of this book from the outset. I found it had a little of something to snag almost everyone’s interest. It is an amalgam of history, historical fiction, political intrigue, competitive international chess, exotic esoteric knowledge and action, all packed into a single volume.The story starts with the foundation of the legend behind a mystic chess set, owned by Charlemagne and executed by a skilled Middle Eastern artisan and initiate into hidden magic. I found this portion of the story one of the best features of the book. Ms Neville certainly did her homework in preparing to write The Fire. I am so much intrigued that I plan to acquire the prequel to this work, The Eight.If you have trouble following a lot of characters and their relationships, you will have trouble with this book. There is quite a cast of main characters and, unlike some books with huge casts, I’d have a hard time trimming this list without effecting the premise of the story.There are quite a few flaws with this book, however, not the least of which was I got tired of the heroine constantly being rescued by the “good guys” suddenly appearing in the nick of time. I imagine the ancient Greeks got a little tired of the deus ex machina special effects of their time if it was used more than once or twice in a play. Ms. Neville should have researched this a little more completely.My biggest disappointment was the end. The book simply ended with no complete resolution. If properly set up, this type of conclusion can be wonderfully effective. Read Golding’s Lord of the Flies or Atwood’s Oryx and Crake for what I feel are two good examples of open endings. No. Given the direction this story was going in, I expected a more elegant resolution. There is no "checkmate" ending, just a resignation on the part of the author.To continue one of the metaphors of the book, The Fire starts with a nice bed of coals, builds to a wonderful intensity, then the logs shift and ultimately, The Fire just smolders away. There is a lot of heat generated along the way and the fire is cozy, but the meal prepared over this fire is not done to your taste.The Fire started out at over four stars for me, but slowly slipped back to three and a half. Distinctly above average, well worth reading and entertaining along the way, but I found it short of being great.
    • 2/5
      I had great hope for this book as I remember enjoying "The Eight" but in the end I just didn't get any pleasure out of this book. The storyline was so disjointed that it just didn't make any sense to me. It actually makes me question why I enjoyed "The Eight."
    • 2/5
      I honestly have to say I chose to read this book because the cover caught my interest. I had never before heard of the author, Katheriine Neville, being that I didn't get into reading until January of 2007 and because the prequel to this book, "The Eight," was published the year I was born. I really didn't like this book, I didn't even finish it... it just didn't catch my interest but, I am not surprised because I usually don't read these types of books but, I took on an impulse and decided to read something new for a change. I did enjoy learning some new words in a different language though (I'm assuming they were russian). I do plan on passing this book on to family and friends to read because I know a few people who do like suspense/thriller novels and are really eager to read this book.
    • 4/5
      In this entertaining and well-constructed follow-up (prequel and sequel at the same time) to THE EIGHT of over two decades ago, Neville revisits a few of the characters from the first story while introducing many new ones in a tale--part thriller, part mystery, part many other things--that is once again built around the game of chess. As in the earlier book, the story more or less takes place in two timelines; one is largely Europe of the 1820s and the other is mainly here in the States at the start of this millennium, in the days following our return engagement in Baghdad and Iraq. With one glaring (to me, at least) exception, Neville's research and attention to detail are once again obvious and solid all around. The characters are fascinating--almost too smart and too good to be realistic in many cases--and the narrative is very good overall, although the pacing is inconsistent at times. The resolution is satisfying in some ways and rather disappointing and anticlimactic in others. My biggest complaint is that there would have been little story to tell if the characters had simply been open and honest with one another throughout, instead of pretty much all acting secretively, cryptically, obscurely and what have you. Imagine if I were to tell you that I'd like to get together over lunch, but instead of telling you the name of the place where I would like to meet, I simply left you a partial list of vague clues designed to lead you to the restaurant. You'd probably slap me and tell me to stop being a vague idiot. But I suppose that's true for a great deal of fiction, and mystery fiction in particular. In the end, if you haven't read either of the two books, then you're in for a treat; if you've already read the first outing, then you owe it to yourself to revisit the story to see how things all turn out.
    • 3/5
      My only complaint with this book is that it dragged out a bit and that it was published such a long time from the original book, The Eight (which I'd loved) so that I wasn't sure if I should be relating some of the material in The Fire back to that first book.
    • 3/5
      This is a complicated adventure novel involving a centuries-long search for a famous chess set and the solution to its mysteries. Parallel stories set in present day and in the 1820s track the efforts of the Black Team and the White Team to find the missing game pieces and figure out just who is on which team -- and if it matters. This is definitely an adventure story rather than a thriller. It is full of symbolism and riddle-solving, all interwoven with history, but it is more Mists of Avalon than Da Vinci Code. The story drags as the characters dither and, while the plot is interesting enough, it is not a particularly exciting book.
    • 3/5
      This book was bad. I read the first book, The Eight, in high school and it was pretty decent. I'd actually recommend it. But this book was very bad. The plot had gaping holes, and a lot of it didn't make sense. Some of the small things that were supposed to be clues to the larger mystery didn't ever get explained, which is annoying. The book is supposed to be one big chess analogy, but it's weak, at best. The "white team" and the "black team" keep switching sides and you can never remember who is supposed to be on the same team as the main character. To make matters worse, it's suggested that one team is the "good" team and the other the "bad". Everyone keeps switching teams which would be okay except for the fact that only one character ever actually does anything (good or bad).
    • 3/5
      I read "The Eight" when it came out, and just loved it (5 stars!) So I think my expectations were unfairly high for "The Fire"... The book was entertaining, and fun, but just didn't grip me and grab me like the 1st one did. I enjoyed the historical parts, and would have liked to have read more about the origin of the Chess set, and those characters. -But like I said, my expectations were maybe too high, after "The Eight." With that said,,I'll add that, to me, it felt like when a band has a really great debut album, with an original sound, and then can't live up in their 2nd. -It was as though Neville fought against a genre that she perfected, and (for me) kind of created, in her 1st book. Hope she writes a 3rd.
    • 2/5
      Nearly a DNF for me . . .
    • 1/5
      Like many other members, I enjoyed The Eight, although I had a number of issues with it. The best I can say about The Fire is that it was shorter than The Eight. I finished it, but barely. And, I was a bit angry with it when I was done.
    • 2/5
      Having loved "The Eight," I was really looking forward to reading "The Fire." I found "The Fire" to be a disappointment in constrast with "The Eight.""The Fire" does not stand well on its own as a book. Had I not read "The Eight," I would have been completely lost and would probably have been hard pressed to complete "The Fire." Having read "The Eight," however, I was able to follow the plot line well enough. The number of people that conspired to keep the protagonist, Xie, in the dark about The Game, her parents' role, and her role in it for over ten years, though, was so remarkable as to make it very difficult for me to suspend belief long enough to really get into the story, to lose myself in it. Because of this, it took me a long time to actually get through it. When I was finally there, in that reading zone, suddenly, the book ended. I don't know what happened to many of the characters in the back story, such as Xie's parents or her uncle.All in all, a dissatisfying read, I am sorry to report.
    • 3/5
      As a child, Alexandra Solarin's father is shot in front of her eyes at a chess tournament in Russia. The mysteries surrounding his death don't begin to explain themselves until Alexandra is much older. As an apprentice chef, she has now given up on chess, but the game hasn't abandoned her. Her mother, Cat Velis, throws a birthday party and invites not only Alexandra but several of her irritating neighbors, Alexandra's aunt Lily Rad, her best friend Nokomis Key, and her last chess opponent, Vartan Azov. The truth behind her parents' past is revealed to Alexandra bit by bit as the next stage in the game plays itself out against elaborate backdrops with hugely prominent characters holding pivotal roles in the search for the purpose of the Montglane Service.Unfortunately, I was not a fan of The Eight, the first book in this duology. I knew I wasn't going to like The Fire and I continued to put it off, but I did agree to review it, so I had to read it eventually. Waiting did not help me to like it any better. My biggest problem with it was that the book was very difficult to follow, particularly for me, since I don't really like puzzles. The story alternates between two time periods and I had some difficulty figuring out just why. It's hard to maintain the threads of the story across time and there seems to be little to no purpose for all the famous name dropping. It does give background as to why the chess pieces are where they are, but I'm not sure that was entirely necessary for the story.I already mentioned it, but I don't like books that involve puzzles or riddles. It's always irritating when the characters solve a riddle and say, "Of course!" and proceed to explain the meaning behind it; I'd have never had a clue, so I was happy that they were explaining, but the entire book seemed like a huge complicated mess to me. I dislike puzzles that are impossible for me to solve. I think it would have been even worse if I hadn't read The Eight. I would not recommend starting with this book, it would be too confusing. It's hard to care about the characters; even Alexandra wasn't particularly appealing and fell totally flat, which is never good with a main character.In short, I felt like this book was a disaster for me. I don't like this type of book and even the historical sections didn't appeal. They just felt tacked on, especially with the historical characters that are included purely for name dropping, and took away from the more suspenseful plot with Alexandra and her many friends. I have no interest in reading books of this kind. Overall I would say that if you enjoyed The Eight or The Da Vinci Code, give this a shot. If you didn't, don't.
    • 3/5
      This is a sequel to "The Eight." There are a lot of twists in the story. Just when you think you have something figured out there is another twist! However the story leaves you hanging. I felt like the last page should have "to be continued..." printed at the bottom. The question becomes - Is Ms. Neville working on yet another sequel or is she planning on leaving us hanging for an indefinite amount of time? And will I be willing to read it and chance being left hanging AGAIN? At this point I'm not sure I want to subject myself to that again.
    • 1/5
      I only finished the book to find out what happened, but I was very disappointed.