The 1954 Italian expedition to K2, the world's second highest peak and considered a tougher climb than Everest, was supposed to be a national redemption for Italy after the humiliations of the Second World War. Two members of the expedition, Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni, reached the summit, but the legacy of the expedition has been one of controversy. In 2006's "K2: The Price of Cnquest," Lacedelli breaks a silence of half a century to give his version of what happened.

On 30 July 1954, Lacedelli and Compagnoni established Camp IX, a prelude to a try for the summit. Compagnoni, to the distress of Lacedelli, insisted on moving the camp off the line of ascent to the far end of a difficult traverse. When the support team of Walter Bonatti and Hunza porter Madhi reached the intended area of Camp IX with an oxygen bottle resupply in near darkness, they were unable to find the tent and spent the night in the open above 8000 meters. The two survived, but Madhi suffered severe frostbite injuries for which Bonatti was blamed. Compagnoni and Lacedelli made their difficult final ascent using Bonatti's cached oxygen, which ran out short of the summit. Bonatti was later accused of having used some of the oxygen during his night in the open, thereby putting the summit team at additional risk.

Following an introduction to the history of K2 and a short account of the expedition, co-author Giovanni Cenacchi conducts an extended interview with Lino Lacedelli. Lacedelli provides his unflinching perspective on the expedition's leadership and on the events of 30-31 July 1954. His blunt views shine an unflatteringly light on some of the expedition members, in stark contradiction to the official account. This volume includes a terrific selection of photographs and some thoughts on the then-novel experience of functioning at extreme altitudes.

"K2: The Price of Conquest" will appeal primarily to those interested in the history of high altitude climbing, for an honest account of expedition politics, the rub of climbers' egos, and the difficulties of functioning at high altitude with primitive equipment. The general reader may be shocked at some aspects of Lacedelli's account but ultimately cheered by his healthy perspective on the whole thing. "K2: The Price of Conquest" is highly recommended to fans of the history of "the savage mountain."

This is a great read for anyone interested in the history of mountaineering. It's mostly an interview with one of the first two men to reach the summit of K2, fifty years after the event. I saw Bonati give a talk in Telluride years ago and his rant about how he had been left for dead was memorable -- after all these decades he was still worked up about the events on that expedition. In this book, Lacedelli confirms nearly all of Walter's claims. His memory may be a bit tainted, perhaps by not having spoken up much earlier, so it may not be the final word. But better late than never. And a good reminder for those who think recent events on Everest are without precedent.

This is a great read for anyone interested in the history of mountaineering. It's mostly an interview with one of the first two men to reach the summit of K2, fifty years after the event. I saw Bonati give a talk in Telluride years ago and his rant about how he had been left for dead was memorable -- after all these decades he was still worked up about the events on that expedition. In this book, Lacedelli confirms nearly all of Walter's claims. His memory may be a bit tainted, perhaps by not having spoken up much earlier, so it may not be the final word. But better late than never. And a good reminder for those who think recent events on Everest are without precedent.