Project Type Archives

Half Dome

Half Dome: The History of Yosemite’s Iconic Mountain

Half Dome: The History of Yosemite’s Iconic Mountain traces this granite monolith’s story through the ages, from 500 million years ago to the present day. Learn about Half Dome’s fiery beginnings. Discover its unique summit ecology. Hear the origin story that the Native Americans knew. Feel the exhilaration of the first humans to climb its steep faces. Read the tragic tales of death that have befallen many on this dome. Tune in to the management of a mountain that belongs to all. Finally, find inspiration from the beauty that our planet holds.This book is an excellent resource for anyone visiting Yosemite, hikers and climbers who wish to reach the summit, lovers of mountains, and readers of history. Included are several maps of the area, numerous historical photos and drawings, a timeline of Half Dome, and an index.

Book Details:

  • Print Length: 174 pages
  • Weight: 9 ounces
  • Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.4 x 8 inches

Paperback: $13.95 available at most independent bookstores and Amazon.
eBook: $9.95 available at Amazon.
Wholesale: Wholesale copies for booksellers are available through Ingram or direct.

Contents:

  1. Geological History
  2. Ecological History
  3. Native American History
  4. European Sightings and Naming a Mountain
  5. First Attempts to Scale the Dome
  6. First Ascents
  7. The Cables
  8. First Technical Rock Climb
  9. The Regular Northwest Face
  10. The South Face
  11. Managing a Mountain
  12. A Dangerous Mountain
  13. Half Dome Today

The Author:

Joe Reidhead lives in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. An avid outdoorsman and mountain climber, Reidhead worked in Yosemite’s wilderness for several years and was fortunate to live beneath Half Dome’s shadow during that time.

The Andes

The Andes: The Complete History of Mountaineering in High South America

The history of climbing in the Andes has more unanswered questions than that of any other mountain range in the world. This climbing history began in the late Stone Age and covers a span of more than 15,000 years. The Andes is a climbing history that spans the ages, documenting the ascents of thousands of adventurous souls of all epochs: from unknown cavemen, hunters, Indians, grave-diggers, and miners to explorers, scientists, surveyors, artists, and, of course, modern sportive climbers!

With a wealth of over 800 pages, 290 illustrations and 60 maps, The Andes: The Complete History of Mountaineering in High South America is unparalleled in its breadth and bravely faces these unanswered questions.

The Andes is the most detailed and complete history ever written about the range. The book also includes a list of over 3,000 first ascents in the range—an unparalleled resource for any mountaineer.

Reviews:
The American Alpine Journal

andes
  • Print Length: 840 pages
  • Weight: 5.7 lbs
  • Dimensions: 8.5 x 2.3 x 11 inches

eBook: $19.99 available at Amazon and Apple iBookstore.

Paperback: $64.95 available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, the Book Depository, and on order at most independent bookstores.

Note on eBook: The iBook version is an enhanced eBook and we consider it the best value and the best format for enjoying this book. That said, it only works on the iPad and Apple computers.

Note for international buyers: The iBook and Kindle versions are available internationally. Purchasing one of these versions will have significant savings in shipping costs. The paperback is also available through some retailers outside the United States, including Amazon UK and Amazon EU, but we cannot control the retail price on these copies, and they could have a list price more than the recommended U.S. $64.95. If you have an issue, please contact us.

My Life under Totalitarianism

My Life under Totalitarianism: 1941-1991
The Unusual Career of an Electronics Engineer

Starič describes his life from 1941 until 1991. First his country Slovenia—then the northwestern part of Yugoslavia—was occupied by the Italians, Germans and Hungarians. They divided the country among themselves and the Italians occupied the southern part of Slovenia along with the capital Ljubljana (where the author lived). The author vividly describes the circumstances in the Italian concentration camp where he was incarcerated, as well as life under German occupation after the Kingdom of Italy capitulated in 1943. At the end of war in 1945, the fascist and Nazi terror was replaced by communist totalitarianism in the style of the Soviet Union.

During World War II the communists began killing not only the occupiers, but also their Slovenian political opponents. In the first months after the war, extensive mass killings took place throughout Yugoslavia, mostly in Slovenia.

The graves of the victims were top secret until 1991, when Slovenia became an independent country and abandoned communist totalitarianism. Since then about 620 mass graves with at least 100,000 victims have been discovered, all cruelly murdered. However, in the 24 years since Slovene independence, not a single culprit has been sentenced or punished thus far for the mass killings and repression

Peter Starič was born on September 2, 1924 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where he completed all of his studies. He graduated in electronics engineering in 1961 and obtained his PhD in 1991.

After his retirement in 1994, he and his co-author Erik Margan completed the professional book Wideband Amplifiers, which was published by Springer/Kluwer Press in 2005 and reprinted in 2007.

In 2007, Starič published the Slovenian popular-science book “Atomska bomba” (Atomic bomb). Dr. Starič is the author of numerous popular-science articles, book reviews, and articles befitting his eclectic interests.

My Life
  • Print Length: 470 pages
  • Weight: 11.4 ounces
  • Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches

Hardcover: $31.95 available at Amazon, the Barnes & Noble, and on order at most independent bookstores.

Paperback: $21.95 available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and on order at most independent bookstores.

eBook: $8.99 at Amazon.

Downward Bound

Downward Bound: A Mad! Guide to Rock Climbing

Downward Bound is Warren Harding’s offbeat and inventive climbing classic. Harding gives readers an introduction to climbing and recounts his first ascents of the Nose and the Wall of the Early Morning Light on El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. The introduction to rock climbing and big walls is farcical. The tales of his ascents are vivid. And throughout he strives to return some of the fun to climbing through humorous storytelling of the climbing culture of the 60s and 70s.

Downward Bound is a testament to the rebellious and magnetic Batso.

“Why do people climb? How the hell do I know? Answers to this perennial question range from Mallory’s rather facetious (I think) ‘Because it’s there’ to (again) Mallory’s enigmatic ‘If you ask the question, there can be no answer.’ Personally, I dig another version of Mallory’s statement. Like, ‘We climb because it’s there and we’re mad!’ How else could you explain freezing your ass off, battling heat and thirst, scaring yourself to death just to get up some rock face or mountain peak. Rock climbing is especially questionable in this respect. In basic mountain climbing the object is to reach the summit by any or the easiest route possible. In rock climbing it’s not really necessary to reach a summit; the game seems to amount to finding the most difficult ways of getting nowhere.”

Downward Bound
  • Print Length: 220 pages
  • Weight: 11.4 ounces
  • Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches

Hardcover: $29.95 available at Amazon, the Book Depository, and on order at most independent bookstores.

Paperback: $16.95 available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and on order at most independent bookstores.

River of Hope

River of Hope: A 1,000 Mile Winter Canoe Journey for Autism Awareness

In the dead of winter, Joe Reidhead embarked on a 1000-mile canoe journey that would connect two of America’s great rivers—the Missouri and the Mississippi. River of Hope follows Reidhead down these rivers as he braves freezing water, blizzards, massive barges, and hallucinations. These brutal conditions forced him to confront his innermost fears in an environment filled with danger. As though these challenges were not big enough, Reidhead also used the voyage as a platform to raise awareness for autism—a disorder that dwells close to home for the author.

River of Hope is a story of grandiose dreams and humility at the hands of nature. Along the way, Reidhead explores the history and culture of these rivers, and he discovers unexpected parallels between the struggles of his adventure and the struggles of those who live with autism.

River of Hope: A 1,000 Mile Winter Canoe Journey for Autism Awareness
  • Print Length: 108 pages
  • Weight: 1.6 ounces
  • Dimensions: 5 x 0.3 x 7 inches

eBook: $3.99 available at Amazon.

Paperback: $9.95 available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and on order at most independent bookstores.