  The Alpine Club collects every book dealing with the mountains and also most of the articles that appear in the Press and Magazines. The Catalogue of the Alpine Club Library should, therefore, be the most complete bibliography in existence. The additions to the Club Library are published from time to time in The Alpine Journal. The most useful bibliographies of Alpine book that are accessible to the general reader are contained in Ueber Eis and Schnee, by Gottlieb Studer (1869-1871), and Swiss Travel and Swiss Guide Books, by the Rev. W. A. B. Coolidge (1889). Perhaps the most thorough book on every phase of the Alps, sporting, social, political and historical is The Alps in Nature and History, by the Rev. W. A. B. Coolidge (1908). For the Geology of the Alps and the theory of Glacier Motion there are no better books than The Glaciers of the Alps, by John Tyndall (1860; reprinted in the Everyman Library), and The Building of the Alps, by T. G. Bonney (1912). For the practical side of mountaineering, Mountaineering, by C. T. Dent (Badminton Library), is good but somewhat out of date. The best modern book on the theory and practice of mountaineering is Modern Mountain Craft, edited by G. W. Young (1914). This book is in the Press. It contains chapters on the theory of mountain craft in summer and winter, and in addition a very able summary of the characteristic of mountaineering in the great ranges beyond Europe as described by the various experts for the particular districts. Winter mountaineering and ski-ing are dealt with in The For the general literature of mountaineering the reader has a wide choice. We cannot attempt a comprehensive bibliography, but the following books are the most interesting of the many hundred volumes on the subject. The early history of mountaineering is dealt with in Mr. Coolidge’s books referred to above. There is a good historical sketch in the first chapter of the Badminton volume. The most readable book on the early pioneers is The Early Mountaineers, by Francis Gribble (1899). The Story of Alpine Climbing, by Francis Gribble (1904), is smaller than The Early Mountaineers; it can be obtained for a shilling. We shall, where possible, confine our list to books written in English. This is not possible for the earlier works, as English books do not cover the ground. Descriptio Montis Fracti juxta Lucernam. By Conrad Gesner. 1555. De Alpibus Commentarius. By Josias Simler. 1574. Coryate’s Crudities. By T. Coryate. 1611. This book contains the passage quoted on p. 15. It has recently been reprinted. Diary (Simplon, etc.). By John Evelyn. 1646. (Reprinted in the Everyman Library.) Remarks on Several Parts of Switzerland. By J. Addison. 1705. Itinera per HelvetiÆ Alpinas Regiones Facta. By Johann Jacob Scheuchzer. 1723. Die Alpen. By A. von Haller. 1732. An Account of the Glaciers or Ice Alps in Savoy. By William Windham and Peter Martel. 1744. Travels in the Alps of Savoy. By J. D. Forbes. 1843. Mont Blanc. By Albert Smith. 1852. The Tour of Mont Blanc. By J. D. Forbes. 1855. Wanderings among the High Alps. By Alfred Wills. 1856. Summer Months among the Alps. By T. W. Hinchcliff. 1857. (Very scarce.) The Italian Valleys of the Pennine Alps. By S. W. King. 1858. Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers. (First Series.) 1859. (Scarce and expensive.) Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers. (Second Series.) (Two volumes.) (Scarce.) 1862. The Eagles’ Nest. By A. Wills. 1860. (Scarce.) The Glaciers of the Alps. By John Tyndall. 1860. Across Country from Thonon to Trent. By D. W. Freshfield. 1865. The Alps in 1864. By A. W. Moore. (Privately reprinted.) (Very scarce, reprinted 1902.) The High Alps without Guides. By A. B. Girdlestone. (Scarce.) 1870. Scrambles among the Alps. By Edward Whymper. 1871. This famous book went into several editions. It has been reprinted in Nelson’s Shilling Library. The original editions with their delightful wood-cuts cannot be bought for less than a pound, but are well worth the money. The Playground of Europe. By Leslie Stephen. 1871. This classic can be bought for 3s. 6d. in the Silver Library. The original edition is scarce and does not contain the best work. Hours of Exercise in the Alps. By J. Tyndall. 1871. Italian Alps. By D. W. Freshfield. 1876. The High Alps in Winter. By Mrs. Fred Burnaby (Mrs. Le Blond.) 1883. Above the Snow Line. By C. T. Dent. 1885. The Pioneers of the Alps. By C. D. Cunningham and W. de W. Abney. (An account of the great guides.) 1888. My Climbs in the Alps and Caucasus. By A. F. Mummery. 1895. (Reprinted in Nelson’s Shilling Library.) The Alps from End to End. By Sir Martin Conway. 1895. This has been reprinted in Nelson’s Shilling Library. The Annals of Mont Blanc. By C. E. Mathews. 1898. Climbing in the Himalaya and other Mountain Ranges. By Norman J. Collie, 1902. Includes some excellent chapters on the Alps. The Alps. Described by Sir Martin Conway. Illustrated by A. O. M’Cormick. 1904. A cheap edition without Mr. M’Cormick’s illustrations has been issued in 1910. My Alpine Jubilee. By Frederic Harrison. 1908. Recollections of an Old Mountaineer. By Walter Larden. 1910. Peaks and Pleasant Pastures. By Claud Schuster. 1911. The poetry of Mountaineering as distinct from the poetry of mountains is found in— Wind and Hill. By G. W. Young. 1909. This book is out of print. The mountain poems have been reprinted in— The Englishman in the Alps. An Anthology edited by Arnold Lunn. 1913. This Anthology includes long extracts from one to five thousand words chosen from the best of Alpine prose and poetry. Other Alpine Anthologies are— The Voice of the Mountains. By E. Baker and F. E. Ross. 1905. In Praise of Switzerland. By Harold Spender. 1912. The reader will find good photographs very useful. The earliest Alpine photographer to achieve distinct success was Mr. Donkin, whose excellent photographs can be bought cheaply. Signor SellÂs—the supreme artist in mountain photography—also sells his work. Messrs. Abraham of Keswick have photographed with thoroughness the Alps and the rock climbs of Cumberland and Wales. Their best work is reproduced in The Complete Mountaineer. (1908.) |
|
