Tapping into the same rich vein of bravery, thirst for knowledge, eccentricity, and pursuit of glory as DK''s Explorers , Mountaineers tells the stories of the pioneers who first conquered the heights of this planet. A lavish visual survey of more than eighty of the world''s greatest mountaineers — who they were, where they went, and how their expeditions shaped the course of human history — Mountaineers will explore the history of expeditions, from the Alps and other European peaks to Everest and other peaks in Himalayas, and the Andes. Full of stirring tales and intriguing characters, from the Brits who insisted on hauling cases of vintage champagne up to Everest, to the Italian Duke of the Abruzzi who took ten iron bedsteads up Alaska''s Malaspina glacier, Mountaineers is full of important scientific discoveries; accounts of great bravery, fellowship, altruism, and good humor in the face of adversity; and a spirit of adventure. AUTHOR INFO: Established in 1846, The Smithsonian Institution is a world renowned research center, dedicated to public education, national service, and scholarship in the arts, sciences, and history.