Author George Almond met the Himalayan heroes (Sherpa Tenzing and Lord Hunt), who explained how the first aerial photographs, taken in 1933, assisted their heroic ascent of Everest in 1953. Captivated by this dazzling and little known tale, the book - Even Higher than Everest - is a dramatized recount of the tenacity of the heiress Lucy Houston and her team of prestigious aviators whose five aircraft flew to the world's highest mountains. A short 1930s film from footage of Houston’s flight, titled Wings Over Everest, won an Oscar in 1936 from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wings_Over_Everest
Commenting on his work, author George Almond says: “Inspired by true events of that first flight over Everest, the novel Even Higher Than Everest follows skilled personnel in finance, diplomacy, media, filming, engineering and aviation, all aiming for a shared objective. How these characters blended successfully, overcoming constant setbacks and challenges, was in itself a major accomplishment. I have followed the truth, tweaking just a few elements, in recounting the event.”
Even Higher Than Everest is available at Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Even-Higher-Than-Everest-Dramatised/dp/1782226249.
My father was a doctor and among his patients was Lord John Hunt, leader of the 1953 expedition which first climbed Everest.
Lord Hunt invited me to meet his world famous guest Tenzing, the first Sherpa to reach the summit. I learned from Lord Hunt how they had referred to aerial photos of the Himalayas, taken by pilots in 1933, when planning the successful climbing route. Later, when I became a pilot myself, I researched the archives and decided to write a dramatised account of the flight expedition.
Can you share the most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your career?
Between crossing the Pyrenees on horseback, crossing the Mississippi on a flakey railway bridge below the Flying Scotsman steam train, it’s hard to tell…. Perhaps our arrival at Honolulu harbour after a 10,000 mile voyage is hard to beat. Huge waves were tunnelling into the harbour and our square-rig sailing ship might have capsized had it not been for the skill of our Captain, a famous writer and mariner, who steered us in to calmer waters.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in your journey to becoming an author?
A constant avalanche of rejections by literary agents who were unwilling to consider any proposals. If real estate agents took the same view, nobody would buy or sell houses, except by private agreement.
What is the main empowering lesson you want your readers to take away after finishing your book?
Take thoughtful advice from your detractors, but power ahead with your own self-belief striving to deliver your work. It may take weeks and months and, in my case years, to get to that point, but persist you must. And then edit, edit, edit !
What is the one habit you believe contributed the most to you becoming a great writer?
Sadly I am not a great writer. I was a ranch hand, a builder of sky scrapers, and a merchant seaman, but I'm always ready to learn the skills of writing, by finding new words in my thesaurus or by digging into my imagination. Perhaps this last attribute is the most useful of all?
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I have shared friendships with some truly great writers and actors. Roald Dahl in my view abhorred nonsense in the political world and I tend to share his view. Leaders today are generally more concerned with their own survival and rather less interested in the overall need for common sense. Earth is like an ocean going liner. If agreement cannot be found between the passengers on all decks, there’s a good chance it will follow the fate of the Titanic. So let’s boost common sense!
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