Without risk, say mountaineers, there would be none of the self-knowledge that comes from pushing life to its extremes. For them, perhaps, it is worth the cost. But when tragedy strikes, what happens to the people left behind? Why would anyone choose to invest in a future with a high-altitude risk-taker? What is life like in the shadow of the mountain? Such questions have long been taboo in the world of mountaineering. Now, the spouses, parents and children of internationally renowned climbers finally break their silence, speaking out about the dark side of adventure. Maria Coffey confronted one of the harshest realities of mountaineering when her partner Joe Tasker disappeared on the Northeast Ridge of Everest in 1982. In Where the Mountain Casts Its Shadow, Coffey offers an intimate portrait of adventure and the conflicting beauty, passion, and devastation of this alluring obsession. Through interviews with the world's top climbers, or their widows and families-Jim Wickwire, Conrad Anker, Lynn Hill, Joe Simpson, Chris Bonington, Ed Viesturs, Anatoli Boukreev, Alex Lowe, and many others-she explores what compels men and women to give their lives to the high mountains. She asks why, despite the countless tragedies, the world continues to laud their exploits. With an insider's understanding, Coffey reveals the consequences of loving people who pursue such risk-the exhilarating highs and inevitable lows, the stress of long separations, the constant threat of bereavement, and the lives shattered in the wake of climbing accidents. Where the Mountain Casts Its Shadow is a powerful, affecting and important book that exposes the far reaching personal costs of extreme adventure.

Where the Mountain Casts Its Shadow: The Dark Side of Extreme Adventure

Sports & Outdoors

Coffey, Maria

Mountaineering

St.Martin's Press

Without risk, say mountaineers, there would be none of the self-knowledge that comes from pushing life to its extremes. For them, perhaps, it is worth the cost. But when tragedy strikes, what happens to the people left behind? Why would anyone choose to invest in a future with a high-altitude risk-taker? What is life like in the shadow of the mountain? Such questions have long been taboo in the world of mountaineering. Now, the spouses, parents and children of internationally renowned climbers finally break their silence, speaking out about the dark side of adventure. Maria Coffey confronted one of the harshest realities of mountaineering when her partner Joe Tasker disappeared on the Northeast Ridge of Everest in 1982. In Where the Mountain Casts Its Shadow, Coffey offers an intimate portrait of adventure and the conflicting beauty, passion, and devastation of this alluring obsession. Through interviews with the world's top climbers, or their widows and families-Jim Wickwire, Conrad Anker, Lynn Hill, Joe Simpson, Chris Bonington, Ed Viesturs, Anatoli Boukreev, Alex Lowe, and many others-she explores what compels men and women to give their lives to the high mountains. She asks why, despite the countless tragedies, the world continues to laud their exploits. With an insider's understanding, Coffey reveals the consequences of loving people who pursue such risk-the exhilarating highs and inevitable lows, the stress of long separations, the constant threat of bereavement, and the lives shattered in the wake of climbing accidents. Where the Mountain Casts Its Shadow is a powerful, affecting and important book that exposes the far reaching personal costs of extreme adventure.

Science & Math

Nature & Ecology

St. Martin's: Griffin

In 1944, Maria Coffery and her husband, travelled the length of the Vietnam coastline by sampan, a traditional hand-crafted boat, and this book tells of their journey. Starting from the south, a few miles from Ho Chi Minh city in the Mekong Delta, they sailed through Halong Bay and headed into the Red River Delta, to the end their journey at the capital city of Hanoi. En route they made many excursions to well known sites, but the real focus of the tale is on meeting the ordinary people.

Three Moons in Vietnam: A Hapazard Journey Along the Coast

Travel

Asia

Little,Brown & Co

In May 1982, Maria Coffey's lover, Joe Tasker disappeared from a ridge on the East-North-East face with Pete Boardman in a bid for the summit of Everest. This book is an account of Maria's expedition across the world, retracing the steps of Joe's final journey.

Fragile Edge

Biographies & Memoirs

Ballantine Books

In May 1982, Maria Coffey's lover, Joe Tasker disappeared from a ridge on the East-North-East face with Pete Boardman in a bid for the summit of Everest. This book is an account of Maria's expedition across the world, retracing the steps of Joe's final journey.

Chatto&Windus

"Maria Coffey's tale is at once a deeply personal love story and a penetrating look into the world of professional climbers. Such clarity and honesty are seldom seen in mountain writing." - Greg Child, author of Postcards from the Ledge Critically acclaimed Fragile Edge won the coveted the International Literary Mountain prize for Maria Coffey's eloquently written story of how climbing tragedies affect those who are left behind. This is a powerful story describes how she survived the loss of her long-time partner, dealing with the sorrow and confusion, anger and healing. With openness and honesty, Coffey describes her love affair with elite British mountaineer Joe Tasker, who perished with his climbing partner Peter Boardman while attempting Everest's then-unclimbed Northeast Ridge in 1982. She relives her experiences, first within the hard-partying mountaineering scene and then during her long journey to understanding and acceptance of the tragedy that cost her the man she loved. She gives us an insider's view of the life of a world-class mountaineer and recounts her deeply moving pilgrimage with Boardman's widow across Tibet, a journey that retraced Tasker and Boardman's steps to their abandoned Advance Base Camp at 21,000 feet on Everest.

Fragile Edge: A Personal Portrait of Loss on Everest

Community & Culture

MOUNTAINEERS BOOKS+

The Everest disasters of recent years have focused world attention on humanity's obsession with high-altitude mountaineering. What is it that drives people to court such awful risk? And what is the real cost in human terms? Nobody has written more eloquently about these matters than BC author Maria Coffey. Fragile Edge details her love affair with elite British mountaineer Joe Tasker, who perished with his partner Joe Boardman while attempting Everest's "unclimbable" Northeast Ridge in 1982. Coffey writes about her experiences first as an observer of the hard-partying mountaineering scene and then during her long journey towards an understanding and acceptance of the tragedy that cost her the man she loved. This book gives us an insider's view of the life of a world-class mountaineer; it also recounts Coffey's deeply moving pilgrimage with Boardman's widow across Tibet, retracing Boardman and Tasker's steps as far as their abandoned Advance Base Camp, 21,000 feet on Everest. When Fragile Edge appeared in hardcover ten years ago it was hailed for bringing "an extraordinary new dimension" to mountaineering literature. Mountain Magazine called it "Emotionally vivid, a fresh and powerful piece of writing:" Coffey says simply, "It is about the other side of mountaineering-the human side:" It is aside that recent events on Everest have placed more in the forefront than ever before. This paperback edition contains new photos, a foreword by mountaineering legend Sir Christian Bonington (who led the expedition on which Tasker died) and an updated epilogue by Coffey.

Arts & Photography

Photography & Video

Harbour Pub. Co

In their successful, internationally published book A Boat in Our Baggage, Maria Coffey and Dag Goering described their year-long, worldwide expedition by kayak. Since then, they have continued to travel many parts of the globe, including some of the last truly wild places of the British Columbia coast. Their latest adventure - a 1,000-plus kilometre journey circumnavigating Vancouver Island in its entirety - is detailed and illustrated in Visions of the Wild. Coffey and Goering set off from their home on Protection Island, BC, in July 1999. For three months they confronted some of the most exposed, storm-battered coastlines British Columbia has to offer: infamous places such as Cape Scott, Estevan Point and the imposing Brooks Peninsula, all of which have become the sites of shipwrecks and fatalities. The voyagers experienced deadly currents, whirlpools and enormous waves, were buffeted relentlessly by wind and rain and spent many a wet, miserable camping trip ashore. But they also explored the serene waters of Nootka Sound, the Gulf Islands and the Broken Group Islands, where they saw stands of ancient rainforests interspersed with raw clearcuts, and spectacular vistas of ocean and sky juxtaposed with intricate coves, rocks and reefs. They had encounters with whales, bears, wolves, sea lions and puffins; and as they stopped at different Native villages, fishing ports and old homesteads, they made friends with many of the diverse people who call the island home. Brimming with breathtaking colour photographs and compelling journal entries from all stages of their exciting kayaking journey, Visions of the Wild is at once an inspiring chronicle of the adventure of a lifetime, and a beautiful book of photographs that rejoices in the untamed spirit of Canada's west coast.

Visions of the Wild: A Voyage by Kayak Around Vancouver Island

Goering, Dag

Harbour Publishing

A Cat in a Kayak (Teelo's Adventures)

This exceptionally well-written picture book has the most exquisite illustrations. - Independent Publisher 
 When Victor takes in Teelo the cat, the feline isn't thrilled about the voyage across the harbor. After all, a cat in a kayak is like a fish out of water. But when they arrive at the little house on Cloud Island, Teelo discovers it's the perfect place for a calm-loving cat. Perfect, that is, until Teelo's spot by the stove is usurped by some chickens. Worse, his cozy cushion is eaten when Terry the terrier moves in. Even the roof isn't safe -- Victor's new parrot can .y up there with ease. 
 Suddenly a cat in a kayak seems a decent idea...until Victor paddles out to Thunder Rock, a voyage of walloping waves, screeching seabirds, and overexcited orcas. Upon returning home, Teelo decides the crowded little house is the perfect place for him after all. 
 This charming tale reminds us that things could always be worse. Set amid vibrant coastal landscapes, and crawling with friendly critters of all kinds, it's easy to see why A Cat in a Kayak has become a family favorite.

Children's Books

Animals

Annick Press

This exceptionally well-written picture book has the most exquisite illustrations. - Independent Publisher  When Victor takes in Teelo the cat, the feline isn't thrilled about the voyage across the harbor. After all, a cat in a kayak is like a fish out of water. But when they arrive at the little house on Cloud Island, Teelo discovers it's the perfect place for a calm-loving cat. Perfect, that is, until Teelo's spot by the stove is usurped by some chickens. Worse, his cozy cushion is eaten when Terry the terrier moves in. Even the roof isn't safe -- Victor's new parrot can .y up there with ease.  Suddenly a cat in a kayak seems a decent idea...until Victor paddles out to Thunder Rock, a voyage of walloping waves, screeching seabirds, and overexcited orcas. Upon returning home, Teelo decides the crowded little house is the perfect place for him after all.  This charming tale reminds us that things could always be worse. Set amid vibrant coastal landscapes, and crawling with friendly critters of all kinds, it's easy to see why A Cat in a Kayak has become a family favorite.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Coffey, Maria. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Coffey, Maria

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Coffey, Maria. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Where the Mountain Casts Its Shadow: The Dark Side of Extreme Adventure

Where the Mountain Casts Its Shadow: The Dark Side of Extreme Adventure

Three Moons in Vietnam: A Hapazard Journey Along the Coast

Fragile Edge

Fragile Edge

Fragile Edge: A Personal Portrait of Loss on Everest

Fragile Edge

Visions of the Wild: A Voyage by Kayak Around Vancouver Island

A Cat in a Kayak (Teelo's Adventures)

A Cat in a Kayak (Teelo's Adventures)