In chronological sequence Jenkins writes three different types of narrative. The first, set at his Tennessee home, recounts the origins of his China trip. Another follows the 1984 American expedition to Mt. Everest via the unclimbed north slope in Tibet. A third narrative shifts to Jenkins's own travel to the grasslands of Inner Mongolia and the south China coast at Fuzhou. His colorful, casual prose and numerous photographs carry the reader along with him. As a book on China travel this is not unique; Journey into China ( LJ 2/15/83) and James Ballingall's A Taste of China ( LJ 9/15/84) are representative of the genre. Where this excels is in the suspenseful mountaineering sections on Everest.
Great adventure. Old book but worth reading if you like an outdoor adventure.
