Alpine Club Library Catalogue. Volume One. H einemann Educational Books, L td., London, 1982. viii + 350, x + 230 pages. Paper. $95.00 (Available in the U nited States from: Jenny W atson, PO Box 915, Exeter, New Hampshire 03833.)

This volume is the result of a m ajor undertaking on the part of the Alpine Club and is the first catalogue o f the library’s holdings to be published since 1899. As the Alpine Club began to collect books soon after its founding in 1857, and has continued to do so over the years, its holdings are now considerable: 40,000 items at time of publication.

The catalogue covers both books and periodicals. There is an author listing of all titles followed by a classified listing. There is a separate classified listing for guidebooks as well as an index to the m ajor mountain areas of the world. As access to the material can be gained both through author and by subject, the catalogue is, thus, doubly useful.

The entries range from A badie, A ., Itinéraire topographique et historique des H autes-Pyrénées to Zw ickh, N epom uk, Geschichte der Alpen- vereinssektion M ünchen. M any of the books are fam iliar, indeed, almost friends: Maurice H erzog’s Annapurna prem ier 8000 in both French and En­glish; Leslie S tephen’s The P layground o f Europe, in French, English and

German; and some thirty titles by that indefatigable author, Frank S. Smythe, including a Japanese translation o f his Edw ard W hymper. O ther titles are more obscure: i .e ., The snow-storm ; or An account o f the nature, properties, dan­gers, and uses o f snow, in various parts o f the world [Charles Tom linson], Society for Prom oting Christian K nowledge, 1845.

As might be expected, there is a great deal of m aterial relating to and editions from the British Isles and the continent. North A m erica and the polar regions are, how ever, less well represented. The literature o f the H im alaya is extensive, covering many aspects o f the area: geography, description, travel, climbing history and rem iniscences and expedition accounts. Appropriately, there are over one hundred entries under Everest, many of which reflect the British efforts that culm inated in H illary’s 1953 ascent of the mountain.

W hatever one’s interest, there is som ething here. For the casual brow ser, there are entries under an am azing range o f headings: alpine gardens, flying, military m ountaineering and natural history to name but a few. For the bibli- ographically inclined, there is a wealth o f information as well. This catalogue is both a source of endless fascination and an invaluable research tool. The Alpine Club is to be com m ended for its efforts and for adding significantly to the literature of m ountaineering.

P a t r i c i a A. F l e t c h e r