The Playground of Europe

Published in 1894, this is a revised collection of articles, sharing the author's long-standing passion for the Alps and alpinism.

Leslie Stephen (Author)

9781108047760, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 21 March 2013

362 pages, 4 b/w illus.
21.6 x 14 x 2.1 cm, 0.46 kg

Author and mountaineer Sir Leslie Stephen (1832–1904) developed a passion for the Alps following his first trip to the Bavarian Tyrol in 1855. He went on to achieve several first ascents of Alpine peaks, earning him a reputation as one of the foremost alpinists in Britain. An intrepid climber and gifted writer, Stephen embodied a new trend of mountaineering, of a more athletic nature, and his vivid and lyrical descriptions of his experiences in these mountains have an almost poetic quality to them, testifying to the heights of his enthusiasm. First published in 1871 to commemorate his first ascents, this collection of articles quickly became a classic of mountaineering literature. The present work is a reissue of the 1894 edition, which was substantially revised by the author. It remains a charming and informative group of essays which will appeal to readers interested in the history of alpinism.

Preface
1. The old school
2. The new school
3. The Schreckhorn
4. The Rothhorn
5. The Eiger-Joch
6. The Jungfrau-Joch
7. The Viescher-Joch
8. The Col des Hirondelles
9. The Baths of Santa Catarina
10. The peaks of Primero
11. Sunset on Mont Blanc
12. The Alps in winter
13. The regrets of a mountaineer.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: c 1800 to c 1900 [DSBF]