A comprehensive portrait ... This is a wonderfully digressive read, with rich portraits and stories of those who made their careers and fame from Himalaya. Keay has condensed an immense amount of data and information into the book alongside a deft selection of poetry, literature, period sources and a wide array of maps and photographs ... Poetically written ... Tightly-written yet rich descriptions make the book appealing for those looking for a history of exploration.
Himālaya has a vast reach, both geographically and temporally ... [Keay's] focus is constantly shifting ... Keay gives notice at the outset that what follows might be challenging for some readers, though not all ... The leaping begins in the opening pages ... Vivid evocation ... Concisely analyzed ... Indicative of the scope of his reading ... Knowledge is sometimes transmitted in prose that carries slightly too heavy a burden of information ... There are moments when a little more topicality would not have gone amiss.
