MixedThe Wall Street JournalHis [Tyndall\'s] most notable climbs included the first solo ascent of Monte Rosa (the highest peak in Switzerland), the first ascent of the Weisshorn (\'the noblest mountain in the Alps,\' in his words), and the first traverse of the Matterhorn, which he completed from the Italian to the Swiss side. Mr. Jackson, who has climbed the Matterhorn himself, vividly recounts these feats ... For completeness, Mr. Jackson seems to have felt duty-bound to include a great deal of information about Tyndall’s social engagements and itinerary, down to the menus of certain meals. Yet on other, more important matters, he is strangely silent. Often he tells us that Tyndall was depressed, unable to sleep or had breakdowns, yet he never offers any explanation ... As a result, Tyndall as a person remains elusive. Then too, Mr. Jackson’s account of Tyndall’s scientific work often lacks sufficient context to illuminate what was at stake ... One appreciates the moments in which Mr. Jackson does offer some help, but it would have been much more useful to know more about the larger context than the names of the peers and grandees with whom Tyndall dined.
