This best-selling account tells the dramatic 1978 story of the American Women’s Himalayan Expedition reaching the summit of Annapurna I, the world’s tenth-highest mountain and one of the most difficult peaks to climb. This history-making ascent marked the first time Annapurna I was summited by an American and by a woman.

Fortune Magazine chose Annapurna as one of “75 books that teach you everything you really need to know about business,” and National Geographic Adventure Magazine selected it as one the “100 best adventure books of all time.” The expedition’s incredible journey, as chronicled by Arlene, continues to inspire in this extraordinary tale of triumph and personal commitment.

“An exceptional book to mark an exceptional achievement.”
—Library Journal

“A thrill for anyone who’s every climbed and a real treat for armchair climbers.”
—Marion Zimmer Bradley