Author Interview with Jim Davidson - The Next Everest

Now, Jim takes us on another journey, this time to Mt. Everest. A life-long dream, Jim starts the book remembering being at Camp 1 in the Western Cwm at 19,700-feet on Mt Everest when the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the region. I was a bit higher in the Cwm that day at Camp 2.  Reading Jim's description of the harrowing events, rescues, courage, and loss of life brought back vivid memories. But Jim does more than tell an earthquake story. He takes us inside his tent as he and his tentmate thought an avalanche would take their lives. He puts us in the helicopter to fly over the Khumbu Icefall and back to a decimated Everest Base Camp where almost 100 people were injured, and eventually 19 died. He deals with situations most of us will never face.  With his 2015 effort over, Jim ponders if he'll ever return to Everest or move on with life. What I enjoyed most about his book was, clearly, the mountaineering stories, but also how Jim weaved life lessons he learned from his Dad, Joe, and his Uncle Bob as a teenager painting almost anything near Concord, Massachusetts.  I won't spoil the ending of "The Next Everest," but I highly recommend buying "The Ledge" now and placing an advance order for "The Next Everest."  "The Next Everest" will be widely available on April 20, 2021, but can be pre-order now from online sources Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Tattered Cover plus your local bookstore. If you preorder from the publisher, Macmillan, where you can get a limited-edition The Next Everest mini-carabiner.