Instead of serving thousands of data and facts, Stefan König takes readers on a narrative journey through time, across the Alps, and through the mountain regions of the world. Great mountains and great personalities come into focus: Mont Blanc, Matterhorn, Tre Cime, El Capitan, and Cerro Torre, Annapurna, Everest, and Nanga Parbat. Whymper and Messner, Buhl and Bonatti, Herzog and Hasse, Kaltenbrunner and Destivelle. He also poses big questions, often providing unconventional answers in his 24 essays. Fascinating and highly entertaining "Alpine stories." One of the outstanding features of the book is that it not only describes alpine achievements and sensations but also gives equal space to aspects of culture, spirituality, and tourism as the author addresses themes of war, colonialism, and ecology.