Cover of The Ascent of Rum Doodle

The Ascent of Rum Doodle

by W.E. Bowman · 1956

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First published in 1956, The Ascent of Rum Doodlequickly became a mountaineering classic. As an outrageously funny spoof about the ascent of a peak in the Himalayas, many thought it was inspired by the 1953 conquest of Everest. But Bowman had drawn on the flavor and tone of earlier adventures, of Bill Tilman and his 1937 account of the Nandi Devi expedition. The book's central and unforgettable character, Binder, is one of the finest creations in comic literature.

Genre
humorhumorMore like thisLess of thisadventureadventureMore like thisLess of thissatiresatireMore like thisLess of this
Themes
traveltravelMore like thisLess of thisnaturenatureMore like thisLess of this
Setting
1950s1950sMore like thisLess of this
Mood
inspirationalinspirationalMore like thisLess of this
Subject
traveltravelMore like thisLess of this
Audience
adult
Length
short · 160 pages

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“These start from a similar idea, even if they go somewhere else with it.”

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