The Last of His Kind: The Life and Adventures of Bradford Washburn, America's Boldest Mountaineer

“Stunning and stirring.”

—Boston Globe

In The Last of His Kind, renowned adventure writer David Roberts gives readers a spellbinding history of mountain climbing in the twentieth century as told through the biography of Brad Washburn, legendary mountaineering pioneer and photographer. Jon Krakauer, author of Into Thin Air, has praised David Roberts, saying, “Nobody alive writes better about mountaineering”—and nowhere is that truth more evident than in this breathtaking account of the life and exploits of America’s greatest mountain climber.

He was a mountaineer, photographer, cartographer, and museum director—a true last of his kind.

• Mountaineering History: Follow Washburn from his early climbs in the Alps to his revolutionary expeditions that defined the golden age of Alaskan mountaineering.
• A Desperate Survival Story: Experience the gripping, minute-by-minute account of Washburn and Bob Bates’s near-fatal crossing of the flooded Donjek River, a classic tale of true survival.
• Pioneering First Ascents: Stand on the summit of legendary unclimbed peaks like Mt. Lucania, as Washburn tackles the largest remaining blank spots on the map of North America.
• Landmark Mountain Photography: See the Alaskan wilderness through the lens of a master, who pioneered the art of aerial photography to create maps and images that remain iconic today.

American Brad Washburn's impact on his protégés and imitators was as profound as that of any other adventurer in the twentieth century. Unquestionably regarded as the greatest mountaineer in Alaskan history and as one of the finest mountain photographers of all time, Washburn transformed American attitudes toward wilderness and revolutionized the art of mountaineering and exploration in the great ranges. In The Last of His Kind, National Geographic Adventure contributing editor David Roberts goes beyond conventional biography to reveal the essence of this man through the prism of his extraordinary exploits from New England to Chamonix, and from the Himalayas to the Yukon. An exciting narrative of mountain climbing in the twentieth century, The Last of His Kind brings into focus Washburn's deeds in the context of the history of mountaineering, and provides a fascinating look at an amazing culture and the influential icon who shaped it.

“A well-crafted biography…. Roberts writes with measured authority about Washburn…Roberts’s style effectively captures the suspense and danger of Washburn’s adventures. A thorough and admiring portrait.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Reading this excellent biography, you’ll wonder why you have never heard of Bradford Washburn before this moment. . . . Washburn, who died in 2007, is one of those people who are legends in their own fields but little known outside them. This book could change that, for anyone with even the slightest interest in mountain climbing.” - Booklist