Seven men stand on top of the Matterhorn, Switzerland’s most famous peak, on 14 July, 1865.
Led by Englishman Edward Whymper, they have beaten a rival Italian party to attain the summit of ‘The Impossible Mountain’.
Triumph turns to disaster on the descent when young Douglas Hadow, the novice of the party, slips and drags three other climbers 4,000 feet to their deaths.
At least that is the conclusion of the official inquiry.
The case remains the most notorious mountaineering tragedy of all and is subject to grisly speculation to this day.
The Icarus Ascent: Ghosts of the Matterhorn by Mike Lewis is published on 7 December, 2025.
If you love historical fiction, there are over 200 more books in our feature about this year’s publications.
