Paths of Glory

Paths of Glory is a novel inspired by the true story of mountaineer George Mallory. Some people dream so outrageously that achieving the dream would guarantee their place in history, and Francis Drake, Robert Scott, Amy Johnson and Neil Armstrong are among them. The novel asks what happens when one man fulfils such a dream but no proof exists that he did. Readers follow Mallory's story and, at the last page, decide whether he should join that list of legends, since if he did, another name would have to be removed.

Why You Should Read?

• Follow mountaineer George Mallory as he pursues a dream so outrageous it would secure his place in history.
• Meet a man whose ambition raises the question of whether his achievement could ever be proved.
• Explore the lives of figures such as Francis Drake, Robert Scott, Amy Johnson and Neil Armstrong.
• Decide for yourself, at the last page, whether George Mallory belongs among history's legends.

About the Author

Jeffrey Archer was an English politician and novelist and a convicted criminal. He was MP for Louth from 1969 to 1974. His third novel, Kane and Abel (1979), restored his fortunes, and his books sold over 320 million copies. He resigned as Conservative Party deputy chairman after a sex-worker payment accusation. After a 1987 libel win, it emerged in 1999 that he had lied in that case. In 2001, he was given a four-year jail sentence for perjury and for perverting justice, which ended his active political career. He died in October 2026 at 86.