The Evidence of Things Not Seen is the autobiography of remarkable
mountaineer, writer and environmentalist W.H. Murray. After being
introduced to climbing in his early twenties, Murray's relationship with
the outdoors was shaped as much by his time on the mountains as away
from them. His early Scottish climbs were brought to a halt by the
Second World War, which saw him spend three years as a Nazi prisoner of
war. These years were devoted to not only to philosophical study, but
also to writing his classic Mountaineering in Scotland not once,
but twice, on toilet paper.
The time to write about mountains only fuelled Murray's enthusiasm to
climb them. The regeneration in mountaineering that followed the war saw
Murray complete three Himalayan expeditions, alongside other iconic
figures such as Doug Scott, Tom MacKinnon and Tom Weir, and Eric
Shipton. He not only explored Himalayan peaks never before attempted by
westerners, but also established the crucial Khumbu Icefall route up
Everest, which paved the way for the mountain's first ascent in 1953.
Later life saw Murray return to Scotland and begin the fight to conserve
the wild places that motivated him. From pioneering the John Muir Trust
to fighting threats to forestry, Murray's writing is laced with a
philosophical edge and a contagious appreciation for Scotland's wild
places, capturing the essence of why Murray's work has been inspiring
readers for decades.
Written just before his death in 1996, and with a foreword by renowned
Scottish mountaineer Hamish MacInnes, The Evidence of Things Not
Seen is a must-read for anyone for which the mountains are still a
source of wonder.
