While the eyes of the world are focused upon attempts to scale Mount Everest, two young men - once members of the world's climbing elite, subsequently forced into premature retirement after the failure of a secret military operation in the Alps during World War II - have become outcasts of mountaineering society. Until, that is, a peculiar and dangerous request is made of them, drawing them back to the mountains on an exploit that will prove treacherous in more ways than one, as they confront not only the pitiless cruelty of nature but also the ghosts of their former selves.

The Ice Soldier by Paul Watkins is an action-packed adventure story set in Britain and the Alps in the aftermath of the Second World War.

About the Author
Paul Watkins was born in 1964. He is the son of Welsh parents and was educated at the Dragon School, at Eton and at Yale. His novels include Night Over Day Over Night, Calm at Sunset, Calm at Dawn, In the Blue Light of African Dreams, The Promise of Night, Archangel, The Story of My Disappearance and The Forger. He has also written about his experiences at public school, in Stand Before Your God. He was shortlisted for the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 1992 and 1996, and won the Winifred Holtby Prize for Best Regional Novel of the Year in 1996. He lives in the USA.

Reviews
"The Ice Soldier is an action-packed adventure story set in Britain and the Alps in the aftermath of the Second World War. 'When it comes to surging action sequences. Watkins never lets you down... it hits its peak when the boys swing into action.' David Grylls, Sunday Times 'Follows in the Wenceslas-like footsteps of several recent mountainous bestsellers - Joe Simpson's Touching the Void and Peter Hillar's In the Ghost Country... A superior page turner that convinces through a combination of excellent research, solid plotting and some very good writing.' Tobias Hill, The Times"



Book Information
ISBN 9780571227440
Author Paul Watkins
Format Paperback
Page Count 368
Imprint Faber & Faber
Publisher Faber & Faber
Weight(grams) 231g
Dimensions(mm) 177mm * 110mm * 24mm