When leading
mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington was researching Quest for Adventure,
his study of post-war adventure, he contacted Sir Robin Knox-Johnston,
the first person to sail single-handed and non-stop around the world, for an
interview. This simple request turned into an exchange of skills, which then
grew into a joint expedition to Greenland’s unexplored Lemon Mountains. Sea,
Ice and Rock is the story of this epic journey.



With both Bonington
and Knox-Johnston having little experience in the other’s craft, their expedition
was not without difficulty. But through one another’s support, the two men and
their team sailed from Britain to Greenland, going on to twice attempt the Lemon
Mountain’s forbidding highest peak, the Cathedral. Though their
attempts ended in a dramatic descent, this could not dampen the unfailing
optimism with which the two approached their task. They recount their experiences
not only with appreciation for the awe-inspiring nature that surrounded them,
but also for one another.



Layers of
alternate narration between Bonington and Knox-Johnston make this
a truly collaborative memoir. In the same way they exchanged skills on their
expedition, the two authors rely on one another’s recollections to fill the
gaps in their own. Full of ambition and perseverance, anyone wondering why
Bonington and Knox-Johnston are masters in their fields need only
read Sea, Ice and Rock.