Review of The Altitude Journals

This forum is for volunteer reviews by members of our review team. These reviews are done voluntarily by the reviewers and are published in this forum, separate from the official professional reviews. These reviews are kept separate primarily because the same book may be reviewed by many different reviewers.
Post Reply
User avatar
Rosa Joy
Posts: 103
Joined: 25 Jan 2022, 08:37
Currently Reading: Brutal Valor
Bookshelf Size: 58
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-rosa-joy.html
Latest Review: The Final Keystone by John Kevin Crowley

Review of The Altitude Journals

Post by Rosa Joy »

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Altitude Journals" by David J Mauro.]
Book Cover
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review


The Altitude Journals by David Jon Mauro is a mountain climbing memoir. Mr. Mauro tells the reader about his life after his divorce. He was emotionally down and lived with his sister. His brother-in-law, Ty, proposed to Mauro to join a team that was climbing Mount McKinley (Denali). Ty was going to participate as well and shoot a high-definition documentary follow-up for his television anchoring job. Mr. Mauro accepted the invitation, trained hard, and eventually was on the mountain climbing trails. He had the fears, but he had decided he was already so low that failing could not make him lose anything further. The story is an account told in the first person by the author.

Mr. Mauro and his climbing buddies managed to climb Denali and get down, having survived the dangers that lurk up there, from low oxygen levels to freezing temperatures and frostbites. His first success in Denali made him ambitious to climb even more challenging mountains all over the world. His life started turning around. He set up his financial planning practice, met a girlfriend he adored, raised his sons, and made up with his truant father.

I liked many things about the writing. The story was more than a story. It shows the adventures of mountain climbing, the beckoning dangers, psychological development, and healing. The other parts of the life of the author came together like a puzzle that was waiting for him to pull one string. Clear language with vast descriptions has been used. My favorite adventures were up Kilimanjaro and Everest. All the adventures told about the local community, which made this book extremely distinctive.

I did not find a single thing to dislike about the work. The record was long; however, every sentence was worth reading. The book is packed with adventures, historical events, a variety of cultures, and developments in human life. The author has portrayed a rare skill in identifying small things that make life vibrant and whole in itself. For instance, he retold stories of local people who helped carry his bags up the trails, and identifies most of the teams he came across on the climbing routes.

Having noted my pleasure in the above paragraphs, I rate The Altitude Journals: A Seven-Year Journey from The Lowest Point in My Life to The Highest Point on Earth 4 out of 4 stars. I could not give it a lower rating because I enjoyed the adventures. There were lessons to learn from the book, such as it is never too late to take up a passion, and running away from problems does not solve them.

I recommend this work to people who love memoirs, non-fiction works, adventure, and multicultural works.

******
The Altitude Journals
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Post Reply

Return to “Volunteer Reviews”