The Duke of the Abruzzi

Grandson of the first king of Italy, Luigi Amedeo di Savoia-Aosta, the Duke of the Abruzzi, was one of the most celebrated explorers of the early twentieth century. This volume, the first full-scale biography in English, vividly recounts not only the details of his pioneering expeditions but also the intriguing story of his personal life. The Duke's lifelong passion for adventure began in the Italian Alps of his childhood. Having mastered the Zmutt Ridge of the Matterhorn at age twenty-one, he vowed to devote himself to mountain exploration. Just three years later, in 1897, he completed the first successful ascent of Alaska's Mount St. Elias. The achievement for which he is most noted, his pioneering climb on K2 via the route that now bears his name - the Abruzzi Ridge, came in 1909. In little more than a decade, the Duke had established himself as one of the foremost explorers of his time. The Duke was a man of many talents, and detailed here are his illustrious career as an officer in the Italian navy, his service as a diplomatic envoy for his country, and his fame as a sports car driver and yachtsman. Also told is the story of his doomed romance with a young American heiress - one of the most publicized love affairs of the age - and of his friendship with the photographer Vittorio Sella. Sella accompanied the Duke on most of his expeditions and many of his beautiful and historically important photographs illustrate the book.