On 16 October 1986, Reinhold Messner successfully reached the 8,511-metre summit of Lhotse in Nepal, and thereby became the first man to stand on all fourteen of the world's eight-thousand metre summits - an unbelievable achievement and a sensation in mountaineering history. What motivated Messner to be so dedicated in pursuit of his goal, despite unimaginable hardships, to keep confronting danger and death, loneliness and self-doubt? The answers to these questions can be found in this book. Here, you will get a glimpse of what it takes to mount an expedition to one of the eight-thousanders, and learn to understand Reinhold Messner, witness his unique way of tackling problems, and share the day-to-day experiences of a climber who has pushed himself and Alpinism to new dimensions.