{"product_id":"ascent-the-rise-of-british-rock-climbing-by-anthony-king","title":"Ascent: The Rise of British Rock Climbing by Anthony King","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTHE STORY OF HOW A WILD MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE EVOLVED INTO AN ELITE OLYMPIC SPORT\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e'Why is the best blood of England to waste itself in scaling hitherto inaccessible peaks, in staining the eternal snow, and reaching the unfathomable abyss never to return?’ - The Times, 1865\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn the 1950s, rock climbing was a wild mountain adventure that was defined by a rebellious, bohemian culture and practised by small groups of amateur enthusiasts. Today, rock-climbing has become a professionalised, high-performance, mass-participation Olympic sport. There are now more than 400 climbing walls and over 500,000 people climb regularly in the UK.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAscent tells the story of this remarkable transformation. Anthony King – a dedicated climber himself – traces the sport’s evolution through decades of rebellion, innovation and achievement to its place today as a vibrant, diverse culture. His own experiences colour the narrative; we discover not just how climbing developed, but what it feels like to climb and be a climber.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMore than just a history of the sport, through this story we also see how British society itself has changed. Expansive, immediate and deeply engaging, Ascent is both cultural sport history and lived experience.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eHardback\u003cbr\u003ePublication: 30 Apr 2026, The History Press\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 9781837051175\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eExtent: 336 pages  \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"David's Bookshop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57262841921918,"sku":null,"price":22.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0753\/0892\/5225\/files\/9781837051175.jpg?v=1776344656","url":"https:\/\/www.davids-bookshops.co.uk\/products\/ascent-the-rise-of-british-rock-climbing-by-anthony-king","provider":"David's Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}