Some people have dreams that are so magnificent that if they were to achieve them, their place in history would be guaranteed. Francis Drake, Robert Scott, Charles Lindbergh, Amy Johnson, Edmund Hilary, Neil Armstrong, and Lewis and Clark are among such individuals.

But what if one man had such a dream, and once hed fulfilled it, there was no proof that he had achieved his ambition?

Jeffrey Archers latest book, Paths of Glory, is the story of such a man---George Mallory. Mallory once told an American reporter that he wanted to climb Mt. Everest, because its there. On his third attempt in 1924, at age thirty-seven, he was last seen six hundred feet from the top. His body was found in 1999, and it still remains a mystery whether he ever reached the summit.

But only after youve turned the last page of this extraordinary novel, inspired by a true story, will you be able to decide if George Mallorys name should be added to the list of legends, in which case another name would have to be removed. Paths of Glory is truly a triumph.