Maverick Mountaineer (Robert Wainwright, HarperCollins)

From the author of the wonderful Sheila comes the story of another little-remembered Australian maverick. George Finch was one of the most innovative and courageous mountaineers of the early 20th century. He pioneered the use of oxygen in high-altitude climbing and came within a few hundred metres of the summit of Everest, 30 years before Hillary. He was also an outstanding experimental chemist and served with distinction in both World Wars. Finch had a colourful personal life and is best remembered today as the father of actor Peter Finch. He was not accepted by the mountaineering establishment until late in his life but he laid the foundation for the modernisation of climbing, which led to the conquest of all of the world’s major peaks. Readers who loved Sheila, Warren Brown’s Francis Birtles or Simon Nasht’s Last Explorer will enjoy this well-told story of a fascinating Australian life.

Dave Martus is the manager of Dymocks Neutral Bay in Sydney