The White Tower

From a review: "The White Tower was written towards the end of WW2 & set in that time period. Although the book hinges on a rather fantastic coincidence right from the start, if you go along with it it's a good story & well-written. Ullman gathers together a number of characters struggling with their role (or lack of role) in the war, and sets his main character, Ordway, to collect them all together in an attempt to conquer an unclimbed peak (the Weissturm or White Tower). Since the group includes an Austrian who fled from her Nazi husband, an Englishman who failed repeatedly on Everest & who was unable to force himself to join in the war, a Frenchman who deserted & retreated with all his wordly goods, a confirmed Nazi on leave, an American who crashed his plane nearby (Ordway himself) and a local Swiss guide trying to do what he can while his country remains neutral, the dynamics are quite interesting & Ullman does a good job while not caving in to stereotypes too much. Tensions mount as they struggle up the mountain and the effort & altitude take their toll (those who've read "Into Thin Air" will recognize some of the symptoms, although the Weissturm is not exceedingly high), but the characters remain true to themselves and the end rings true. For climbers, it's also an interesting window on what climbing used to be, with a strong emphasis on 'the fellowship of the rope.'"