Climb to Conquer: The Untold Story of WWII's 10th Mountain Division Ski Troops

by Peter Shelton

Few stories from the "greatest generation" are as unforgettable -- or as little known -- as that of the 10th Mountain Division. Today a versatile light infantry unit deployed around the world, the 10th began in 1941 as a crew of civilian athletes with a passion for mountains and snow. In this vivid history, adventure writer Peter Shelton follows the unique division from its conception on a Vermont ski hill, through its dramatic World War II coming-of-age, to the ultimate revolution it inspired in American outdoor life. In the late-1930s United States, rock climbing and downhill skiing were relatively new sports. But World War II brought a need for men who could handle extreme mountainous conditions -- and the elite 10th Mountain Division was born. Everything about it was It was the sole U.S. Army division trained on snow and rock, the only division ever to grow out of a sport. It had an un-matched number of professional athletes, college scholars, and potential officer candidates, and as the last U.S. division to enter the war in Europe, it suffered the highest number of casualties per combat day. This is the 10th's surprising, suspenseful, and often touching story. Drawing on years of interviews and research, Shelton re-creates the ski troops' lively, extensive, and sometimes experimental training and their journey from boot camp to the Italian Apennines. There, scaling a 1,500-foot "unclimbable" cliff face in the dead of night, they stunned their enemy and began the eventual rout of the German armies from northern Italy. It was a self-selecting elite, a brotherhood in sport and spirit. And those who survived (including the Sierra Club's David Brower, Aspen Skiing Corporation founder Friedl Pfeifer, and Nike cofounder Bill Bowerman, who developed the waffle-sole running shoe) turned their love of mountains into the thriving outdoor industry that has transformed the way Americans see (and play in) the natural world.

Genres: History, War, Nonfiction, World War II, Military Fiction, Adventure, Military History

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 7, 2003

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the 10 Mountain Division.

Started in WWII, and inspired by stories of the guerilla warfare in Finland, the army recruited a bunch of skiers to form a troop. Unfortunately, most of the officers didn't know how to ski and had to be taught.

After a whole bunch of SNAFU's including invading an island the Japanese abandoned, the 10 Mountain division went to Italy and helped drive the Nazis out of the country.

Entertaining and informative. Recommended.

[Matthew A LaPine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of my Grandpa’s Division (10th Mountain, 87th regiment) during World War II. The Division is justly famous both for the heroism in Italy and their impact on American outdoor sports. It’s a very good story, and a personal one for my family.

[Hans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun read if you like skiing, mountaineering and learning about WWII

[Amanda Lingle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so eye opening. I always knew that the 10th mountain was something my area was proud of but had never really looked into it before. Not only was the start of the 10th mountain and the war stories very interesting, but what these men went to accomplish for the outdoor world was incredible. Men from the 10th mountain went on to create Vail, Aspen, A-Basin, and many other ski resorts all over the U.S. They are the ones that created chairlifts and drew attention to skiing. They were also some of the largest outdoor advocates helping to change the Sierra Nevada Club to becoming an environmentalist activist group and growing the club's numbers like crazy. Some of these men helped to stop the damming of the Grand Canyon and Dinosaur National monument. Two men from the 10th were even the founders of Nike. The 10th mountain has an undertold story that I'm so glad I got to learn more about.

[Robert Livermore · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the son of Robert Livermore, fast friend of Minnie Dole, Olympic Skier with Walter Prager and originator of the idea of the ski troops, I found this book extremely well written and entirely in concert with the feelings and experience of my father as he expressed them. I especially related to the way in which the author used material from diaries and letters of participants to flesh out the attitudes and experiences of the rank and file members of the 10th Mountain Division. I could even sing along with the 87th's ski songs with which I grew up and learned from my father as a young skier at gatherings of local skiers. As my father never was able to talk in detail about his more difficult experiences during the war I found this a wonderful book to understand him and the dedication to skiing that he maintained during the rest of his life.

Bob Livermore, 1/2/22

[Katie LaCombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You get to the top of a mountain, and you feel happy about the whole thing. You start to sing. That’s the spirit we had in the 10th.”

My grandfather was in the 10th Mountain Division during WWII and this struck an emotional chord. The journey they endured is both heartbreaking and incredible. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in their beautiful history.

[kelly kress · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good History for Ski Buffs as well as Warfare

Interesting content, covering the history of the unit and showing the impact of the unit members after the war on the outdoor recreation industry, including skiing. If it wasn't for this division we would not have skiing as it is in the United states.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

US Army birthday this past weekend. I heard that there were a lot of gatherings on Saturday. I chose to mark the occasion by reading this history of the 10th Mountain Division, which I had heard of and was interested in. Since 2002, the 10th Mountain Division has been the most deployed regular Army unit. Its combat brigades have seen over 20 deployments, to both Iraq and Afghanistan, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. There were a few decades of inactivity. This book is the story of the inception and WWII role of the unit. Its genesis was a civilian idea promoted by athletes and enthusiasts of the burgeoning skiing pastime. From ski patrol troops helping to fend off an imagined Nazi invasion through Canada after a fall of Britain, the core talent pool and training extended into mountaineering and outdoorsmanship and build up to division strength. The 10th was first used in Operation Cottage, a joint American-Canadian plan to complete the recapture of the Aleutian Islands from the Japanese on August 15, 1943. Kiska Island had been occupied by Japanese forces since June 1942, however, the Japanese had secretly abandoned the island two weeks earlier, and so the Allied landings were unopposed. Allied forces suffered over 500 casualties in total during the operation from Japanese landmines and booby traps, friendly fire incidents, and vehicle accidents, so this was an inauspicious debut for the 10th.

Thus, there was a noted need with historical basis for troops with such expertise in the Alps. This was a timely observation for Charles Minot "Minnie" Dole, the founder of the National Ski Patrol who played a major role in the creation of this first American mountain unit, the 10th Mountain Division.

In 1941, Lt. Col. L. S. Gerow observed that the Italian army was defeated in their ill-fated Balkan campaign due to a lack of well equipped mountain troops.

an estimated ten thousand of them froze to death. Twenty-five thousand were killed in mountain fighting, and many thousands more were taken prisoner. The blow to Italian morale and prestige turned out to be irreparable.

In a memorandum on the Italian fiasco, Lt. Col. L. S. Gerow of the General Staff Corps wrote: "Important lesson learned: an army which may have to fight anywhere in the world must have... units especially organized, trained, and equipped for fighting in the mountains and in winter... such units cannot be improvised hurriedly from line divisions. They require long periods of hardening and experience, for which there is no substitute for time."

Minnie Dole couldn't have asked for a better testimonial, and on October 22, 1941, he received letters from Secretary of War Stimson and General Marshall stating that on November 15, 1941, the 1st Battalion (Reinforced) 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment would be activated at Fort Lewis, Washington. The first element of what would become the 10th Mountain Division was officially launched.

Post-Kiska, the 10th more than redeemed itself with gallant and successful application of its skills in piercing German lines in north Italy.


This book draws on a many primary sources, memoirs, and unpublished manuscripts.

[Andrew Elliman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Growing up a skiier in Colorado I've always known about the 10th Mountain Division and its alumni's legacy in creating the ski resort industry. I didn't know anything about its origins or its actual war record. Turns out it was one guy named Minnie, a non-military citizen, who was entirely responsible for convincing the powers at be to form a ski division, in the image of the Finnish ski troops that so valiantly resisted their Soviet invaders. Minnie wrote 2,000 letters until they relented. That took so long that by the time the 10th had been formed and trained, they were the last troops to the fight in Europe. When they finally arrived though, they did fight bravely and suffer massive casualities — more than any other division per capita. And while they did some mountaineering, particularly in the battle for Riva Ridge, they never did get to use their skis. Sounds like they didn't even make the trip over to Italy. Nonetheless, the men of the Tenth had fallen so in love with the mountains and the somewhat nascent sport of skiing, that many of them after the war made skiing their business. Here I'd say the author lets them off the hook a little, blaming the insatiable corporate greed of the modern ski resort industry on those bueracrats that ousted the visionary men of the Tenth who shaped and/or founded these ski mountains such as Vail and Aspen and others. I'm not so sure. These places were never about spreading the joy of skiing or making the mountains accessible. They were about making those dudes rich and stroking their egos. And here we are.

[Mark Zodda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-researched story about the 10th Mountain Division that goes beyond the unit's fights in World War II to the far lasting impacts that its founders and soldiers had in the United States' outdoor recreation industry. The story keys in on the key players in the founding of the division and some of its more important alumni. Overall a good read for those with interest in WWII history or the outdoor recreation industry.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book. Peter Shelton drew his story from a wide range of resources. What I liked is that he drew from Privately Printed and lesser known books. It gave the story of the 10th Mountain a different perspective from veterans. It follows the 10th from the beginning all the way to the end and beyond. Many stories are not found in other 10th Mountain resources. A great book from beginning to end.

[Alyssa Potasznik · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok. I liked the parts about combat and I especially liked the ending, where it talked about how the men of the Mountain Division went on to do some amazing things. But until the halfway mark, it was just a bunch of boys skiing. It's not the most engaging WWII book I've read and isn't among the top ten. But it would probably be interesting for you if you were into skiing.

[Peter Stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good primer on the history of the 10th Mountain and rife with memorable anecdotes. Could have done a better job zeroing in on the characters (most were done as drive-bys and it was often difficult to keep track of them because they were only dealt with so briefly) and the storytelling around the pivotal moments could have been a bit more dramatic. But a worthwhile, easy read.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read quite a bit about some aspects of WW II, but there is so much more I haven't read about. So many other stories of heroism and sacrifice and this is another interesting story well worth remembering and honoring. It is fun to read about how parts of the country I am a little familiar with played a role in this complex war effort.

[Marjorie Elwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written military history, seen through the prism of human relationships. I had always thought that the 10th Mountain Division men fought on skis in Italy, but it turns out that their rock-climbing abilities saved the day.

[Brad L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting read of the 10th mountain division, and the lives they lived after the war. A must read for a CO. resident or lover, or just a fan of the great outdoors. The writing style was a little tough for me due to the fact it was taken from multiple sources and accounts.

[Matthew Manzella · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a skier growing up in the 90s I had no idea how these men helped shape the course of my life. My grandfather served north of Genoa in 44/45 as well, it's amazing thinking he might have met some of these units and I never knew to ask when he was alive. Youth is truly wasted on the young.

[Brandon Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read for those who enjoy skiing, climbing, and WWII. This probably isn’t the book for you if you only enjoy war stories, or only enjoy ski stories, but it tells the stories of an oft-forgotten front of the war and the unique men and mindsets that fought in it.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some interesting parts to this unit's story and the stories of what some of their number did after the war, but they're buried here among unnecessary details and description.

[Annalise Grueter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must read for those who love skiing and the outdoors. A well told background of how so many American outdoor titans served in this unique division at the end of WWII.

[Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great to the point look at the 10th Mtn.

[Andrew Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cool story. Many of these guys were founders of commercial skiing across the West. Definitely some Utah connections here.

[Cedric Hagen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! I originally picked it up to learn about Colorado and ski history and ended up learning a ton about WWII and becoming fascinated with less-known aspects of wars.

[Allison Groom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed leaning more about the 10th Mountain Division. The author did a great job of bringing history to life.

[Christy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story about the soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division.

[Anne Macdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written accounting of the 10th Mountain Divsison.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

My only ski war has been i70

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating history of the 10th Mountain Division: its origins, its formation and growth, its battles, and its troops. Definitely worth a read.

[Bridget Spellman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t normally read history themed books but my love for skiing and the outdoors drew me to read this one.

Pros: There are such interesting stories in this book about how truly defining the 10th mtn division was in winning the war. The division was doubted by many but in the end, they really proved themselves.

You find out at the end of this book that many of the 10th mtn veterans have SUCH an impact on the outdoor industry after they served their time. From expanding Aspen, building Vail mtn, opening other ski resorts, working for chair lift manufacturers to improve ski lifts, coining “leave no trace” and just their overall love for the outdoors.

Cons: There are times in the book where the history is so factual and detailed that it actually lost my attention a little. It felt more like reading a history text book. If that’s your thing then you’ll love those parts but I ended up skimming most of those parts.

If you’re a history buff and love the outdoors, this is a must read. Even if you just love one or the other, this is worth the read.

[Sitting Bull · Rating 3 out of 5]

I purchased this book at the Colorado Ski Museum in Vail. I was interested in the training the 10th had done here in Colorado, which was about a third of the discussion in the book. I hadn't realized the 10th never engaged in any campaigns on skis, although they did use some of their rock climbing skills on Riva Ridge in Italy. An interesting story, but only moderately well written.