Full of eccentric characters, ''Killing Dragons'' is the story of the first British mountaineers to tackle the Alpine summits of Switzerland during the late 18th century. Originally the explorers of this area were poorly equipped, wearing ordinary shoes and no protective clothing. The British arrived intent on reaching every Alpine summit, and ''mountaineering'' was born. The title refers to the legend of dragons inhabiting these peaks: ''here be dragons'', quoted the old maps.