Jon Krakauer's acclaimed account of a disastrous expedition on Mt Everest
Into Thin Air
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A bank of clouds was assembling on the not-so-distant horizon but journalist/mountaineer Jon Krakauer, standing on the summit of Mount Everest, saw nothing that "suggested that a murderous storm was bearing down." He was wrong. The storm, which claimed five lives and left countless more--including Krakauer's--in guilt-ridden disarray, would also provide the impetus for Into Thin Air, Krakauer's epic account of the May 1996 disaster. With more than 250 black-and-white photographs taken by various expedition members and an enlightening new postscript by the author, the Illustrated Edition shows readers what this tragic climb looked like and potentially provides closure for Krakauer and his detractors.
"I have no doubt that Boukreev's intentions were good on summit day," writes Krakauer in a postscript dated August 1998. "What disturbs me, though, was Boukreev's refusal to acknowledge the possibility that he made even a single poor decision. Never did he indicate that perhaps it wasn't the best choice to climb without gas or go down ahead of his clients." As usual, Krakauer supports his points with dogged research and a good dose of humility. But rather than continue the heated discourse that has raged since Into Thin Air's denouncement of the guide Boukreev, Krakauer's tone is conciliatory; he points most of his criticism at G. Weston DeWalt, who co-authored The Climb, Boukreev's version of events. And in a touching conclusion, Krakauer recounts his last conversation with the late Boukreev, in which the two weathered climbers agreed to disagree about certain points. Krakauer had great hopes to patch things up with Boukreev, but the Russian later died in an avalanche on another Himalayan peak, Annapurna I. Krakauer further buries the ice axe by donating his share of royalties from sales of The Illustrated Edition to the Everest '96 Memorial Fund, which aids various environmental and humanitarian charities. -- Rob McDonald --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
This is the true story of a 24-hour period on Everest, when members of three separate expeditions were caught in a storm and faced a battle against hurricane-force winds, exposure, and the effects of altitude, which ended the worst single-season death toll in the peak's history. In March 1996, Outside magazine sent veteran journalist and seasoned climber Jon Krakauer on an expedition led by celebrated Everest guide Rob Hall. Despite the expertise of Hall and the other leaders, by the end of summit day eight people were dead. Krakauer's book is at once the story of the ill-fated adventure and an analysis of the factors leading up to its tragic end. Written within months of the events it chronicles, Into Thin Air clearly evokes the majestic Everest landscape. As the journey up the mountain progresses, Krakauer puts it in context by recalling the triumphs and perils of other Everest trips throughout history. The author's own anguish over what happened on the mountain is palpable as he leads readers to ponder timeless questions.
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First Sentence
Straddling the top of the world, one foot in China and the other in Nepal, I cleared the ice from my oxygen mask, hunched a shoulder against the wind, and stared absently down at the vastness of Tibet. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
Straddling the top of the world, one foot in China and the other in Nepal, I cleared the ice from my oxygen mask, hunched a shoulder against the wind, and stared absently down at the vastness of Tibet. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
46 of 46 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Whether you have an interest in mountaineering or not, this book is difficult to put down. To a non-alpinist, the author has succeeded in portraying the story behind this tragedy in such a way that in the first few chapters, you begin to toy with the idea that mountaineering might hold some attraction. However, in the telling of the summit tragedy and the events thereafter the idea that Everest might be a seductive force is completely erased and you are left with a feeling of utmost horror and helplessness at what these people went through. There is a realisation that it's not just about getting to the summit - mountaineers have a mind-set which demands further examination by lesser mortals.
Jon Krakauer is a gifted writer and I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a book to get totally immersed in. I couldn't put it down and read it cover to cover twice.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A detailed and personal account of the '96 Everest disaster. This book provides a fascinating armchair understanding of the physical/mental demands of high altitude climbing and the events leading up to the tragedy that killed 12 people. This account created a widespread fascination of the event, along with widespread debate and controversy. If there is a must read in the mountaineering world, this is it.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Having never held any interest in mountaineering, I came across 'Into Thin Air' by accident. However, I found Jon Krakauer's account of the 1996 Everest disaster to be utterly gripping. Krakauer gives a clear insight into what compels ordinary people to leave their everyday existence behind and spend vast sums to conquer the world's highest peak. Many were attracted by the fact that the mountain had appeared to be 'tamed.' Expert guides such as Rob Hall, whose expedition Krakauer joined in 1996, had previously guided relatively inexperienced fee paying clients to the summit. In a time when daredevil mountaineering feats had lost their appeal in terms of attracting commercial sponsorship, many climbers came to rely increasingly upon guided expeditions to earn a living. Krakauer lucidly describes the motives of the various teams that congregated upon Everest in 1996 as well as the sometimes fraught interaction between them. The events that led to the death of eight climbers during a terrible storm on the upper reaches of the mountain are recounted in detail. Krakauer is frank in his assessment of what went wrong and much of what he says may seem obvious with hindsight but as he is at pains to point out, rational thought and action is often impossible in intense cold and at extreme altitude.
The quality of Krakauer's writing is exceptional and this book engages the reader on several levels. Issues such as the commercial pressures upon the guides, the motives of the climbers and the effects of the expeditions upon the Himalayan community and environment are examined in an intelligent manner. What remains most in the mind however is the bravery of the climbers, especially those involved in the rescue attempts, and the images of the mountain itself as a great physical and spiritual entity that has possibly not always been afforded the respect it is due.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Masterpiece
I'm scared of heights. I got nervous a couple of months ago walking up the path to "Arthurs Seat" in Edinburgh. Obviously I dont like flying either. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr Meldrewe
1.0 out of 5 stars
Why was Jon so scathing about mountain madness?
I didn't enjoy this book so much. It's sensationalised and brings in personal views in order to criticise the other team, mountain madness. Read more
Published 1 month ago by ijess
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Slippery Slope
A gripping account of how summit fever, giant egos and Everest's formidable teeth conspire to cause major tragedy.
Gripping and sad.
Gripping and sad.
Published 1 month ago by DC
5.0 out of 5 stars
Left me dazed and breathless
What an amazing book! It's short (350 pages) but very punchy and so dramatic. Telling the story of the 1996 Adventure Consultants expedition to climb Mt. Everest. Read more
Published 2 months ago by R. Murphy
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting read
Not a bad read, was a little slow to start and i felt myself wanting to skip over the first few chapters and get straight to what the book was all about. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mrs A
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not Thin on Detail
I'm a huge fan of fact, not fiction and really enjoyed this book.
The details gave me a great image if the mountain and I could picture every scene as if I was there... Read more
The details gave me a great image if the mountain and I could picture every scene as if I was there... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Dan MUlhare
5.0 out of 5 stars
.
Absolutely excellent, it's like being there when Jon narrates about the misadventure on everest. A classic and must for anybody who loves mountains.
Published 2 months ago by Sandro
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating from first to last.
Gripping personal interpretation of climbing Everest and in particular his version about what happened on a fateful expedition. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Gillane
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hard to put down
I had a bit of A problem with the way some of it was written. (Its like he has swallowed a thesaurus )
and you do need to know a little bit about climbing to fully understand... Read more
and you do need to know a little bit about climbing to fully understand... Read more
Published 2 months ago by stumpy tella
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant read
I read this book after returning from Mt Kilimanjaro and had originally wanted something to put me off future mountain ascents. Read more
Published 2 months ago by AG
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