- Paperback: 224 pages
- Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (Trade); Reprint edition (1 Nov 1988)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0395485908
- ISBN-13: 978-0395485903
- Product Dimensions: 20.4 x 13.7 x 1.9 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
149,147 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #8 in Books > Travel & Holiday > Countries & Regions > Asia > Pakistan
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Product Description
Synopsis
Tells the stories of mountaineers who attempted to climb K2, the world's second highest mountain, in 1986.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Jim Curran spent the summer of 1986 as part of a film crew at K2 base camp, and became witness to one of the darkest chapters in 20th Century mountaineering.
Written in an endearing style, the author is honest about his own shortcomings and self deprecating, in the same refreshing spirit he doesnt hold back from saying exactly what he felt about the participating climbers, even the ones who never came back.
This book is a gripping catalogue of tragedy & disaster as everything that could go wrong, evidently did go wrong in that season on K2. No Heroes to be seen here, only a cautionary tale of over-ambitious climbers risking all on the most dangerous mountain in the world.
Written in an endearing style, the author is honest about his own shortcomings and self deprecating, in the same refreshing spirit he doesnt hold back from saying exactly what he felt about the participating climbers, even the ones who never came back.
This book is a gripping catalogue of tragedy & disaster as everything that could go wrong, evidently did go wrong in that season on K2. No Heroes to be seen here, only a cautionary tale of over-ambitious climbers risking all on the most dangerous mountain in the world.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
It is summer...1986. Twenty seven climbers triumph at the K2 summit. Thirteen climbers die in their quest to conquer K2. Therein lies the tale.
The author, a photographer who calls himself a climber, though that is debatable, attempts to make sense of the events which unfolded on the mountain that summer. Relying upon the anecdotes and narratives of others, as well as his own personal observations, he tries to put the events into perspective, even though he has no first hand knowledge of what transpired up on the mountain, for the most part. Although he was there, he rarely ventured past base camp.
The book does make for an interesting read, as we look at events as they unfold before the author. It is amazing that with all the tragedies which seemed to occur at almost every turn, the climbers still kept climbing, never losing sight of their quest. At times this singlemindedness on the part of the climbers comes across as somewhat meglomaniacal.
The author is very candid in his commentary throughout the book and, surprisingly, he does not hesitate to speak ill of the dead. His candor, while somewhat disturbing, is refreshing, and it is interesting to discover that the gods do, indeed, have clay feet.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have read a Polish translation of the book, but I seriously consider reading the original (if the book would only be available on Amazon).
It is a book about a series of tragic events, which happen on K2 in 1986 but also about quite a few spectacular successes. The book is long, detailed and well documented. It is also a book about 80s, the decade when the world's highest peeks became domain of relatively broad group of dedicated mountaineers. Amateur climbers relaying on guides were not there at that time.
Jim Curran narrative is very personal and I consider it a big advantage. After all Mr Curran as a photographer with no climbing ambitions on K2 had an excellent perspective, which Jon Krakauer clearly lacked while writing "Into Thin Air".
It is a book about a series of tragic events, which happen on K2 in 1986 but also about quite a few spectacular successes. The book is long, detailed and well documented. It is also a book about 80s, the decade when the world's highest peeks became domain of relatively broad group of dedicated mountaineers. Amateur climbers relaying on guides were not there at that time.
Jim Curran narrative is very personal and I consider it a big advantage. After all Mr Curran as a photographer with no climbing ambitions on K2 had an excellent perspective, which Jon Krakauer clearly lacked while writing "Into Thin Air".
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