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Paperback
Liberty Mountain
Publisher: Anchor
ISBN13: 9780385494786
Condition: NEW
Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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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 Mt. 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 By writing Into Thin Air, Krakauer may have hoped to exorcise some of his own demons and lay to rest some of the painful questions that still surround the event. He takes great pains to provide a balanced picture of the people and events he witnessed and gives due credit to the tireless and dedicated Sherpas. He also avoids blasting easy targets such as Sandy Pittman, the wealthy socialite who brought an espresso maker along on the expedition. Krakauer's highly personal inquiry into the catastrophe provides a great deal of insight into what went wrong. But for Krakauer himself, further interviews and investigations only lead him to the conclusion that his perceived failures were directly responsible for a fellow climber's death. Clearly, Krakauer remains haunted by the disaster, and although he relates a number of incidents in which he acted selflessly and even heroically, he seems unable to view those instances objectively. In the end, despite his evenhanded and even generous! assessment of others' actions, he reserves a full measure of vitriol for himself. This updated trade paperback edition of Into Thin Air includes an extensive new postscript that sheds fascinating light on the acrimonious debate that flared between Krakauer and Everest guide Anatoli Boukreev in the wake of the tragedy. "I have no doubt that Boukreev's intentions were good on summit day," writes Krakauer in the postscript, dated August 1999. "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 guide Boukreev, Krakauer's tone is conciliatory; he points most of his criticism at G. Weston De Walt, who coauthored, The Climb, Boukreev's version of events. And in a touching conclusion, Krakauer re! counts 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. In 1999, Krakauer received an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters-a prestigious prize intended "to honor writers of exceptional accomplishment." According to the Academy's citation, "Krakauer combines the tenacity and courage of the finest tradition of investigative journalism with the stylish subtlety and profound insight of the born writer. His account of an ascent of Mount Everest has led to a general reevaluation of climbing and of the commercialization of what was once a romantic, solitary sport; while his account of the life and death of Christopher McCandless, who died of starvation after challenging the Alaskan wilderness, delves even more deeply and disturbingly into the fascination of nature and the devastating effects of its lure on a young and curious mind."
A bank of clouds was assembling on the not-so-distant horizon, but journalist-mountaineer Jon Krakauer, standing on the summit of Mt. 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 guide Boukreev, Krakauer's tone is conciliatory; he points most of his criticism at G. Weston De Walt, who coauthored 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 a 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
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| powerful and absorbing read |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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a book i enjoyed and savoured. wonderfully descriptive and many sharp observations of human behaviour. i normally do not keep books after i've read them. this one i had to pass on to a good friend. so far i have read 3 of krakauer's books. i shall read his fourth as i do like his take of the world. wish him many more years as a writer.
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| Haunting |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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What a great read. At times it was pretty technical but the author did a pretty great job of explaning different climbing terms. This book was so haunting and intense it is one that stays with you. When you aren't reading the book you are thinking about those involved and how the story will play out even if you know how it will end.
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| Why I Hate This Book |
| Customer Rating: 1 out of 5 |
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I thought the=is book spent too much tim talking about the founding of everest. It wasn't interesting until page 200!
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| Awesome |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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One of the most awesome books I've ever read on human adversity and surviving it. Amazing.
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| Excellent and timeless recount of the 1996 Everest tragedy |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I just discovered Into Thin Air and even though I was not old enough to be aware of this tragedy when it occurred, I can't believe I haven't read this book until now. This is a straightforward and gripping account of the 1996 tragedy on Mount Everest. Of course you know the outcome from the beginning, but the details and Krakauer's perspective keep make a fascinating and haunting story. If you have no experience with mountain climbing, this story provides great insight into the dangers, logistics, impact on the human body, people, equipment, preparation, cost, and the commercialization of climbing.
Although Krakauer has been criticized for his account of the events and his actions, he kept his story as factual as possible and made it clear when he made a mistake or was speculating about the events he did not personally witness. And after watching a documentary on this subject, I felt Krakauer minimized the danger, extreme fatigue, and discomfort he personally experienced.
This is a well-told story that Krakauer rounds out nicely with input from other climbers. I recommend following it up by reading the original article and letters exchanged on Outside Online and watching a documentary such as IMAX's Everest or Frontline's Storm Over Everest to get the full effect of the amazing and tragic events that occurred during this climb.
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