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Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster Paperback – October 19, 1999

4.6 out of 5 stars 23,524 ratings

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#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The epic account of the storm on the summit of Mt. Everest that claimed five lives and left countless more—including Krakauer's—in guilt-ridden disarray.

“A harrowing tale of the perils of high-altitude climbing, a story of bad luck and worse judgment and of heartbreaking heroism.”—People

A Los Angeles Times Best Nonfiction Book of the Last 30 Years

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.

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 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.

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."
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Krakauer] has produced a narrative that is both meticulously researched and deftly constructed. Unlike the expedition, his story rushes irresistibly forward. But perhaps Mr. Krakauer's greatest achievement is his evocation of the deadly storm, his ability to re-create its effects with a lucid and terrifying intimacy." —Alastair Scott, The New York Times Book Review

"This is a great book, among the best ever on mountaineering.  Gracefully and efficiently written, carefully researched, and actually lived by its narrator, it shares a similar theme with another sort of book, a novel called "
The Great Gatsby." —The Washington Post                        

"
Into Thin Air ranks among the great adventure books of all time." —The Wall Street Journal        
                                                                        
"Krakauer is an extremely gifted storyteller as well as a relentlessly honest and even-handed journalist, the story is riveting and wonderfully complex in its own right, and Krakauer makes one excellent decision after another about how to tell it.... To call the book an adventure saga seems not to recognize that it is also a deeply thoughtful and finely wrought philosophical examination of the self." —
Elle                

"Hypnotic, rattling.... Time collapses as, minute by minute, Krakauer rivetingly and movingly chronicles what ensued, much of which is near agony to read.... A brilliantly told story that won't go begging when the year's literary honors are doled out." —
Kirkus Reviews
                
"Though it comes from the genre named for what it isn't (nonfiction), this has the feel of literature: Krakauer is Ishmael, the narrator who lives to tell the story but is forever trapped within it.... Krakauer's reporting is steady but ferocious.  The clink of ice in a glass, a poem of winter snow, will never sound the same." —
Mirabella                        

"
Into Thin Air is a remarkable work of reportage and self-examination.... And no book on the 1996 disaster is likely to consider so honestly the mistakes that killed his colleagues." —Newsday                                        

"A harrowing tale of the perils of high-altitude climbing, a story of bad luck and worse judgment and of heartbreaking heroism." —
People

"In this movingly written book, Krakauer describes an experience of such bone-chilling horror as to persuade even the most fanatical alpinists to seek sanctuary at sea level." —
Sports Illustrated

From the Inside Flap

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 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.

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."

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 19, 1999
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 332 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0385494785
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0385494786
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 years and up
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.2 x 0.75 x 8 inches
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1320L
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 23,524 ratings

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Jon Krakauer
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In 1999 Jon Krakauer received an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. According to the award 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."

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
23,524 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and well-written, with beautiful prose and artful storytelling. They describe it as pure adventure, making them more interested in Everest and mountaineering in general, and appreciate its thorough research and factual content. The book receives mixed reactions regarding its emotional impact, with customers describing it as heartwrenching and tragic, while some find it too scary to read.

1,100 customers mention "Readability"1,063 positive37 negative

Customers find the book engaging and well-written, describing it as an amazing read with a very good story.

"Great book. One of the best mountaineering books I’ve read. Not quite Touching the Void but close...." Read more

"Great read, would recommend to others. I did not however expect a long read at the end defending the book, but it was good to read as well." Read more

"...All in all, a great book." Read more

"The book came in good condition! My mother told me that it was a great read - she read it every day until she finished it." Read more

427 customers mention "Writer"393 positive34 negative

Customers praise the book's writing style, noting its beautiful prose and artful storytelling, with one customer highlighting the novelist's eye for detail.

"I thought this book was well written and extremely interesting, especially when the author documented past expeditions and historical events..." Read more

"Well written and easy to read. A Mentally Hard read...." Read more

"...That said, the story was gripping and very well written...." Read more

"...Very well written. It seems Krakauer has quite a number of critics out there but he is without a doubt a very great writer." Read more

292 customers mention "Adventure"286 positive6 negative

Customers find the book to be a thrilling adventure, particularly fascinated by the tale of climbing Everest and how it makes them more interested in mountaineering in general.

"...I can't say it was a pleasant book to read, but it was exciting, fascinating, and horrifying." Read more

"...Fascinating and interesting, though I'm not sure that I will ever understand risking one's life just to say that they have stood on the summit of..." Read more

"...beginning, but the details and Krakauer's perspective keep make a fascinating and haunting story...." Read more

"...The writing is smooth and compelling; it's very easy to get lost in and it's hard to put down." Read more

240 customers mention "Story quality"204 positive36 negative

Customers praise the story quality of the book, describing it as an awe-inspiring and amazing true tale, with one customer noting its incredible account of determination.

"This is a superb, well-crafted, true story about the 1996 disaster on the Nepal side of Mount Everest...." Read more

"...the reporting in this book comes across as meticulous, factual and honest...." Read more

"...of Heaven " which was just as well researched, educational, and again haunting...." Read more

"...Suspenseful and entertaining" Read more

202 customers mention "Insight"183 positive19 negative

Customers appreciate the book's thorough research and educational value, with one customer noting it serves as a treasure trove of life lessons.

"...I found it to be informative and entertaining to read, although it was a quick read." Read more

"Very interesting and a genuine tragedy!" Read more

"Well written written and very interesting...." Read more

"...unfold in a chronological and heartbreaking way and it is deep and insightful." Read more

138 customers mention "Enjoyment"138 positive0 negative

Customers find the book riveting and intense, describing it as an absolutely gripping account that moves them emotionally.

"..."Into Thin Air" is a thrilling, if sobering, tale of adventure...." Read more

"This was a gripping, honest account where the author exposes the things that have gone wrong with adventure climbing on Everest...." Read more

"...this book was so well written that it was completely gripping and riveting. I just can't say enough positive things about this book...." Read more

"...This is a straightforward and gripping account of the 1996 tragedy on Mount Everest...." Read more

136 customers mention "Heartbreaking story"95 positive41 negative

Customers find the book heartbreaking, describing it as a tragic and sad true story.

"...This is a chilling and gripping memoir of a failed mount Everest expedition that shines on both the good/bad of human nature. Really loved this one!" Read more

"...that this book succeeds where other non-fiction books by being both emotional and relatively objective at the same time...." Read more

"...Wanted to refresh my memory. It was a terrible, sad, yet thrilling adventure...." Read more

"...late but it is still so powerful, alternately illuminating and heartbreaking Krakauer is a splendid and compassionate writer...." Read more

58 customers mention "Danger"37 positive21 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the book's portrayal of danger, with some appreciating how it provides great insight into perilous situations, while others find it too scary to read.

"...Delicious yet harrowing!..." Read more

"...enthusiastic climber, this book deglamorizes climbing and presents it as the perilous, less-than-thrilling activity it really is...." Read more

"...consideration of humanity's passion for seeking and surmounting the most critically dangerous and yet beautiful elements of nature." Read more

"This is an amazing book about one of human kinds most daunting feats...." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2013
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    As a nature enthusiast and semi-avid hiker, I have always found the prospect of climbing very high mountains interesting. Having no mountaineering experience, I decided to read Mr. Krakauer's chronicle of the 1996 Everest disaster.

    I feel obligated to preface this review by declaring that I have done no exhaustive research on this event aside from reading Into Thin Air. With that said, the reporting in this book comes across as meticulous, factual and honest. Based on the text, it seems to me as though Jon Krakauer endeavored earnestly and indefatigably to find the facts and portray them with objective veracity wherever possible. He does not blush away from self-admonishment regarding actions of his own part that many perceive as negligent; as such, this lends him credibility when examining the actions of his fellow climbers. He goes so far as to include some of the most scathing criticisms he received after the event within his own book.

    There are two very important lessons that I will take away from this book, and to Mr. Krakauer I am eternally grateful because he allowed me to learn them from the warmth of my home, rather than in a -150F gale on top of the world.

    The first lesson is that the Himalaya are not to be taken lightly. They represent, perhaps, the most extreme physical and mental challenge that Nature can conjure. It is not a question of whether they will make you pay for your mistakes, there is no question. The mountain does not care how wealthy you are, if you are a good or bad person, or if you make it to the summit. If you make rash decisions (and you will, Krakauer notes repeatedly thought this work that lucidity is nigh impossible above 28,000 feet) it is very likely that you will die. I feel that a lack of respect for this simple truth is the reason so many are drawn to mountains like Everest, and part of the reason why so many die in the attempt.

    The second lesson this book has taught me is that the commercialization of Everest is an unnatural event, and one that the governments of Nepal and Tibet probably should, but surely will not, revisit. Hundreds of horrifically under-qualified individuals attempt this climb without specific glacier navigation experience, relying on the skill and knowledge of world class guides to make up for their considerable shortcomings. The lack of experience shared by enthusiastic clients coupled with the unpredictability of the weather and the extreme dangers of attempted survival above 28,000 feet place everyone, including the guides, in mortal danger. Then there is also the unsavory practice of exhausted climbers leaving tons upon tons of garbage and excrement upon the face of the mountain.

    The ethics, morality and experience of climbing Everest are all themes Mr. Krakauer examines in this book. The most gripping (and controversial) topic, however, is his portrayal of the men and women on the mountain during the disaster. Indeed, several family members of the deceased have decried Krakauer's prose, both in private and through the media, as speculative, misleading and downright slanderous. Much of this is a matter of perspective, but for my part it seems as though this book's narrative was written by an objective observer who reported his perceptions with as little subjective judgment as possible.

    Krakauer's narrative is excellent. It is so visceral and descriptive that sometimes it's easy to forget that he is telling a story of nonfiction. Several times I caught myself thinking I was reading a novel rather than an historical account. I came to care about these people, to cheer for them and, ultimately, to mourn the passing of those who did not make it off the mountain.

    I believe that this book is an exceptional piece of journalistic writing that anyone who has an interest in mountaineering or the outdoors owes it to themselves to read. It contains education about the rich history of the dangerous sport of mountaineering, cautionary advice for prospective mountaineers, and a story about brave men and women fighting tooth and nail, first to realize a dream, and later for the right to live to tell about it.
    11 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2015
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Almost twenty years ago, journalist Jon Krakauer joined a guided expedition to the top of Mount Everest, led by accomplished high-altitude climber and guide Rob Hall. Ostensibly on assignment to write a magazine piece on the increasing commercialization of Everest, as outfits like Hall's made it possible for climbers with more disposable income than actual mountaineering experience to have a go at the summit, Krakauer knew this might be his only chance to fulfill his own boyhood dream by standing atop the highest mountain on earth. An enthusiastic climber since childhood - though with no experience whatsoever at very high altitudes - he was one of the most technically proficient clients on Hall's team, and on May 10, 1996, he made it to the summit. On the way back down the mountain, however, Hall's group was one of several expeditions caught up suddenly in a violent snowstorm. Krakauer, farther down the mountain than most of his teammates when the storm hit, made it safely back to the tents before he collapsed in exhaustion. He woke to discover that triumph had given way to terror and tragedy: several guides and clients, including Hall, were still out there in the storm, their bodies becoming increasingly vulnerable to the subzero temperatures as their supplemental oxygen supplies dwindled. "By the time I'd descended to Base Camp," Krakauer reflects in the Introduction, "nine climbers from four expeditions were dead, and three more lives would be lost before the month was out."

    "Into Thin Air," written within six months of Krakauer's return from Everest, is the product of his attempts to process exactly what happened up there, how things could go so very wrong and so many very experienced climbers, some of whom had summitted Everest several times before, could have lost their lives: "I thought that writing the book might purge Everest from my life. It hasn't, of course. Moreover, I agree that readers are often poorly served when an author writes as an act of catharsis, as I have done here. But I hoped something would be gained by spilling my soul in the calamity's immediate aftermath, in the roil and torment of the moment. I wanted my account to have a raw, ruthless sort of honesty that seemed in danger of leaching away with the passage of time and the dissipation of anguish." Thanks perhaps to the years spent honing his craft as a writer and his discipline as a journalist with deadlines to meet, Krakauer succeeds brilliantly in what he has set out to do. His account is nowhere rushed, hysterical, or lacking in polish; rather, it's a well-told story, supported by carefully researched background and dozens of interviews with other participants in the events, and Krakauer is so much in control of his narrative that it comes almost as a shock how much of a genuine emotional wallop it packs.

    Perhaps only a man who stood on the summit of Everest after years of dreaming, only to regret afterwards that he'd ever gone, could tell this story the way Krakauer does, neither glossing over the dangers of the mountain or the waste of good human lives, nor denying the challenge it poses the human spirit simply by being the highest spot on the earth's surface, simply, in the words of a man who died on Everest decades before, "because it is there." "Into Thin Air" is a thrilling, if sobering, tale of adventure. Let's be honest, reading a book like this is as close as most of us are ever going to get to climbing the great mountain - and Krakauer describes so well the challenges of the terrain, the moments of astonishing beauty, the plodding determination that carries the exhausted body ever onward, the effects of high altitude on the body and mind, that our vicarious ascent in his company is thoroughly satisfying. He brings his fellow climbers alive for us, too, in brief but vivid verbal portraits. We are told not only of their mountaineering prowess, but their determination, their amiability, their families, their human faults and foibles. Even though we've known pretty much all along who dies and who lives (the book is dedicated to the memory of those who died, and a photograph of the mountain between the introduction and first chapter is labeled with a map of their route indicating where major events took place, including several deaths), by the time the storm sweeps in we've come to care about these people, to hope without hope, to mourn their deaths, to celebrate every time a survivor makes it to safety.

    Some readers have labeled Krakauer arrogant and accused him of placing blame on everyone but himself, but I didn't find this to be the case. He comes down against the practice of guides leading commercial expeditions of clients without the skills or experience to make the climb without constant hand-holding, but he acknowledges that he himself didn't rightly belong there, and has nothing but praise for the skills of Rob Hall and the other guides he knew personally. He doesn't hesitate to point out errors of judgment that might have facilitated or compounded the perils of the situation, but it's more in the nature of pointing out the fallibility of human nature and the general unreliability of the human brain in a state of hypoxia (which, 8000 meters above sea level, supplemental oxygen can only partially mitigate) than pointing fingers or placing blame. There are no villains (except perhaps Ian Woodall, literally the only one of dozens of people he met on Everest of whom Krakauer had nothing good to say whatsoever, who for no apparent reason denied the use of his radio to help maintain contact with survivors and coordinate rescue attempts), but plenty of heroes: men and women who risked their lives venturing exhausted into a storm to rescue others, who held their own grief at bay to console the dying, who handed over their own precious bottles of oxygen to those in greater need, who calmly coordinated communications and rescue efforts during a time of crisis, or who simply managed to keep breathing when it would have been so much easier and less painful to fall asleep forever in the snow. That some of these fine, heroic men and women made the occasional mistake or bad decision says more about the risky nature of their undertaking than about them as individuals. Krakauer doesn't exempt himself from folly or fallibility, either, and in fact he's far harder on himself than he is on any of the others who were with him on the summit that day, living or dead. And granted that the fortitude, endurance, determination, and self-confidence necessary to tackle Everest tend to come hand-in-hand with a certain swagger and cockiness, Krakauer doesn't come across as particularly arrogant. This is a man who lets his readers see him, in the last chapter, broken by grief and survivor's guilt, lying across a bed naked and high on cannabis, with thick sobs "erupting out of my nose and mouth in a flood of snot."

    There's enough controversy surrounding the events on Everest in 1996, and particularly Krakauer's accounting of them, that readers who truly wish to understand what happened on the mountain that sad day probably shouldn't rely on this book alone. Fortunately, a number of other books on the subject exist, including at least four other memoirs by survivors of the disaster. "Into Thin Air," however, remains in any case a good place to start - and a thrilling, if ultimately haunting, read.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Kerrie Dodds
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good Read
    Reviewed in Australia on May 17, 2022
    Good read well worth reading. Good factual insight into an ardeous life changing climb. I liked how the author was true to his story. Thank you for sharing
  • Shelley Phillips
    5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely well written
    Reviewed in Canada on January 10, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    A very well written, objective view of what happened in 1996 from someone who was actually there. Mr Krakauer offers an honest analysis of the events, his fellow climbers, guides and himself. You know you've done a good, honest job when not everyone is happy with the story. People tend to hide their shortcomings and tell only the parts of the story they want others to know. Mr Krakauer tells it how it is, regardless of who will like it and who will not. This includes admitting his own shortcomings, which is both admirable and courageous. I don't for one second think he was to blame for anything, but honesty about how one feels and views themself is important not only in the storytelling but also in the healing process. I hope Mr Krakauer has found some healing and meaning in his life from this experience. I would recommend this book to everyone, it is so well written that I am now seeking out his other work.
  • Ricky
    5.0 out of 5 stars Harrowing but fascinating
    Reviewed in Japan on November 5, 2019
    A fascinating and informative story. A few photographs would have been a nice addition to help understand the terrain but that is s minor quibble. Highly recommended for anyone who would like to understand what it might be like to climb Everest.
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    Ricky
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Harrowing but fascinating

    Reviewed in Japan on November 5, 2019
    A fascinating and informative story. A few photographs would have been a nice addition to help understand the terrain but that is s minor quibble. Highly recommended for anyone who would like to understand what it might be like to climb Everest.
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  • Mr. Dardelle Matthieu
    5.0 out of 5 stars Un récit captivant
    Reviewed in France on March 3, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Un récit captivant sur une ascension de l’Everest dramatique. Le détail des événements tout au long de l’expedition permet de mieux comprendre le fonctionnement d’une telle ascension guidée et les raisons derrière son issue tragique. L’ecrivain et alpiniste amateur Jon Krakauer parvient à faire passer la beauté mais aussi les difficultés et absurdités de cette quête, qui est devenue un business avec toutes les dérives associées. Ce livre me laisse toutefois une impression positive de tous ces hommes et ces femmes poussés par leur rêve, aussi vain et prétentieux soit-il. Je n’ai pas perçu d’animosité excessive envers l’un ou l'autre des protagonistes et le récit des événements m’a semblé juste. Je recommande donc ce livre, et fuyez le film Everest inspiré des memes faits : je n’ai pas pu aller au bout après avoir lu le livre !
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  • Francisco Molero
    5.0 out of 5 stars Absorbente. Se lee de un tiron
    Reviewed in Spain on June 23, 2016
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Muy bien escrito, explica de manera lineal la expedición al Everest del 96. Te mantiene en vilo la mayor parte del libro y da un sinfin de detalles sobre las expediciones comerciales. Al final describe la polemica que el autor tuvo con el guia de otra expedición, pero es menos interesante. A mi me entretuvo durante una semana, en la que leia cada vez que tenía un rato libre