| |  | Books : Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster |  | | | | | | | | | |
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.522092
EAN: 9780385494786
ISBN: 0385494785
Label: Anchor
Manufacturer: Anchor
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 368
Publication Date: October 19, 1999
Publisher: Anchor
Release Date: October 19, 1999
Sales Rank: 1852
Studio: Anchor
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
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.'
Amazon.com Review:
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 wasbearing down.' He was wrong. The storm, which claimed five lives andleft countless more--including Krakauer's--in guilt-ridden disarray,would also provide the impetus for Into Thin Air, Krakauer'sepic account of the May 1996 disaster. With more than 250black-and-white photographs taken by various expedition members and anenlightening new postscript by the author, the IllustratedEdition shows readers what this tragic climb looked like andpotentially provides closure for Krakauer and his detractors.
'Ihave 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 hemade even a single poor decision. Never did he indicate that perhapsit wasn't the best choice to climb without gas or go down ahead of hisclients.' As usual, Krakauer supports his points with dogged researchand a good dose of humility. But rather than continue the heateddiscourse that has raged since Into Thin Air's denouncement ofguide Boukreev, Krakauer's tone is conciliatory; he points most of hiscriticism at G. Weston De Walt, who coauthored The Climb, Boukreev'sversion of events. And in a touching conclusion, Krakauer recounts hislast conversation with the late Boukreev, in which the two weatheredclimbers agreed to disagree about certain points. Krakauer had greathopes to patch things up with Boukreev, but the Russian later died ina avalanche on another Himalayan peak, Annapurna I. Krakauer furtherburies the ice axe by donating his share of royalties from sales ofThe Illustrated Edition to the Everest '96 Memorial Fund, whichaids various environmental and humanitarian charities. --RobMcDonald
Customer Reviews Average Rating: 
Rating:  - You don't need to be an avid outdoors-man to enjoy this book.
I am not a mountain climber, spelunker or even a camper, but I loved this book.You don't need to have an outdoor passion to appreciate the incredible story.Being able to get a glimpse into what the human body and mind are capable of is fascinating. And, seeing how so many reacted under the most disastrous of circumstances was unbelievable.I could not put this book down.It was as good as any fictional mystery I've read and kept my undivided attention for the few nights it took me to devour ... Read More
Rating: - Who's got more credibility?
It's interesting to read all of the articles criticizing Jon Krakauer, saying he painted himself in a heroic light, that his book is a giant ego trip, and that Anatoli Boukreev's book is so much more accurate. Many of these so called experts seem to assume that the only way to believe Krakauer, is to NOT read "The Climb". How do any of these reviewers know which account is what really happened?They weren't there. Both books are well-researched.Although, "The Climb" is co-authored by someone other ... Read More
Rating:  - Life and Death on Everest
Krakauer's thrilling memoir about summitting Everest will give you a new perspective on what high altitude mountain climbing is all about.It's not so much about skill; it's about endurance -- the willingness to endure weeks of the greatest discomfort:food, oxygen and sleep deprivation while gale force winds blow in subzero temperatures.Krakauer's fast-moving book is both intelligent and visceral.His poignant portraits of his fellow climbers and his stories of their fates will move you.One warning: ... Read More
Rating: - Utterly riveting, un-put-downable
Into Thin Air is a true account of a fatal expedition to the summit of Mount Everest in 1996. Jon Krakauer, a journalist and hobby mountaineer, went with a group of climbers on their quest for the summit in order to document the effort for an American publication. Due to bad weather, some poor choices, and competition between summit guide companies, four of the five teammates in his climbing group never made it back down the mountain.
The book seems to be a way for Krakauer to purge some of the ... Read More
Rating: - Mountain Madness
"..I hoped that 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."
As an avid mountain climber in his youth, Jon had always wanted to climb the Everest. However, as he grew up his dreams faded away into the practicality of a family life. All that changed dramatically when ... Read More
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