|
|
List Price: $7.99 Price: $5.85 You Save: $2.14 (27%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.522092 EAN: 9780385492089 Edition: 1st Anchor Books ed ISBN: 0385492081 Label: Anchor Manufacturer: Anchor Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 416 Publication Date: April 06, 1998 Publisher: Anchor Release Date: April 06, 1998 Studio: Anchor Editorial Review: 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 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 Product Description: When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10,1996, he hadn't slept in fifty-seven hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. As he turned to begin the perilous descent from 29,028 feet (roughly the cruising altitude of an Airbus jetliner), twenty other climbers were still pushing doggedly to the top, unaware that the sky had begun to roil with clouds... Into Thin Air is the definitive account of the deadliest season in the history of Everest by the acclaimed Outside journalist and author of the bestselling Into the Wild. Taking the reader step by step from Katmandu to the mountain's deadly pinnacle, Krakauer has his readers shaking on the edge of their seat. Beyond the terrors of this account, however, he also peers deeply into the myth of the world's tallest mountain. What is is about Everest that has compelled so many poeple--including himself--to throw caution to the wind, ignore the concerns of loved ones, and willingly subject themselves to such risk, hardship, and expense? Written with emotional clarity and supported by his unimpeachable reporting, Krakauer's eyewitness account of what happened on the roof of the world is a singular achievement. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Breathless I was on lunch break at a previous job and reading Walden Pond by Henry David Thoreau for the second time in my life. My co-worker comes up to me and said, "is that a good book, I've never read it?". I told him it was a book I could relate to, because I too like being outside and surrounded by nothing but nature and the way Mr. Thoreau described his experimental sojourn out in the woods was exactly the way I preferred to live too. My friend told me, "I have a book that you would probably like, It's ... Read More Rating: - RivetingEven non-outdoorsmen (that would be me) will enjoy this true story of triumph over the mountain. I highly highly recommend! Rating:  - Not the whole storyLet me state up front that I'm a Krakauer fan, that I've read (and own) many of his books, that I consider his short story about climbing the Devil's Thumb a true classic in mountaineering literature, and that I've read "Into Thin Air" several times. It is a page turner. Recently however, I discovered the point of view of someone else covering the same tragedy. I am referring to The Climb by Boukreev and DeWalt. For those that don't know, Boukreev was a guide on the mountain that terrible ... Read More Rating:  - Amazing adventure story about the 1996 Mt Everest Climbing DisasterAs a journalist for Outside magazine, Jon Krakauer was assigned to climb and cover a guided trip to the top of Mt Everest. After being dropped off in Kathmandu at the end of March 1996, where he soon meets his guides and co-clients, he is on his way to a memorably grisly adventure. The group slowly makes its way up the mountain, stopping at a series of base camps during a six-week period designed to acclimate their bodies to the extreme altitude. Up until the last day push to the summit on May 10, the trip ... Read More Rating: - Awesome, gut-wrenching....loved itI CAN'T BELIEVE THAT AFTER READING THIS BOOK, I WANT TO START MOUNTAIN CLIMBING. THERE IS THAT SOMETHING IN ME, THAT SAYS YOU CAN DO IT. THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ. MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE FAMILIES AND FRIENDS OF THE VICTIMS. READING THE BOOK ALONE CANNOT EXPLAIN THE FEELING OF CLIMBING AT 29,000 FEET, IT MUST BE SCARY. THE IDEA THAT SOMEONE WOULD LET SOMEONE ELSE DIE ON A MOUNTAIN SO THAT THEY COULD CLIMB TO THE TOP IS ASTOUNDING. WHILE I UNDERSTAND IT, IT IS WILD. I COULD GO ON FOREVER, JUST READ THE BOOK. |
