Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air is the true story of a 24-hour period on Everest, when members of three separate expeditions were caught in a storm and faced a battle against hurricane-force winds, exposure, and the effects of altitude, which ended in the worst single-season death toll in the peak's history.
In March 1996, Outside magazine sent veteran journalist and seasoned climber Jon Krakauer on an expedition led by celebrated Everest guide Rob Hall. Despite the expertise of Hall and the other leaders, by the end of summit day, eight people were dead. Krakauer's book is at once the story of the ill-fated adventure and an analysis of the factors leading up to its tragic end. Written within months of the events it chronicles, Into Thin Air clearly evokes the majestic Everest landscape.
As the journey up the mountain progresses, Krakauer puts it in context by recalling the triumphs and perils of other Everest trips throughout history. The author's own anguish over what happened on the mountain is palpable as he leads readers to ponder timeless questions.
One of the inspirations for the major motion picture Everest, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Keira Knightley.
'Into Thin Air ranks among the great adventure books of all time.' - Wall Street Journal
'A harrowing tale of the perils of high-altitude climbing, a story of bad luck and worse judgment and of heartbreaking heroism.' - People
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 9781035038558
Number of pages: 352
Weight: 252 g
Dimensions: 197 x 130 x 22 mm
[Krakauer] has produced a narrative that is both meticulously researched and deftly constructed. - 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. - The Washington Post
Into Thin Air ranks among the great adventure books of all time. - The Wall Street Journal
A harrowing tale of the perils of high-altitude climbing, a story of bad luck and worse judgment and of heartbreaking heroism. - People
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 . . .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
A gripping account of the 1996 Everest disaster from a gifted writer. Krakauer gives a very frank report of the events leading to and during the tragedy and it's obvious he has carefully researched every aspect... More
I really enjoyed this book and found it inspirational and educational in preparation for my walk up Kilimanjaro.
The story is well told, altough a highly experience Everest climber shared his view on the facts in the...
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This is the story of one of the worst mountaineering disasters in Everest's history which claimed the lives of eight people. Krakauer was present during this expedition and he documents his experiences and tries... More
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