A very personal account.
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Because this is such a personal account, I would suggest that those who criticize it for being one sided are wide of the mark. Krakauer himself acknowledges the difficulty he had in remembering accurately and in comparing his memories with those of others. Much of what he is recalling happened when he and others were suffering from severe exhaustion, oxygen deprivation and altitude sickness. He also admits that writing this book was a cathartic exercise for him, which has resulted in his readers being less well served than they should have been. Yes, he criticizes others and questions their actions and motives, but he is also hard on himself, and he does recount the heroic deeds of others (such as Anatoli Boukreev) as well as their questionable ones. I suppose that for the sake of completeness it would be interesting to read Boukreev's account, but not essential. This book stands on its own.
And what a book it is! I would defy anyone, be they an experienced climber or someone with no no previous interest in mountaineering, to put it down once begun. This is the antidote to all of those coffee table books that present only the benign, picturesque face of Everest. From the squalid conditions on the walk-in and at base camp to the harrowing climax in the death zone, I was struck by the honesty of this book. The characters involved are also well drawn, though some may not like the way Krakauer paints them. There are some great climbers who are not good enough writers to do justice to their exploits. Krakauer would not count himself as a great Himalayan mountaineer, and would perhaps question whether his trip to Everest in 1996 was worth while at all. Nevertheless, his ability to write about his experiences makes this book a very worth while read.
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Summit Fever on Everest
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A gripping account of summit fever. Hopefully the days of extreme tourism and queues at the Hilary Step are long gone. But I doubt it.
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Gripping!
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I bought this for my holiday a couple of days ago and made the mistake of opening it - finished it before holiday has even started! It is a gripping story well told. I don't know about apportioning blame etc but I thought he gave a pretty balanced view, in that he comes across as a thoughtful and fairminded person. Brilliant read - just need a replacement now!
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A compelling well written read
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The authors account of the climb seems to differ from all the other accounts I have read regarding the 1996 Everest disaster. I think it stems from the author being a reporter and wanting to make a name to sell books and magazines. In saying that it is well written and a good read, even if a times it strays into fiction.
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Into Thin Air
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Without being fully aware of the controversy of the authors opinions in this book, I began it expecting a great adventure story and nothing more. This book more than delivered in that respect. Not only is it immensely easy to read, but I found it difficult to put down and became completely engrossed in the story that unfolded. I got choked up a great deal towards the end and felt anxious and concerned along with the people in the book. For the two days that it took to read I lived the fears and exhaustion along with the author and the climbers on Everest. It has some great colour plates and copious notes on expedition members and other teams on Everest that season as well. The author does take a great deal of blame for things that he had a hand in and isn't shy about laying blame elsewhere either. I guess to get a more rounded view it may pay to read other accounts of the event. Never-the-less, overall this is a superb book that will keep you gripped throughout. Highly recommended.
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