Everest: Mountain without Mercy

Everest: Mountain without Mercy
by Broughton Coburn

Everest: Mountain without Mercy
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Book Summary Information

Author: Broughton Coburn
Introduction: Tim Cahill
Afterword: David Breashears
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Published)
Format: Bargain Price
Published: 1997-10-01
ISBN: N/A
Number of pages: 256
Publisher: National Geographic

Book Reviews of Everest: Mountain without Mercy

Book Review: Good, a little bit too slick for my tastes, though
Summary: 4 Stars

A very colorful look at Mt. Everest from the Imax Everest expedition. Much better than the Imax movie itself, compelling images interspersed with informative commentary and history from a number of writers.

Compared to Everest: Summit of Achievement this is a lightweight introduction. Yes, you will want to own this and read it more than once. Yes, it's better than the Imax Everest movie (not saying much). Unfortunately this book shares some of the superficial qualities the Imax movie had. The editors would have done well to drive their razor-sharp crampons a bit more forcefully into their subject matter, if you catch my drift...

Summary of Everest: Mountain without Mercy

Since the first successful ascent of Everest 50 years ago, many others have attempted the daunting summit, and many have succeeded. But, though Everest can be climbed, it cannot be conquered. Few know this as well as David Breashears. A filmmaker and veteran climber of the Himalaya, Breashears agreed to lead the May 1996 expedition that would capture Everest in a large-format IMAX? motion picture. Even in the best conditions, Breashears knew, Everest is a dangerous challenge-that May, an unexpected blizzard proved how deadly it could be. Shocking the world, the storm claimed the lives of eight climbers, including two of the world's top expedition leaders.

Everest is the breathtaking chronicle of a filmmaking expedition turned rescue mission, and of the courage and cooperation of Breashears and his team as they rose to the life or death challenge. A companion to Breashears's record-grossing large-format film, Everest features an introduction by Outside magazine editor-at-large Tim Cahill, an afterword by David Breashears, and 125 stunning, full-color images, including IMAX frames from the film.


When David Breashears agreed to climb Mount Everest with an IMAX camera in order to film from the summit, he had no idea that his little expedition would become embroiled in a tragedy that would make headlines around the world. On May 10, 1996, two expeditions led by experienced Everest guides Rob Hall and Scott Fisher summited the mountain, only to suffer the loss of eight members--including the two leaders--on the way back down. At the time, Breashears and his filmmaking crew were at the base camp preparing for their own climb--originally planned for that same day but postponed after realizing there would already be several other groups on the summit. Instead of making a film, Breashears and company participated in the rescue and only later reached the summit of Everest to successfully complete their film.

Broughton Coburn, a long-time resident of Nepal and a friend of David Breashears, was commissioned to write a book about the filmmaking expedition, the tragedy on Everest, and the mountain itself. He has more than succeeded with Everest: Mountain Without Mercy, a taut recounting of disaster and triumph at 29,000 feet. But this book is about more than just mountain climbing; Coburn has also included fascinating information about Nepal, Buddhism, and the Sherpa culture, as well as the history of climbing Everest. He covers everything from the causes of altitude sickness to Nepal's increasing problems with deforestation, and through it all he weaves the story of that day in May when Everest again proved unpredictable--and deadly. For a white-knuckle climb to the top of the world's highest mountain, complete with stunning photographs, you can't do better than Everest: Mountain Without Mercy.

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