Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster
by Jon Krakauer
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jon KrakauerBrand: Random
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1999-10-19
ISBN: 0385494785
Number of pages: 332
Publisher: Anchor
Book Reviews of Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster
Book Review: A Fantastic Account of a Emotionally Gripping Adventure
Summary: 5 Stars
"Into Thin Air" is the personal account of Krakauer's 1996 endeavor to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. That year, he was writing a magazine article on the developing commercialization of Everest climbing, i.e. the growing numbers of thrill-seeking amateurs with enough income to pay guides to get them to the top of the world. He ended up a participant in the worst chain of deadly misfortune in the mountain's history.
Krakauer's background as reporter and non-fiction author makes the book a very informative read that's nevertheless easy to digest. The book starts out with historical information on the "discovery" of Everest as the world's tallest peak and the initial attempts at reaching its summit. As his journey begins, there are detailed accounts of the region, including the geography and demographics, the role that religion plays and the almost mystical role that the mountain itself plays, and the Sherpas who inhabit the Himalayas. Along the way, there are also explanations of climbing technique but never so much as to overwhelm readers unfamiliar with the sport or to bore those who are. All of the background supplements the story and moves it along well.
He also does a good job of managing the large cast of people involved in the story (in fact, one of the main thrusts of the book is that there are simply too many inexperienced people attempting to climb Everest and that this overcrowding makes tragedies like this one inevitable in the long run): there were several expedition groups pursuing the summit along with Krakauer's, along with the Sherpas, the base camp staff, etc. This printing includes a prefacing list of all people as well as a map of Everest which includes the path taken to the summit and the camp locations along the way. These are very helpful reference materials.
However, it's the additional depth and gravity that Krakauer gives to these events that makes this book so unforgettable. Taken on its own, an Everest expedition is a fascinating event - the mental and physical challenges are astounding, and mountaineering notwithstanding, simple survival for a handful of hours at such high altitudes is potentially deadly under even ideal circumstances. So Krakauer delves into his personal experiences on the mountain to add two specific themes that make this book immensely compelling to read.
First, the author investigates the simple question of "why?" - why would men and women with families and everyday lives ever sign up to endure such a trial? Krakauer's examination of each climber's particular motivations gives the reader real connections with them. For instance, the postal worker who worked a second job to finance one final attempt after missing the summit by a few hundred feet the year before, or the wealthy socialite with virtually no climbing experience who only needed Everest to complete her collection of guided summits of all seven continents' highest peaks. The result is that readers understand each climber and inevitably end up either rooting for their success or else shaking their head at their folly.
The second critical element that adds to Krakauer's telling is his own hubris. Without giving any of the story away, there are numerous fatalities that occurred during that month. Krakauer doesn't engage in any finger-pointing, but he does point out the mistakes and oversights along the way that seemed inconsequential at the time but eventually combined into the eventual tragedy. But most importantly, he's unflinching in examining his own role in these events, as well. The reader senses his genuine anguish over not just the deadly outcome of the attempt, but also the second-guessing that he will bear for the rest of his life. Compounding his burden is the oxygen deprivation that all climbers risk at that altitude and the resulting confusion over recollection of key events. But again, he is forthright in his journalistic approach in assessing these discrepancies - even the ones that put him in a potentially culpable light.
A very important feature of this latest softcover printing is the afterword, which discusses the subsequent controversy surrounding the reaction to the book itself. In an attempt to answer his critics - some from the expedition itself - Krakauer exhaustively documents his investigative methods. But again, what could have been a boring 30-page footnote is brought to agonizing life by his committment to presenting the most factual account possible and his own resulting self-examination.
CAUTION: One word of caution about the printing - there is a section of photos from the expedition tucked in the middle of the climax as teams begin to reach the summit. Several of these photos contain captions that give away the resolution of events, i.e. who made it back down vs. who didn't. I recommend skipping them until you've finished the entire book.
Finally, there is a made-for-TV movie based on the book that bears the same title, but it's a schlock treatment not worth even renting. On the other hand, the "IMAX: Everest" movie that was coincidentally being made during that year's expeditions (that film crew plays a part in this book as they had planned on attempting the summit at roughly the same time Krakauer's party and thus ended up unwitting participants in the tragedy) is very good and serves as a visual supplement to this book. It's now available on DVD.
This book is a true page-turner that combines interesting background elements with a well-told account of the events surrounding the tragedy and most importantly of all, a humanity that could only come from this author's first-person experience. I highly recommend it.
Summary of Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster
National BestsellerA 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."
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
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