Left for Dead: My Journey Home from Everest
by Beck Weathers
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Book Summary Information
Author: Beck WeathersBrand: Random
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-11-06
ISBN: 0440237084
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Dell
Book Reviews of Left for Dead: My Journey Home from Everest
Book Review: Simply the best of the Everest disaster books
Summary: 5 Stars
I've read a lot of books about Everest. I've read books about that specific Everest disaster, including Into Thin Air and The Climb. While both of those books were fascinating, they don't touch Left For Dead for one main reason: Beck Weathers was changed by what happened. He didn't just go "wow, that was close" and go onto the next mountain. Nor did he decide that it was a little too close, and put his energy into figuring out who was to blame for the deaths on Everest. Beck Weathers did something that took a lot more guts: he looked into his soul.
The book's main story is his life, how and why he had chosen that life, and how it affected his wife and children. The climb on Everest brackets that story. The first part is an honest and chilling account of the disaster; the latter part documents his recovery, and the lifelong effects it had on him.
Beck Weathers writes his story (and lives his life) with real insight and an incredible humor. He wasn't some tough, fantasy climber; he was just a man, and a deeply-flawed man, at that. But he took what happened and made it a catalyst to more than just survive, but to excel, and to change. He also puts a lot of the credit on the human support system that made this miracle possible, from the courageous pilot who rescued him, to the hurt and angry wife who found the will to stay by his side.
If you want a "he should have tightened this rope, she should have carried her own bags" story of Everest, this isn't it. If you are looking for something a lot deeper, don't miss reading Left For Dead.
Summary of Left for Dead: My Journey Home from Everest
?I can tell you that some force within me rejected death at the last moment and then guided me, blind and stumbling ? quite literally a dead man walking ? into camp and the shaky start of my return to life....?In 1996 Beck Weathers and a climbing team pushed toward the summit of Mount Everest. Then a storm exploded on the mountain, ripping the team to shreds, forcing brave men to scratch and crawl for their lives. Rescuers who reached Weathers saw that he was dying, and left him.
Twelve hours later, the inexplicable occurred. Weathers appeared, blinded, gloveless, caked with ice ? coming down the mountain as a ?dead man walking.?
In this powerful memoir, Weather describes not only his escape from hypothermia and the murderous storm that killed nine climbers; he describes another journey, a life?s journey. This is the story of a man?s route to a dangerous sport and a fateful expedition, as well as the road of recovery he has traveled since.
In Left for Dead, we are witness to survival in the face of certain death, the reclaiming of a family and a life, and the most remarkable adventure of all: what we can do when we?re offered a second chance.
Left for Dead is a deeply personal story, told in first person by a variety of people who contributed to the survival of Beck Weathers during the Everest accident of 1996 that left nine climbers dead. It goes past the tragedy to discuss why Weathers got involved in climbing in the first place, his lengthy and painful recovery, and the all-important relationship with his wife, Margaret (commonly referred to as Peach). Without Peach's hope and tenacity, it's likely that rescue efforts would not have been continued, and Weathers may never have recovered from the hypothermic coma and its dreadful results. The story of their relationship--they were estranged at the time of the accident--is told from both perspectives, and his obsession with mountains seems almost like another family member. The overall tone is straightforward and conversational: children, pets, and clothing feature as prominently as reconstructive surgery and heroic rescues. But no matter how plainly they are told, the events of that climb are sure to bring tears. Rob Hall's last conversation with his wife, climbers disappearing into the storm, Anatoli Boukreev's rescuing three people, and Weathers and climbing partner Yasuko being left for dead are just a few from a long list. Still, you'll find yourself laughing just pages later, when Weathers gets his rescue team to sing "Chain of Fools" while hiking back to safety--you can imagine Peach being in full agreement of that song's appropriateness. The Everest deaths affected people around the world, and this chronicle of one survivor and his family is a hopeful reminder of the good that can result from such tragedies. --Jill Lightner
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