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Left for Dead: My Journey Home from Everest
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Left for Dead: My Journey Home from Everest

3.4 of 5 stars 3.40  ·  rating details  ·  622 ratings  ·  97 reviews
“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 brav...more
Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
Published November 6th 2001 by Dell
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Robin
If you already collect 1996 Everest stories, you may read the whole thing. But if you don't, you'll probably want just Part One, which satisfies. The rest of the book becomes too much detail too late, and reads like filler.

PS to the audio reader: we don't need you to do voices for the same reason we don't need dialogue printed in different fonts and colors. It's annoying, and we get it that different people are talking.
Mazola1
Although I didn't really plan it that way, I read Beck Weather's book Left for Dead right after I read Lincoln Hall's book, Dead Lucky. The two books have some obvious and uncanny similarities. Both Beck Weathers and Lincoln Hall were left for dead just below the summit of Mount Everest, thought to be beyond all hope of rescue. Both were believed to have died on the mountain, and both of their families were told that. Both were apparent victims of particularly lethal years on Mount Everest, whic...more
holly
holly rated it 5 of 5 stars
I always enjoy reading Everest books, especially while under the warmth of my covers in bed :-) I really enjoyed how the author, Beck Weathers, injected his humor throughout the book, I found myself snickering which I rarely do while reading a book......I enjoyed reading the perspective from his wife Peach as well.......it's amazing that she stayed with him. I also enjoyed the layout of the book.....starting with the 1996 account, then going back in time to how he got to that point, then wrappin...more
Ciara
i really wish there was an option for half-star reviews, because this is more of a two-&-a-half star book for me. i am being charitable because the book wasn't quite what i expected, & although i was disappointed at first, i found the change in tone strangely refreshing. plus you can read the entire book in like two hours. or, i did, anyway.

so this is another account of the may 19996 everest expedition that jon krakauer describes in into thin air. if you are looking for a really exha...more
Drebbles
Drebbles rated it 3 of 5 stars
Shelves: 2006
ivided into four parts, "Left for Dead" is not only about Beck Weathers' near death on Mount Everest, but his life before and after the disastrous expedition. The first part of the book describes the events on Mount Everest; the second part is autobiographical; the third part is about his depression and why he took up mountain claiming; and the fourth part is about his life today. Also discussed are his marriage woes and how his marriage survived his various obsessions (such as motorcy...more
Jake
Jake rated it 3 of 5 stars
If your looking for a detailed account of the tragic expedition on Mt. Everest in May of 1996, then your reading the wrong book. Beck Weathers, though part of the expedition and was "Left for Dead" twice up on Everest in 1996, it is more of an autobiography focused on how climbing had totally taken over his life, to the extent that he was not much a father nor husband.
Before reading this book you must read "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer to get a full detailed factual ...more
Jennifer
I was disappointed in this book. Don't get me wrong, I love to read books and watch TV program about Everest and the amazing people that decide to challenge the mountain, but this book just wasn't what I was expecting. If you are looking for a book that talks a lot about mountain climbing or his experience on Everest, this isn't the book for you. While he does talk about these things briefly, most of the book details Beck Weathers' life all the way from a child up to present day. It is narra...more
Devon Valderas
i'll never forget the passage where the wife of the stranded mountain climber says that SHE will never forget gov. george bush's unwillingness to help the stranded texans-he said it was a federal matter...the helicopter rescue scene reveals the courage of a completely non-western code of courage...a quick rainy-day read...excellent.
Zoya Bozhko
Admittedly, I am a bit bias in my appreciation of this book. Meg, Beck's youngest child, was a classmate of mine and, at various points throughout my 8 years at Hockaday, a friend. When Beck came to speak to us at a school assembly, I remember crying and being in awe of his courage.

Surprisingly, this book has only strengthened those initial responses. This is not the story of a hero. This is not the story of a family man. This is a story of each of us when we feel alone and misu...more
Maggie
Maggie rated it 2 of 5 stars
This book is a hot mess. Is it his journey home from Everest or his autobiography? I sincerely do not care about his growing-up years in Japan. I thought maybe by starting off with the Everest tragedy it would play out the book in a more unusual, enticing way, but not true. And the excerpts of conversations with his wife "Peach" about their dating years had to do with Everest how? I mean I understand people may have wanted to learn more about the person behind this obsessive desir...more
Cindy
Story of the climber, who in 1996 almost died. Famous photos in newspapers worldwide showed how his nose fell off. Many others perished on this trip. These guys are nuts! Details of the physical perils are unbelievable! Fascinating book! Everyone should read this! Obsessive compulsive ego maniacs have no right to do this insane thing. Very exciting and interesting.

Part of the story details Beck's depression and alienation from his family. It's told in the first person, but h...more
Carla
I love books about mountain climbing, and especially Everest, probably because I like reading about things that scare the bejesus out of me. Also, I keep reading them because I think someday I will understand WHY anyone would WANT to climb Everest ... but I still don't; I still think they're all crazy. Nonetheless, this tale about Beck Weathers's near-death on Everest in May 1996 is fascinating, even though very little of it is actually about that. Rather, it's more of a narrative by him, his wi...more
Linda
Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars
I'm really into reading about the great Everest disaster of 1996, starting with "Into Thin Air" by John Krakauer. Beck Wethers was on that climb and this was the impetus for reading this book. There is a bit about the climb, of course, but the best thing about this book, for me, was his description of depression and what it is like to be depressed. He articulated things that I have felt and experienced but have been unable to articulate.

Therefore I recommend this book not ...more
Carrie
Carrie rated it 1 of 5 stars
Shelves: adventure
I picked up this book because I'm fascinated with the story: May 1996, the worst death toll on Mount Everest in history. Imax has covered it, Jon Krakauer with "Into Thin Air," and Ed Viesteurs. I wanted to read the perspective from yet another traveler on the expedition who had a particularly harrowing tale to tell. Sadly, the writing is elementary and full of outdated colloquial expressions. I suppose the hired writer was attempting to capture the folksy attitude of Beck Weathers and...more
Andrew
Andrew rated it 3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for: Anyone
It's pretty rare that my opinion of a book changes dramatically over the course of reading it. Sure, a book that starts off well can turn out to be less interesting as time goes on, or a bad beginning can be saved by an increasingly good plot. But it's far less common to be considering putting the book down permanently after 100 pages, then end up enjoying it immensely by the end. Such was the case with “Left for Dead”. After the first third, I thought it was poorly written and expected the...more
Margot
The tone of the writing was often quirky. The narrative bounced around often, from the author, to his wife, to their kids, and to countless other people in the author's life. The result was at first a little hard to follow, but then it became conversational, as if you were watching them speak in a documentary film. The timeline of events was disjointed, however since I had read Into Thin Air before this, it still made sense (otherwise I would have stopped reading after the first chapter). Despit...more
Elisa
Elisa rated it 1 of 5 stars
Beck Weathers is no Jon Krakauer and his account of the '96 Everest disaster leaves MUCH to be desired. The disaster is quickly dispatched in the first few chapters and then it's all about Mr. Weathers' life, his marital problems, his climbing obsession and how much it hurt his entire family (though he claimed to be completely oblivious to all that). It's basically a mid-life crisis with some interesting settings thrown in. The writing is also pretty bad - hence the comment about his book not me...more
ceil
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Jan C
Jan C rated it 3 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition
Recommends it for: People interested in Everest and mountain climbing
Recommended to Jan C by: Cathie
In John Krakuaer's book "Into Thin Air" Beck was left for dead, hence the title. However, he turned up and his wife Peach didn't want to leave him dead. She mobilized their friends and one of them knew someone who knew someone (six degrees of separation) who was able to find someone who was willing to put a helicopter in the air and attempt to airlift him off of Everest.

What wasn't known in the other books about that tragic trip up the mountain in 1996 and he reveals here,...more
Susan
Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars
One of the topics I usually read about each year is mountain climbing and the experiences it leaves behind with each climber. I believe all the mountain climbing books should not be restricted to people that see climibing as fun. While reading this book I realized there is more depth than just talking about the mountains and the climbing experience. I love how Beck Weathers was very unique with this book and didn't write the entire book on the climbing experience. Beck Weathers does a great job ...more
Kate
Kate rated it 1 of 5 stars
I normally would avoid a book like this, since the title makes it sound like some melodramatic tv pseudo-documentary. I picked it up for the sake of completeness, since I knew the 1996 Everest Disaster was a bit controversial. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised by the thoughtful and sometimes humorous tone, not at all Inside Edition or When Animals Attack. I was impressed with the narrative voice (informal and insightful), the decent flow and organization (better than Boukreev's book), and ...more
Mike Kraman
This is a very good book. Reasons I like it is because it is real...not only that it is a true story, but it is real! Too many times books like this try to make everything look pretty, logical, and well ordered. This is raw and includes the good, the bad, and the ugly. Welcome to the world of the flawed human being. More than anything...I appreciate that he was vulnerable. He pretty much was a jerk...and is now taking steps (one at a time...like climbing) to get better.
Lillian Angelovic
I found Beck Weathers' Everest story fascinating and enjoyed his stories of mountaineering and how he found his way through depression to mountain-climbing. The "aside" comments from family and friends were pleasant additions and offered insight and depth. I think the whole life-story could have been edited down considerably, and I kept looking for some additional summarized statements at the end of "what we learned from this", but all-in-all it was interesting and gave a gre...more
Lauren
A very inspiring book, especially since he doesn't credit an invisible unrealistic deity or supernatural force with his survival. Rather, he knows that his survival was the result of his will and determination, his love for his family, his team mates, his rescuers, his family, his doctors, and one very brave helicopter pilot.

He also gets in a couple of good zings at George W. Bush (who, as governor, refused to lend his weight to the rescue mission) and the poor state of Texas public ...more
Jackie King
I really did not like Beck at the beginning of the book. If I were Peach I dont know that I would have been able to stick by his side as long as she did. I would like to think that I could, but I am doubtful. I am glad that he found out what is important in life, but I am sorry that it took the loss of his hands and nearly his life to figure it out. It is a great story about the will to survive and a man's journey. His Journey to find happiness brings him back to his own backyard.
Josh Stephens
Detailed account of probably the most fascinating story of the 1996 Everest disaster. Beck Weathers was one of the people who bivouaced on a ridge far from Camp 4. Some of the group was rescued while others lay dead or unconscious, like Weathers, who somehow regained consciousness and walked back to camp despite frost bitten limbs that would eventually need to be amputated.
Alyssa
Alyssa rated it 2 of 5 stars
It was a cross between "OK" and "I liked it." After finishing Into Thin Air, I liked having this story told from a different perspective. I don't think the writing itself was anything exciting but the story of what happened to the author is pretty incredible, making up for the rest of the (somewhat boring) details that were included but weren't exactly necessary.
Summer
Summer rated it 3 of 5 stars
SO, obviously I have a fascination for these types of survival stories. WHat can I say? This was half about surviving Mt. Everest, and the other half finding redemption in his home life after years of neglecting his family. Was it his expeience on Mt. Everest, or was it his need for help and love after the survival experience, that brought him to his knees?
Miriam
Miriam rated it 3 of 5 stars
An OK book. I wish it had been written with more feeling. It feels a little bit too "matter-of-factly." I mean, almost dying on the side of the world's tallest mountain is a BIG deal and I can't imagine it wouldn't be a very emotional experience. The book is a definite read, but I prefer Jon Krakauer's book, Into Thin Air, which describes the same trip to the top of Everset.
Susan  Odetta
I read Krakauer's account of this tragedy and the many others on the mountain at that time (Into Thin Air). This personal account by a climber who should not have survived, and, indeed, was left for dead and survived through his own inner will, dumb luck, and the impossible rescue his wife orchestrated. Beck's enormous ego comes through the story. He comes across a jerk; his wife must be a saint. I was left to wonder if his wife and children would say, since he returned from the mountain, that h...more
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