Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer - 5 Stars - Steeplechase & BWF

[Olivermagnus]

It has probably been twenty years since I first read Into Thin Air. Jon Krakauer is one of my favorite non-fiction writers so when I needed to read a book about nature he was my first choice. I've read lots of books over my lifetime and I still remember so much about this one.

in 1996, Outside Magazine hired Krakauer to write an article about the commercialization of Mount Everest. The mountain had become littered with the debris of climbers, from discarded oxygen canisters personal belongings, and even the bodies of those who did not make it back. At the time of his expedition Everest was crowded with expeditions from Taiwan, America, New Zealand, South Africa, and more, paying thousands of dollars for a chance to summit the most famous mountain in the world.

This book is a vivid recount of a tragic set of events that led to a disaster that cost eight lives. Contributing factors were late starts, delays, possible unsafe setting of the ropes, bottlenecks along the way, and a terrible rogue storm.

This is an incredible true story of man’s motivation to accomplish the impossible, and how ego can drive us to making poor decisions. It's clear that Krakauer remains haunted by the disaster. He gives us a glimpse into the world of mountain climbing and the camaraderie and competition that goes along with it. Most of all, it’s an action packed story of the lengths one will go to for survival, and what happens when humans are put in extreme conditions.

This book is personal and Krakauer clearly feels anguish after all these years. He is an excellent writer of narrative nonfiction and Into Thin Air is my favorite of his books.

[Nicole]

This counts for BWF too :)

[Ellen]

One of my favorite books ever and one of the rare ones I'll never forget.