Here is the book description from the publisher:


Into Thin Air is a riveting first-hand account of a catastrophic expedition up Mount Everest. In March 1996, Outside magazine sent veteran journalist and seasoned climber Jon Krakauer on an expedition led by celebrated Everest guide Rob Hall. Despite the expertise of Hall and the other leaders, by the end of summit day eight people were dead.

Krakauer's book is at once the story of the ill-fated adventure and an analysis of the factors leading up to its tragic end. Written within months of the events it chronicles, Into Thin Air clearly evokes the majestic Everest landscape. As the journey up the mountain progresses, Krakauer puts it in context by recalling the triumphs and perils of other Everest trips throughout history. The author's own anguish over what happened on the mountain is palpable as he leads readers to ponder timeless questions.

Here are my opinions on the book:


I first read "Into Thin Air" right after it was first published. It haunted me at the time, and it continues to do so today. By now, the story has been told so many times and by so many different people that it hard to remember that Krakauer's original account is the one that made it famous to begin with. Were it not for his incredible abilities as a storyteller, it is doubtful that anyone outside the world of mountaineering would remember what happened at the peak of Everest in that fateful May of 1996.

This book is being released at the tables inside the restaurant during a meeting of the Washington metropolitan area BookCrossers. This book was left there on purpose for you to find. Read and enjoy!

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This came home with me after the meetup in Bethsday, MD. on Labor Day.

Taking this to the BookCrossing meetup at La Madeline.

picked this up at a meetup in bethesda, md. i've heard lots of good things about it.

releasing at bcindc meetup today

Picked this up at today's BCinDC meetup in Crystal City (Arlington), VA. I really enjoyed another of Krakauer's books, Into the Wild, so this one was on my wishlist. Thanks!

In the mid 1990s, Krakauer was sent as a journalist to join an guided expedition to the top of Mount Everest. Things go massively wrong and twelve people lose their lives. This is, as perhaps should be expected, an extremely difficult book to get through. The history and mechanics of climbing Everest and mountaineering in general are fascinating, but this is clearly the tale of one man’s struggle with grief and loss - a tragedy that is, to me, completely senseless. There’s no necessity to summit Everest. I get why people do it, but there’s nothing noble in dying to do so. I’m not usually interested in sad stories, but the personality of Krakauer’s writing kept me going. The details are shared with such frankness and intimacy that I felt like I was there. Would I recommend this book? Sure, as long as you understand what you’re getting yourself into: there’s no redemption, no happy ending. As such, it should be required reading for anyone planning to scale a major peak, even with a guide. It is not something to be undertaken lightly. Neither, for that matter, is this book, though in a completely different sense.

Taking to the BCinDC holiday party.

Picked up at the BCinDC Holiday party. This one is going on my TBR pile.

Excellent book that truly brings you onto the unforgiving slopes of Everest. The author writes magazine articles, and that experience shows in his writing. I must give the author credit for admiting to making a couple of mistakes, without claiming the legitimate excuse that he was exhausted and in some trouble himself. Kudoes to the IMAX team that sent up their oxygen canisters when the other climbers were stranded by the storm. Winces for the poor sucker who was abandoned for dead -- twice.

Taking to the BCinDC meeting. Will it move on, or will it go on the OBCZ shelf?