Product Details

• Format: Box set, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 3
• Studio: Goldhill Home Media
• VHS Release Date: November 16, 1999
• Run Time: 160 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304944810
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #407,105 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The story of Everest begins simply enough, with the British survey of the Himalayan Range to determine if Peak 15 is indeed the highest mountain in the world. Balloonists prove that it could be possible to survive at such a high altitude, beginning the race for the peak. Thirty years of defeats, failure, and death passed before two men would stand on the roof of the world. Since then, there have been new routes to find, new nations that wished to claim the peak. The stories of these men and women and the expeditions they served is told in Into the Thin Air of Everest.

From George Mallory to the 1996 tragedy, this series explores the major personalities and expeditions covering an 80-year span. Two faster-paced videos, Death on Everest and The Quest, are paired with the classic expedition documentary The Conquest of Everest, giving the series a great modern perspective with a good background of the history of the mountain. Those who know the mountain best tell the story of Everest: the guides, expedition leaders, and legends such as Sir Edmund Hillary.

As much as mountain climbing is the story of man against nature, there is also special attention paid to the science and equipment of high-mountain climbing. The demonstration of the technological advances in clothing and equipment that give the climbers a better chance to succeed, and sometimes to survive, is presented in contrast to the equipment of the pioneers who braved the mountain in clothes better suited to a stroll in the Scottish Highlands. The film also covers the major controversies in Everest's history--the questions that will never be answered, such as did Mallory make it to the top, and the questions that have no answers, such as whether the commercialization of Everest should be allowed.

The men, the women, the mountain, the dream, the nightmare, the quest, the conquest--all these are the stories told in Into the Thin Air of Everest. Among them are the heroes of Everest who made it and those who did not: Mallory, Hillary, Norgay, Hornbein, Unsoeld, Whittaker, Messner, Hoey. This documentary captures the timeless challenge of Everest: to stand on top of the world for no other reason than because it is there. --Aaron Abrams

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Everest: Mountain of Dreams, Mountain of Doom, March 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Into the Thin Air of Everest - Mountain of Dreams, Mountain of Doom (DVD)

The subject fascinates me. Interesting, but not as intense as;Everest, the Death Zone; and ;Everest, the Death Zone; was not nearlyas good as David Breshears' IMAX movie about Everest.There were some very interesting interviews with various climbers about Everest. The discussions about Hillary's efforts to help the people of Nepal to improve their quality of life was especially commendable, although that portion of the DVD was made in 1985. I would have liked an update about those projects. Before, I viewed the additional(bonus) items, I felt somewhat ripped off because I had thought I purchased a 1985 video. (The description gave the impression that this was a DVD with all new material.) However, those bonus items were more recent and made the DVD worthwhile.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Everest - Mountain of dreams, Mountain of Doom, March 12, 2003

By 

Patrick (Missouri, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Into the Thin Air of Everest - Mountain of Dreams, Mountain of Doom (DVD)

Excellent DVD. Has the original 1953 documentary about Hillary conquering Everest as well as two other documentaries. One has lots of original footage from the early expeditions of Mallory and Hillary. The other is about the later, more modern expeditions.

Lots of footage, very good DVD.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A treat for any Everest junkie, May 7, 2010

By 

seniormomentnw (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Into the Thin Air of Everest - Mountain of Dreams, Mountain of Doom (DVD)

Three high quality Everest documentaries! A great deal for all the Everest junkies out there.