K2: Triumph and Tragedy [Paperback]

Jim Curran (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 3, 1989

K2, "the savage mountain", is the second-highest peak in the world - and the most difficult to climb. In 1986, it was the site of both dazzling triumph and great loss as twenty-seven men and women reached the top but thirteen died trying. To this day it remains the single greatest tragedy in the history of mountaineering. Curran was there to record it all in words and photographs: courage and obsession, luminous success and thwarted ambition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Before the 1996 Everest disaster made that mountain synonymous with tragedy at 8,000 meters, there was K2. More technical in most routes than Everest, the world's second-highest peak is considered the ultimate achievement by many mountaineers. In 1986 K2 claimed the lives of 13 climbers in nine different parties attempting its summit. Author Jim Curran was on the mountain during the ordeal, and through narrative and photographs, Curran documents the sagas of success, failure, and tragedy in a fateful year that captured the world's attention. Alongside the terror of avalanches, crevasses, and horrific storms are stories of bravery and the indomitable human spirit.

From Publishers Weekly

In the summer of 1986, nine expeditions, representing 10 nationalities, attempted to conquer K-2, the world's second-highest mountain, located in Pakistan. Twenty-seven people reached the summit; 13 perished. Climber-photographer Curran has "told a gripping story that belongs with the classics of mountaineering," praised PW. Photos.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (February 3, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395485908
• ISBN-13: 978-0395485903
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #441,153 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #17 in Books > Travel > Asia > Pakistan

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The title says it all -- and Heartfelt Account, February 16, 2004

By 

Anton (Summit, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: K2: Triumph and Tragedy (Paperback)

Aside from being a great account of the tragic 1986 season at K2, Curran's book has the quality of masterfully weaving the author's sense of humor with his deeply felt emotions about lost friends.

While some may argue that Curran was not at the forefront of leading the climbing on any of the expeditions, his keen sense of a filmmaker allows him to tell a very human story. In the great tradition of English mountaineering tradition he tells with wit and humor about the scrambles in putting the expedition together. His storytelling about the trials and challenges in the walk-up to base camp is equaled in its jovial spirit perhaps only by Greg Child (see "Thin Air").

When true drama begins to unfold with the death of Casarotto, Curran does not simply "recount" the casualties -- his voice is full of passion, heartache and doubt. His reflections upon the dangers of mountain climbing are deeply felt.

A highly recommended read!

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An overview of the 1986 K2 season, February 22, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: K2: Triumph and Tragedy (Paperback)

This book is another in the long list of books on epics in the high Himalayas. This one covers the 1986 season on K2 where 13 people lost there lives. The author was a cinematographer with one of the expeditions. He wasn't much of an athlete, he didn't know how to ski, and he didn't go high on the mountain. So the story is told mostly from base camp and from second hand stories by the climbers on the mountain. Therefore, exactly what happened is unclear. This always seems to be the case in these stories because the preception of the characters is often clouded by hypoxia. The 1939 American K2 expedition and the 1996 Everest season comes to mind. Events, times and other occurrences get confused by everyone involved. Plus, with climbers, large egos are usually involved and no one wishes to be criticized for their actions. Hypoxia makes one do strange things high on a mountain and seemingly logical actions later make no sense. This account is a overall account of what happened during that season. The author probably recorded the events as he saw them accurately because he never went too high on the mountain and was probably less affected by hypoxia for that reason. However, his account also is limited because he didn't go high and his view of the events, except for what went on at base camp, was second hand. In particular a lot of his information came from a Taiwanese expedition that always seemed to be wrong, possibly due to a language barrier. A worthy read for overall background. Kurt Diemberger's book, `The Endless Knot' may shed some light on the subject. He was one of the two survivors of seven trapped high on K2 during an extended storm. Again, the story may be hampered by hypoxia.

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ET TU...K2?, August 21, 2000

By 

Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: K2: Triumph and Tragedy (Paperback)

It is summer...1986. Twenty seven climbers triumph at the K2 summit. Thirteen climbers die in their quest to conquer K2. Therein lies the tale.

The author, a photographer who calls himself a climber, though that is debatable, attempts to make sense of the events that unfolded on the mountain that summer. Relying upon the anecdotes and narratives of others, as well as his own personal observations, he tries to put the events into perspective, even though he has no first hand knowledge of what transpired up on the mountain, for the most part. Although he was there, he rarely ventured past base camp.

The book does make for an interesting read, as we look at events as they unfold before the author. It is amazing that with all the tragedies that seemed to occur at almost every turn, the climbers still kept climbing, never losing sight of their quest. At times this singlemindedness on the part of the climbers comes across as somewhat meglomaniacal.

The author is very candid in his commentary throughout the book and, surprisingly, he does not hesitate to speak ill of the dead. His candor, while somewhat disturbing, is refreshing, and it is interesting to find out that the gods do, indeed, have clay feet.