Customer Reviews

Not Without Peril, Tenth Anniversary Edition: 150 Years of Misadventure on the Presidential Range of New Hampshire

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
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I read this book since I was planning on section hiking the Appalachian trail through The Presidentials. It talks about how close to 150 people have met their untimely end in these mountains over the last 150 years. Be it hikers, skiers or casual site seers, everyone that ventures onto these peaks must take the proper precautions as conditions are always changing. A very good read.

I live in and grew up in NH. Great historical read, from the hills I love to roam.
Not Without Peril....

The people are captured well, considering these people can't be described.
1st responders in the Whites are a breed above, and always have been.

-h82paint

Very interesting and well composed book. Full of facts, mystery's, and everything in between. More of a documentary than adventure/thriller read as the title seems to imply. Being very familiar with the area makes this read all the more interesting.

For anyone who has hiked or is planning to hike Mt. Washington this book is a great read. It demonstrates how fine a line separates life and death. Hikers need to be aware of their surroundings at all times. I strongly recommend this book.

I admit to a morbid fascination with the subject of human beings pitting themselves against the awesome power and fury of Nature, and losing. Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air is one of my favorite books. Not Without Peril gave many accounts of ill-fated hikers, skiers, etc., but overall was very long on details about the terrain, the weather, the rescue efforts, and history of the region, and short on the element of human suffering. That's what makes Krakauer's book a stand-out---he was actually there on Mt Everest, for one thing, and he gave a lot of information, both from first-hand experience and from research and interviews with survivors, on what it's really like to experience the mental and physical decompensation of intense exposure to violent conditions. Neccessarily, Howe's accounts are more dispassionate since he was narrating the tales of others, not his own. I get that. But some informed speculation would've made the tales a bit more interesting, in my opinion.

If you are considering this book, consider it no longer, just click it into your mailbox! Wonderfully written, totally engaging and full of interesting White Mountain lore. I've lived in the area almost 15 years and see Mount Washington every day (weather permitting) and had absolutely no idea the peril that it presents. Not only good for those interested in hiking the "Whites" but also a great read for any human being that has just a split second to make the right decision, but lets the excitement in the moment totally cloud your judgement. Thank you Mr. Howe for a true masterpiece.

This book has been re-written with new introduction - 10th Anniversary Edition - but the seller sent the original edition instead while advertising the new one. I was very disappointed.