Customer Reviews

The White Death: Tragedy and Heroism in an Avalanche Zone

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As the sister of Ray Martin who was killed in the avalanche of which The White Death is so richly written, I can tell you that every word kept me hanging on the edge of my seat. Knowing firsthand the circumstances surrounding the tragedy, I was still mezmerized by the way McKay Jenkins brought it all together. It was very informative about the mysterious physics of snow layering as well as capturing the very personal and fruitful lives of the five young men who died. Their's was a hunger to seek places of majesty. I have found that sometimes the only people who can begin to understand the risks and rewards of a mountain climber is another mountain climber or someone who is fortunate enough to love them. The great sacrifice and perseverence of all who are courageous enough to search for someone under these tragic circumstances says a great deal about the integrity of these people. Bravo to Mr. Jenkins who did such a splendid job of giving some peaceful closure to such a painful time in our lives.

As a lover of Glacier who's enjoyed wandering among its peaksfor two decades, I have heard the story of the five boys on Clevelandtold over and over, as a tale of caution and heroism. This book aligns well with the lore I've heard, and I enjoyed seeing Bob Frauson receive some of the credit he's due for his long service to mountain rescue. I also appreciate the attention given to the hardships of search and rescue/recovery. This search deeply affected its participants, and they still speak of it with great sadness. However, the book could have benefitted from a careful edit by a person more familiar with Glacier, climbing and avalanches. References to "Lake Babb" and the "Billy River" (probably "Belly") as well as the solemn pronouncement that a cubic foot of "Sierra Cement" can weigh 200 pounds (when a gallon of water weighs but 8)-- not to mention the confusion of piton vs. carabiner-- leave me wondering how much of the technical info might be flawed and/or misleading.

So, my mixed assessment is: this is a powerful story, engagingly written, that reminds the reader yet again that it is we who care for the mountains, not they who care for us-- but there are many better resources for avalanche awareness and winter mountaineering. END

McKay Jenkins did a wonderful job of capturing the the bittersweet of the one who climbs. As a sister of Raymond Martin, I can tell you I was deeply moved by the words and his expertise at keeping my eyes on the pages. I could not put the book down. I regret only that my mother, Ruby, didn't get to see the final piece of work. She related to us the kindness and empathy that Mr. Jenkins expressed during the interviews. I stood at that mountain floor many times since the tragedy and am still in awe of the great beauty which Jenkins painted so poetically in his book. The spirit and courage of the climber is known only to the spirit of another climber and sometimes to those who were fortunate enough to love him/her. Mr. Jenkins has obviously felt the pain and the exhilaration of reaching the heights and the defeats while exploring the masterpieces in nature. Many thanks for his talent and for his informative understanding of the powers of nature. I am eternally grateful for the many people who opened their arms to my family and for those people who spent time on the mountain in search for the boys. Mr. Jenkins depicted their integrity and courage very well.

I spent several years as the book critic for Outside magazine, during which time I had the opportunity (and sometimes misfortune) to read dozens of books about mountaineering tragedies and triumphs. The White Death is one of the genre's very best, in part because of Jenkins' considerable skills as a storyteller and wordsmith, and in part because--unlike the professional climbers who typically write such tomes--he has healthy skepticism about the sport itself. This is not simply a tale about "tragedy and heroism," as the subtitle indicates, but also about hubris, teen angst and dumb luck. It's also a paean to an extraordinary place (Glacier National Park) and an endlessly fascinating and mysterious phenomenon (snow). Written with flair and suspense, it unfolds with the power of a wall of white cascading down a slope.

Like "Into Thin Air", "The Perfect Storm" and almost any book by McKay's mentor Peter Matthieson, The White Death both grips you and informs you. McKay spins out the story of five boys on a mountain slowly, letting the suspense build as he provides more information on avalanches than could be found in any one place. He pitches the book at a level that flatters the reader's intellect. You get it, but you never feel he has watered it down for that purpose.

A footnote: I met McKay last summer in Nicaragua. I like him personally and hoped the book would be good. I was up until 1:00 AM to finish it. That's more than friendship -- that's a good read.

I First heard of the book "The White Death" by way of an anonymous phone call from a man who wondered if I was the mother of Mark Levitan, one of the five climbers who died in the avalanche that is the subject of the book. When I told him yes, he said that in addition to the book, there were also articles in Montana newspapers, Outside Magazine, and a planned "Readers Digest" story. McKay Jenkins had never been in contact with me about the book being written, so I had to wonder where he got his information, and why he never acknowledged that Mark had a mother and four siblings, two of whom were at the search site. Common decency should dictate that we be informed of what was being written. There are obvious errors and untruths in the text relating to Mark, which I attribute to a poor research job with an unreliable interviewee. How much other fiction may there be in the book? Is there a code of ethics that holds writers of non-fiction responsible for thorough research to reveal the truth, and assure that fiction does not become a part of the writing? If not, there should be, especially for teachers of non-fiction writing, as Jenkins is. I have written specific and pointed questions to the author, but to date have received no answers. Thank you, anonymous caller, whoever you are, from Mark Levitan's Mother and four siblings.

My brother was one of the five climbers who died in the avalanche the book describes. The book's description of him renders him almost unrecognizable, and the resulting caricature is very disturbing to our family. In his zeal to create a character to fit his theme of mountain men raising mountain men, Mr. Jenkins failed to confirm any facts concerning my brother, and made various baseless assumptions to round out his error-ridden description. The book leaves the reader with the impression that in the rush to profit from the recent popularity of other books in this genre, the author neglected to research his topic adequately. He would have better spent his time mastering basic information about mountain climbing and geography rather than trying to cover the numerous scattered topics (e.g., bears in Glacier Park, the Tenth Mountain Division in World War II) tossed into this poorly edited book. In fairness to the author, family members contacted him before commenting on his book. Repeated inquiries have produced no explanation as to why he failed to confirm any facts concerning my brother. The author responded that researching this story proved far more difficult than he could have expected, and that he did the best he could. His best was not good enough.

First, the major flaw: Jenkins is not a climber. As such, not only does he make some factual errors, but he also fails to write meaningfully about climbing as a risk-taking activity. He does not have the knowledge to distinguish between socialites on Everest and Alex Lowe in a portaledge camp on Baffin Island -- to him it is all equally "extreme". When writing about the avalanche around which the book is centered, Jenkins is reasonably interesting, though his writing reminds me somehow of a true crime novel. The narrative does not build excitement very well because of constant disgressions. The most interesting part of this book by far is the technical discussion of snow, weather patterns and avalanches. It's a pity that these sections, perhaps in an effort to appeal to the mass market, are also the shortest.

Throughout history, mountains have held a certain irresistible appeal, an unknown feeling of holy ascendence. That appeal has held through the ages, and envelops people who have already done something important with their lives, those who haven't, and older people as well as young people. Being close to nature, risking everything for the beauty of the view from the top of a mountain, for the physical prize after a hard climb, for the closeness a peak brings heaven or any sentient all-powerful being; these are all rewards from a successful climb, and these are not all. But there is also so much to risk - life itself, which, being already so short, is worth more than anything imaginable. People risk themselves constantly through mountain climbs or extreme sports, believing the rewards far outweigh the losses. The White Death is a well-told story of five boys who risked it all for the climb of a lifetime.

McKay Jenkins transforms the elusive and unknown world of avalanches to an intriguing story of mountain rescues. Don't read this book expecting it to focus on the lost boys; it won't. But you'll learn all about avalanche rescue techniques, types of snow and how to test them for avalanche safety, helicopter rescues, et cetera. You get my point.

I would completely recommend this book to any skiier, boarder, hiker, climber, or person interested in the outdoors and rescues. I picked this book off the shelf because I liked the cover, then read the flap and borrowed it. It is definately worth the time to read "The White Death".

This book does a great job of blending snow science and the history of human avalanche experience with a compelling personal story of five unfortunate young climbers. If the scientific and historical perspectives in this book had been available to these climbers, their story would likely be a different one. Anyone interested in skiing or climbing in mountainous backcountry should find this book to be informative, intriguing, and, if not for the tragedy, enjoyable. This book presents the dry text of snow science in a package that will hold your interest. Though flawed in its accuracy regarding personal history, details of mountaineering and local geography, it provides knowledge about the nature of snow and its metamorphosis that any mountain adventurer should be aware of. I am sending a copy to a friend who teaches avalanche awareness classes, as I know he'll thoroughly enjoy it...in spite of the tragedy.