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Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster Paperback – October 19, 1999

by Jon Krakauer (Author, Photographer), Randy Rackliff (Illustrator), Daniel Rembert (Contributor),

3,199 customer reviews

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National Bestseller

A bank of clouds was assembling on the not-so-distant horizon, but journalist-mountaineer Jon Krakauer, standing on the summit of Mt. Everest, saw nothing that "suggested that a murderous storm was bearing down." He was wrong. The storm, which claimed five lives and left countless more--including Krakauer's--in guilt-ridden disarray, would also provide the impetus for Into Thin Air, Krakauer's epic account of the May 1996 disaster.

By writing Into Thin Air, Krakauer may have hoped to exorcise some of his own demons and lay to rest some of the painful questions that still surround the event. He takes great pains to provide a balanced picture of the people and events he witnessed and gives due credit to the tireless and dedicated Sherpas. He also avoids blasting easy targets such as Sandy Pittman, the wealthy socialite who brought an espresso maker along on the expedition. Krakauer's highly personal inquiry into the catastrophe provides a great deal of insight into what went wrong. But for Krakauer himself, further interviews and investigations only lead him to the conclusion that his perceived failures were directly responsible for a fellow climber's death. Clearly, Krakauer remains haunted by the disaster, and although he relates a number of incidents in which he acted selflessly and even heroically, he seems unable to view those instances objectively. In the end, despite his evenhanded and even generous assessment of others' actions, he reserves a full measure of vitriol for himself.

This updated trade paperback edition of Into Thin Air includes an extensive new postscript that sheds fascinating light on the acrimonious debate that flared between Krakauer and Everest guide Anatoli Boukreev in the wake of the tragedy. "I have no doubt that Boukreev's intentions were good on summit day," writes Krakauer in the postscript, dated August 1999. "What disturbs me, though, was Boukreev's refusal to acknowledge the possibility that he made even a single poor decision. Never did he indicate that perhaps it wasn't the best choice to climb without gas or go down ahead of his clients." As usual, Krakauer supports his points with dogged research and a good dose of humility. But rather than continue the heated discourse that has raged since Into Thin Air's denouncement of guide Boukreev, Krakauer's tone is conciliatory; he points most of his criticism at G. Weston De Walt, who coauthored The Climb, Boukreev's version of events. And in a touching conclusion, Krakauer recounts his last conversation with the late Boukreev, in which the two weathered climbers agreed to disagree about certain points. Krakauer had great hopes to patch things up with Boukreev, but the Russian later died in an avalanche on another Himalayan peak, Annapurna I.

In 1999, Krakauer received an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters--a prestigious prize intended "to honor writers of exceptional accomplishment." According to the Academy's citation, "Krakauer combines the tenacity and courage of the finest tradition of investigative journalism with the stylish subtlety and profound insight of the born writer. His account of an ascent of Mount Everest has led to a general reevaluation of climbing and of the commercialization of what was once a romantic, solitary sport; while his account of the life and death of Christopher McCandless, who died of starvation after challenging the Alaskan wilderness, delves even more deeply and disturbingly into the fascination of nature and the devastating effects of its lure on a young and curious mind."

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A bank of clouds was assembling on the not-so-distant horizon, but journalist-mountaineer Jon Krakauer, standing on the summit of Mt. Everest, saw nothing that "suggested that a murderous storm was bearing down." He was wrong. The storm, which claimed five lives and left countless more--including Krakauer's--in guilt-ridden disarray, would also provide the impetus for Into Thin Air, Krakauer's epic account of the May 1996 disaster. With more than 250 black-and-white photographs taken by various expedition members and an enlightening new postscript by the author, the Illustrated Edition shows readers what this tragic climb looked like and potentially provides closure for Krakauer and his detractors.

"I have no doubt that Boukreev's intentions were good on summit day," writes Krakauer in a postscript dated August 1998. "What disturbs me, though, was Boukreev's refusal to acknowledge the possibility that he made even a single poor decision. Never did he indicate that perhaps it wasn't the best choice to climb without gas or go down ahead of his clients." As usual, Krakauer supports his points with dogged research and a good dose of humility. But rather than continue the heated discourse that has raged since Into Thin Air's denouncement of guide Boukreev, Krakauer's tone is conciliatory; he points most of his criticism at G. Weston De Walt, who coauthored The Climb, Boukreev's version of events. And in a touching conclusion, Krakauer recounts his last conversation with the late Boukreev, in which the two weathered climbers agreed to disagree about certain points. Krakauer had great hopes to patch things up with Boukreev, but the Russian later died in a avalanche on another Himalayan peak, Annapurna I. Krakauer further buries the ice axe by donating his share of royalties from sales of The Illustrated Edition to the Everest '96 Memorial Fund, which aids various environmental and humanitarian charities. --Rob McDonald --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Heroism and sacrifice triumph over foolishness, fatal error, and human frailty in this bone-chilling narrative in which the author recounts his experiences on last year's ill-fated, deadly climb. Thrilling armchair reading.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product details

Paperback: 332 pages
Publisher: Anchor; Reprint edition (October 19, 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385494785
ISBN-13: 978-0385494786
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3,199 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #874 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National > Chinese
- #3 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Mountaineering > Mountain Climbing
- #3 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Sports & Outdoors

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Powerful memoir

ByTania A. Ruizon June 1, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I chose to read Into Thin Air after watching the movie Everest. I was interested in reading a first-hand account from a survivor's point of view about the tragedy of the 1996 Everest Expedition that befell the Adventure Consultants team. I chose this book because it was written by a journalist and received good ratings, and I was not disappointed. This is a well-written memoir that lays a background for the reader to understand mountain climbing in general and Everest expeditions in particular in order to put the expedition into context.

Jon Krakauer gives what I feel was a very thorough accounting of his experience on that ill-fated expedition, as well as a fair bit of well-researched information on what others that were climbing during that time went through. Particularly powerful is the way he delved into what each phase of the expedition felt like in the moment, and how all of the events and decisions that unfolded affected the ultimate outcome. Certainly he points out his own shortcomings during this excursion as well as those of others; he also heaps praise where it is deserved. In the end you can feel the pain that the author carries with him as a result of this experience, and you can feel the doubt he feels over whether any of it could have turned out differently.

Krakauer's intent in publishing this book is to shed light on the 1996 Everest tragedy, and the many other tragedies that have occurred on this and other mountains. The takeaway is that preparedness is important, as is making the right decisions at the right time, communicating with your team and those around you, and cooperating during times of trouble. But above all that there remains an uncertainty when you take on a risky operation that no amount of careful planning and execution can negate. Into Thin Air will make you stop to think about how your actions have consequences not only for yourself, but for those around you. Perhaps it can even make you pause before endangering or hurting others, and if it does then I think that Krakauer did us a service by writing about his team's experiences on Everest.

0Comment 14 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

"Into Thin Air:" Jon Krakauer's an excellent but controversial book explains the 1996 Everest tragedy.

ByMike PowersTOP 500 REVIEWERon August 6, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

“Into Thin Air” is Jon Krakauer’s best-selling memoir of the 1996 Mount Everest tragedy. For the most part, I think it is a very well written and engrossing book. It tells the story of Krakauer’s experiences as part of the ill-fated commercial expedition to Mount Everest in May 1996.

At that time, Krakauer was a journalist writing for Outside magazine. His employers had assigned him to write a story about the commercialization of climbing Mount Everest. In order to write his story, Krakauer, who was already an experienced mountaineer, would join the Adventure Consultants team in climbing Everest, and then write about his experiences afterward. (New Zealander Rob Hall, who was widely regarded as the best commercial guide in the business, led Adventure Consultants.)

Krakauer admits writing “Into Thin Air” in order to explain the Everest tragedy from his perspective. He also admits that he was still very emotional about his experiences while he was writing both his 17.000 word article for Outside magazine and his book. In his book’s introduction, he assures readers that he did the best he could to get his facts correct, not just by relying on his memory of events, but by interviewing as many of the expeditions’ other members as possible.

Krakauer writes with great precision and detail when describing the events of May 9-12, 1996. As I read each page, I found myself transported to the Everest base camp, the Khumbu Icefall, the South Col, and into the "Death Zone." I could picture the towering seracs and bottomless crevasses of the icefall, the windswept barrenness of the South Col, and the sun-scalded but frigid summit. As the storm struck with its savage ferocity, I could feel the terror, despair, and gritty determination of each mountaineer still trapped high on storm-ravaged Everest. The deaths of Krakauer’s fellow mountaineers were heartbreaking, and the stories of those who survived were inspiring.

If Krakauer had left his story right there, it would have been an outstanding book about death and survival on Everest. However, Krakauer felt the need to try to explain why the tragedy occurred, and he did so by heaping blame on certain individuals for what happened. He is especially scathing in his criticisms of Mountain Madness guide Anatoli Boukreev and client Sandy Hill Pittman. To his credit, he also severely chastises himself for his own failures to help others when he was called upon to do so.

When I finished “Into Thin Air,” I was left wondering: what was the point of publicly censuring others for their faults, foibles, and ambitions? Mistakes were made, yes; but would those mistakes have cost anyone their lives or their limbs if there had been no storm..? No one will ever know, but I think it is doubtful.

Despite my lingering questions about “Into Thin Air,” I still think it’s an excellent book that tells an important story about the tragedy on Mount Everest. Highly recommended. (4½ Stars ^ 5)

0Comment 7 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Attempting to climb Everest is a Death Wish.

ByGeraldon June 19, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I could not get over the fact that these real life people, including the author, attempting to summit Everest were putting themselves in great danger because of all the obstacles on this mountain range. There are so many dangers: extreme cold at -100°F when the wind is blowing; avalanches; crevasses to fall into and disappear; falling rocks and slippery ice; oxygen deprivation which can lead to poor judgment and possible death; blindness from the ultraviolet rays; finding out when you are trying to come down that you cannot make it due to exhaustion. Some of the people who died were stranded due to a blinding storm with extreme cold temperatures. When you are at camp one or above and you get sick or disabled, no one can really help you if you can't make it down on your own.The odds are pretty much in your disfavor because you not only can get frostbite and lose a limb but there is a great chance you might die. The incredible discomforts you must endure during the two months you're on this mountain are unlimited. To name a few, you only take a sponge bath every two weeks. You have a very poor diet, and most of the time you don't feel like eating and much of the time you are throwing up and feeling sick. Some of the participants have horrible headaches. You have to sleep on the ground in sleeping bags and endure extreme cold day after day. The whole ordeal keeps you from getting sufficient rest. So why does anyone in their right mind attempt to summit Everest? I can only conclude that they are not in their right mind.
I did enjoy reading this book kind of like when you crane your neck on the freeway to look at an accident or watch a police chase on television. I feel like the author Jon, told it like it was high up on Everest.

0Comment 6 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

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Most recent customer reviews

Great book---but why not a single pic of any of the heroic SHERPAS?!

Pretty good account from one of my favorite genres: True-life survival biography.
I found the book compelling from the get-go, and downright gripping at times.Read more

Published 11 hours ago by Sui Juris

Great book to understand the tragedy

Fascinating story and great book to discover the world of mountaineering and in particular Mount Everest climbing business.Read more

Published 1 day ago by Michael

Great book. Love Jon's writing

Great book. Love Jon's writing. Enjoyed into the wild and thought I should read his other books. You should do the same if you enjoyed into the wild. I couldn't put the book down.

Published 3 days ago by Cyn

Jon Krakauer gives an authentic, touching and analytical account ...

Jon Krakauer gives an authentic, touching and analytical account of the disastrous climb on Mount Everest, of which he was a part of.Read more

Published 9 days ago by Connie Huang

Riveting

This book is a powerful story of the men and women who push the limits. I felt as though I was climbing with them.Read more

Published 10 days ago by C. English

Thoroughly loved reading this book

Krakauer is an excellent author and writes in a way that makes me feel like I'm right there experiencing everything. I will reread this as I really liked it.Read more

Published 10 days ago by ChrisR

Everest is beyond belief

I just read this book. I have always wanted to try high altitude climbing and this book showed me what is really like. Jon Krakahur wrote about a true event and how it happened.

Published 12 days ago by 2pugs4u

Wow!

I watched Everest a few years ago. While the movie was not based on Into Thin Air, both stories are truly incredible and physically exhausting. Read the postscript!Read more

Published 14 days ago by CRP

Five Stars

Absolutely amazing book.

Published 23 days ago by Andrew De

Ordinary people doing extraordinary things

As crazy as it sounds, this is the book that made me want to climb mountains. And not just any mountain, THE mountain: Sagarmatha, Chomolongma, EVEREST, the mother goddess of the...Read more

Published 28 days ago by StaticGirl

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