Into Thin Air

A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster

By: Jon Krakauer

Narrated by: Philip Franklin

When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10, 1996, he hadn't slept in fifty-seven hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. As he turned to begin his long, dangerous descent from 29,028 feet, twenty other climbers were still pushing doggedly toward the top. No one had noticed that the sky had begun to fill with clouds. Six hours later and 3,000 feet lower, in 70-knot winds and blinding snow, Krakauer collapsed in his tent, freezing, hallucinating from exhaustion and hypoxia, but safe. The following morning, he learned that six of his fellow climbers hadn't made it back to their camp and were desperately struggling for their lives. When the storm finally passed, five of them would be dead, and the sixth so horribly frostbitten that his right hand would have to be amputated.

Into Thin Air is the definitive account of the deadliest season in the history of Everest by the acclaimed journalist and author of the bestseller Into the Wild. On assignment for Outside Magazine to report on the growing commercialization of the mountain, Krakauer, an accomplished climber, went to the Himalayas as a client of Rob Hall, the most respected high-altitude guide in the world. A rangy, thirty-five-year-old New Zealander, Hall had summited Everest four times between 1990 and 1995 and had led thirty-nine climbers to the top. Ascending the mountain in close proximity to Hall's team was a guided expedition led by Scott Fischer, a forty-year-old American with legendary strength and drive who had climbed the peak without supplemental oxygen in 1994. But neither Hall nor Fischer survived the rogue storm that struck in May 1996.

Krakauer examines what it is about Everest that has compelled so many people -- including himself -- to throw caution to the wind, ignore the concerns of loved ones, and willingly subject themselves to such risk, hardship, and expense. Written with emotional clarity and supported by his unimpeachable reporting, Krakauer's eyewitness account of what happened on the roof of the world is a singular achievement.

Into the Wild is available on audio, read by actor Campbell Scott.

Critic reviews

"Into Thin Air ranks among the great adventure books of all time . . . a book of rare eloquence and power that could remain relevant for centuries."
--Galen Rowell, The Wall Street Journal

This will awe you as it did me

This is an amazing story filled with horror, amazement, and utter sadness. It was a little hard to follow though, with many many difficult names to remember of people but story was incredible! The ending almost had me in tears as many parts did. And to think while my family were alive and well, way off on Everest this tragedy was occuring.....

Clear, Honest, Gripping, Fair

This is the first Everest Saga that I have read. It has left me wanting to find more to read and listen to. When I had finished I was sure that I had heard an honest description of what had happened. It is interesting to follow the stories of others who were mentioned, try to change what happened to releive themselves of any feelings of responsibility.

a gripping, compelling story

This book hasn't changed my life, but I think about this story more frequently than any other since I first heard about this in 1986. I happened to be listening to NPR's Fresh Air, when Jon Krakauer first came on the show and began talking about what happened to him on Mt. Everest. I stopped everything I was doing and sat and listened intently for the next hour. When this book came out, I read it, and felt stunned and incredibly moved by it. And now, I've been listening to the audio version and wow... I can't recommend this listen enough. Anyone who has wanted to take on a challenge of any kind in their life should hear this story. It transcends all stories before it. It makes you think about your life, and the lives of others, think about teamwork and authority, think about those who climb the highest mountain in the world. All worthy of our thoughts!

It's a good book

It's a great book it is somewhat educational as well.I will do recommend this book to every Mountianeer to read

AWESOME!!!

One of the best audio books i've listened to since being a subscriber.