-
Master of Thin Air
- Life and Death on the World's Highest Peaks
- Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
- Length: 12 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release date: 11-03-15
- Language: English
- Publisher: Audible Studios
- Whispersync for Voice-ready
Regular price: $24.95
People who bought this also bought...
-
Beyond the Mountain
- By: Steve House, Reinhold Messner - foreword
- Narrated by: Steve House
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 149
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 133
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 132
What does it take to be one of the world's best high-altitude mountain climbers? A lot of fundraising; traveling in some of the world's most dangerous countries; enduring cold bivouacs, searing lungs, and a cloudy mind when you can least afford one. It means learning the hard lessons the mountains teach. Steve House built his reputation on ascents throughout the Alps, Canada, Alaska, the Karakoram, and the Himalaya that have expanded possibilities of style, speed, and difficulty.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A life-changing book
- By Bharath on 05-02-18
-
Denali's Howl
- The Deadliest Climbing Disaster on America's Wildest Peak
- By: Andy Hall
- Narrated by: Jim Manchester
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 247
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 223
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 222
In 1967, 12 young men attempted to climb Alaska's MountMcKinley - known to the locals as Denali - one of the most popular and deadly mountaineering destinations in the world. Only five survived. Journalist Andy Hall, son of the park superintendent at the time, investigates the tragedy. He spent years tracking down survivors, lost documents, and recordings of radio communications. In Denali's Howl, Hall reveals the full story.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A study in human behaviour
- By Erik on 06-19-14
-
Eiger Dreams
- Ventures Among Men and Mountains
- By: Jon Krakauer
- Narrated by: Philip Franklin
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 141
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 125
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 124
No one writes about mountaineering and its attendant victories and hardships more brilliantly than Jon Krakauer. In this collection of his finest essays and reporting, Krakauer writes of mountains from the memorable perspective of one who has himself struggled with solo madness to scale Alaska's notorious Devils Thumb.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great stories of rock climbing and mountain men
- By Martin on 05-24-18
-
No Shortcuts to the Top
- Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks
- By: Ed Viesturs, David Roberts
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 12 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 829
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 583
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 588
For 18 years, Ed Viesturs pursued climbing's holy grail: to stand atop the world's 14 8,000-meter peaks, without the aid of bottled oxygen. But No Shortcuts to the Top is as much about the man who would become the first American to achieve that goal as it is about his stunning quest. As Viesturs recounts the stories of his most harrowing climbs, he reveals a man torn between the flat, safe world he and his loved ones share and the majestic and deadly places where only he can go.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
NO SHORTCUTS
- By Anatoliy on 04-05-10
-
Dark Summit
- The True Story of Everest's Most Controversial Season
- By: Nick Heil
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 600
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 423
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 418
In early May 2006, a young British climber named David Sharp lay dying near the top of Mount Everest while forty other climbers walked past him on their way to the summit. A week later, Lincoln Hall, a seasoned Australian climber, was left for dead near the same spot. Hall's death was reported around the world, but the next day he was found alive after spending the night on the upper mountain with no food and no shelter.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Good summary of the 2006 season
- By Don Lance on 05-30-09
-
Buried in the Sky
- The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2's Deadliest Day
- By: Amanda Padoan, Peter Zuckerman
- Narrated by: David Doersch
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 471
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 413
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 410
When Edmund Hillary first conquered Mt. Everest, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay was at his side. Indeed, for as long as Westerners have been climbing the Himalaya, Sherpas have been the unsung heroes in the background. In August 2008, when eleven climbers lost their lives on K2, the world’s most dangerous peak, two Sherpas survived. They had emerged from poverty and political turmoil to become two of the most skillful mountaineers on earth. Based on unprecedented access and interviews, Buried in the Sky reveals their astonishing story for the first time.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great perspective & a total page turner
- By Jennifer on 05-31-16
-
Beyond the Mountain
- By: Steve House, Reinhold Messner - foreword
- Narrated by: Steve House
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 149
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 133
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 132
What does it take to be one of the world's best high-altitude mountain climbers? A lot of fundraising; traveling in some of the world's most dangerous countries; enduring cold bivouacs, searing lungs, and a cloudy mind when you can least afford one. It means learning the hard lessons the mountains teach. Steve House built his reputation on ascents throughout the Alps, Canada, Alaska, the Karakoram, and the Himalaya that have expanded possibilities of style, speed, and difficulty.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A life-changing book
- By Bharath on 05-02-18
-
Denali's Howl
- The Deadliest Climbing Disaster on America's Wildest Peak
- By: Andy Hall
- Narrated by: Jim Manchester
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 247
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 223
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 222
In 1967, 12 young men attempted to climb Alaska's MountMcKinley - known to the locals as Denali - one of the most popular and deadly mountaineering destinations in the world. Only five survived. Journalist Andy Hall, son of the park superintendent at the time, investigates the tragedy. He spent years tracking down survivors, lost documents, and recordings of radio communications. In Denali's Howl, Hall reveals the full story.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A study in human behaviour
- By Erik on 06-19-14
-
Eiger Dreams
- Ventures Among Men and Mountains
- By: Jon Krakauer
- Narrated by: Philip Franklin
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 141
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 125
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 124
No one writes about mountaineering and its attendant victories and hardships more brilliantly than Jon Krakauer. In this collection of his finest essays and reporting, Krakauer writes of mountains from the memorable perspective of one who has himself struggled with solo madness to scale Alaska's notorious Devils Thumb.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great stories of rock climbing and mountain men
- By Martin on 05-24-18
-
No Shortcuts to the Top
- Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks
- By: Ed Viesturs, David Roberts
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 12 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 829
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 583
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 588
For 18 years, Ed Viesturs pursued climbing's holy grail: to stand atop the world's 14 8,000-meter peaks, without the aid of bottled oxygen. But No Shortcuts to the Top is as much about the man who would become the first American to achieve that goal as it is about his stunning quest. As Viesturs recounts the stories of his most harrowing climbs, he reveals a man torn between the flat, safe world he and his loved ones share and the majestic and deadly places where only he can go.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
NO SHORTCUTS
- By Anatoliy on 04-05-10
-
Dark Summit
- The True Story of Everest's Most Controversial Season
- By: Nick Heil
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 600
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 423
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 418
In early May 2006, a young British climber named David Sharp lay dying near the top of Mount Everest while forty other climbers walked past him on their way to the summit. A week later, Lincoln Hall, a seasoned Australian climber, was left for dead near the same spot. Hall's death was reported around the world, but the next day he was found alive after spending the night on the upper mountain with no food and no shelter.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Good summary of the 2006 season
- By Don Lance on 05-30-09
-
Buried in the Sky
- The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2's Deadliest Day
- By: Amanda Padoan, Peter Zuckerman
- Narrated by: David Doersch
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 471
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 413
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 410
When Edmund Hillary first conquered Mt. Everest, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay was at his side. Indeed, for as long as Westerners have been climbing the Himalaya, Sherpas have been the unsung heroes in the background. In August 2008, when eleven climbers lost their lives on K2, the world’s most dangerous peak, two Sherpas survived. They had emerged from poverty and political turmoil to become two of the most skillful mountaineers on earth. Based on unprecedented access and interviews, Buried in the Sky reveals their astonishing story for the first time.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great perspective & a total page turner
- By Jennifer on 05-31-16
-
The Will to Climb
- Obsession and Commitment and the Quest to Climb Annapurna - the World's Deadliest Peak
- By: David Roberts, Ed Viesturs
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 267
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 243
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 240
The best-selling author of No Shortcuts to the Top and K2 chronicles his three attempts to climb the world's tenth-highest and statistically deadliest peak, Annapurna in the Himalaya, while exploring the dramatic and tragic history of others who have made - or attempted - the ascent, and what these exploits teach us about facing life's greatest challenges.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great overview of Annapurna climbing history
- By Lori on 02-04-13
-
Kiss or Kill
- Confessions of a Serial Climber
- By: Mark Twight
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 109
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 96
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 97
Mark Twight is a BANFF award-winner, an extreme climber, an extreme writer, and an extreme personality. No matter what he's doing, Mark Twight takes a definite, and often controversial , stand. Anyone who knows climbing knows Twight's name, and anyone who knows Twight's name will want to listen to this audiobook. Each story is told in Twight's taut, in-your-face style. Brand-new epilogues bring each piece full circle, providing updated information and fresh, hindsight perspectives.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An exciting, fresh, and viciously enjoyable book
- By The Lonely Reader on 09-02-16
-
Classic Krakauer
- By: Jon Krakauer
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 5 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 78
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 70
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 70
In these fascinating essays, Jon Krakauer shows why he is considered one of the finest investigative journalists of our time. The articles, gathered together here for the first time, take us from an otherworldly cave in New Mexico to the heights of Mt. Everest; from the foot of the volcano Mt. Ranier to the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska; from the notebook of one Fred Becky, who has catalogued the greatest unclimbed mountaineering routes on the planet, to the last days of legendary surfer Mark Foo.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
<br />great book
- By TScales on 04-25-18
-
The Calling
- A Life Rocked by Mountains
- By: Barry Blanchard
- Narrated by: Barry Blanchard
- Length: 14 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 52
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 53
With heart-pounding descriptions of avalanches and treacherous ascents, Barry Blanchard chronicles his transformation from a poor Native American/white kid from the wrong side of the tracks to one of the most respected alpinists in the world. At 13 he learned to rappel when he joined the 1292 Lord Strathcone's Horse Army Cadets. Soon kicked out for insubordination, he was already hooked on climbing and saw alpinism as a way to make his single mother proud and end his family's cycle of poverty.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wow... Get this book
- By Brenden horn on 06-06-18
-
How to Mount Aconcagua
- A Mostly Serious Guide to Climbing the Tallest Mountain Outside the Himalayas
- By: Jim Hodgson
- Narrated by: Jim Hodgson
- Length: 2 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 33
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 30
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 30
A mostly serious guide to climbing the tallest mountain in the Western and Southern Hemispheres, this efficient book includes a hilarious day-by-day account, with detailed descriptions of the challenges facing a climber on Aconcagua, such as when to wear your Crocs, which pop music divas to enjoy, and the challenges of pooping at high altitude. Everything you need to know about what it's like to attempt to summit Aconcagua is in this audiobook, served up on a tasty bed of humor.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Super funny
- By ric on 04-19-18
-
Die Trying
- One Man's Quest to Conquer the Seven Summits
- By: Bo Parfet
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 18
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 16
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 15
In early 2003, a young Wall Street investment banker named Bo Parfet set out to accomplish something very few had done before - climbing the highest mountain on every continent. He was not a professional climber, but what began as a casual interest would soon become a lifelong passion and in just over four years, Bo would overcome the odds and conquer all of the mountains - Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, Denali, Vinson Massif, Elbrus, Carstenz Pyramid, Kosciusko, and Everest - with courage, unbridled passion, and determination.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Ok but lacking
- By Craig on 09-16-15
-
The Climb
- By: Anatoli Boukreev, G. Weston DeWalt
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 411
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 270
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 272
The Climb is a true, gripping, and thought-provoking account of the worst disaster in the history of Mt. Everest: On May 10, 1996, two commercial expeditions headed by experienced leaders attempted to climb the highest mountain in the world, but things went terribly wrong...
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Must read to understand 1996 Everest disaster.
- By Sona Vavrouskova on 03-16-15
-
Limits of the Known
- By: David Roberts
- Narrated by: David Chandler
- Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 16
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 16
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 16
David Roberts, "veteran mountain climber and chronicler of adventures" (Washington Post), has spent his career documenting voyages to the most extreme landscapes on earth. In Limits of the Known, he reflects on humanity's - and his own - relationship to extreme risk. Part memoir and part history, this book tries to make sense of why so many have committed their lives to the desperate pursuit of adventure.
-
Alone on the Wall
- By: Alex Honnold, David Roberts
- Narrated by: Andrew Eiden, Will Damron
- Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 753
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 656
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 659
Only a few years ago, Alex Honnold was little known beyond a small circle of hardcore climbers. Today, at the age of 30, he is probably the most famous adventure athlete in the world. In that short time, he has proven his expertise in many styles of climbing and has shattered speed records, pioneered routes, and won awards within each discipline. More spectacularly still, he has pushed the most extreme and dangerous form of climbing far beyond the limits of what anyone thought was possible.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
love climbing and Alex honnold, dislike this book
- By Jennifer on 12-04-15
-
Forever on the Mountain
- By: James Tabor
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 15 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 143
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 100
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 102
In the summer of 1967, an Arctic hurricane trapped seven veteran climbers, members of Joe Wilcox's 12-man expedition, at 20,000 feet on Alaska's Mount McKinley. Ten days passed while the storm raged. Despite the availability of massive resources, no rescue was mounted, and all seven men died. The tragedy was one of the most controversial, bitterly contested, and mysterious tragedies in all of mountaineering history.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating Book, Fantastic Narration
- By S. Smail on 12-01-13
-
The Push
- A Climber's Journey of Endurance, Risk, and Going Beyond Limits
- By: Tommy Caldwell
- Narrated by: Johnathan McClain
- Length: 13 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 711
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 638
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 635
On January 14, 2015, Tommy Caldwell, along with his partner, Kevin Jorgeson, summited what is widely regarded as the hardest climb in history - Yosemite's nearly vertical 3,000-foot Dawn Wall, after 19 days on the route. Caldwell's odds-defying feat was the culmination of an entire lifetime of pushing himself to his limits as an athlete. This engrossing memoir chronicles the journey of a boy with a fanatical mountain-guide father who was determined to instill toughness in his son to a teen whose obsessive nature drove him to the top of the sport-climbing circuit.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Best adventure, and maybe best autobiography I have read.
- By Jordan B Chapell on 05-24-17
-
High Exposure
- An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places
- By: David B. Breashears, Foreword by Jon Krakauer
- Narrated by: Michael Gross
- Length: 6 hrs
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 135
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 83
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 85
The story of the famed large format cinematographer, adventurer, and mountaineer whose terrifying experiences on Mount Everest during the deadly 1996 season became the defining moment of his life. By 1995, David Breashears had already twice reached Mt. Everest's summit. Then he faced the greatest challenge of his life: to scale the 29,028-foot peak, hauling the giant IMAX® camera to film the large format film, Everest.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good Book (but print copy may be a better choice)
- By Steve Anderson on 01-03-05
Publisher's Summary
Named one of the "Five Adventure Books You Need to Read This Summer" by Backpacker Magazine.
For listeners of Into Thin Air, riveting high-altitude drama and the passion and drive that inspire outsized mountaineering achievements.
Master of Thin Air opens with a fall that the author very nearly could not stop down an almost vertical rock ramp leading to a 3,000-foot drop. The qualities that saved him then on K2 - in addition to his mountaineering know-how and sheer good luck - drove his 16-year journey to summit all of the world's 8,000ers, the 14 peaks that exceed 8,000 meters (26,000-plus feet) and take climbers into the death zone. Incredibly, he accomplished that feat without the aid of bottled oxygen for every mountain but one. By preference, he climbed solo or in small teams, without Sherpas. During 23 expeditions, he spent a total of three years clinging to the sides of dangerous mountains. He lost more than 20 climbing friends and, in April 2014, witnessed Everest's deadliest avalanche.
His book is a riveting, often thrilling account of what it takes to challenge the Earth's highest peaks and survive. It tells of death-defying ascents and even riskier descents, the gut-dropping consequences of the smallest mistakes or even just bad luck, the camaraderie and human drama of expeditions, and the exhilaration of altitude. It is also the inspiring story of what motivates a person to achieve an extraordinary dream, a story of passion, resourcefulness, self-motivation, and hope - even in the most dire moments.
More from the same
Narrator
What members say
Average Customer Ratings
Overall
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars28
-
4 Stars6
-
3 Stars2
-
2 Stars1
-
1 Stars0
Performance
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars26
-
4 Stars7
-
3 Stars1
-
2 Stars1
-
1 Stars0
Story
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars27
-
4 Stars5
-
3 Stars2
-
2 Stars0
-
1 Stars1
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story1 out of 5 stars
- Mike Milward
- 11-06-16
Tedious, redundant
The same story over and over. Ed Visters books are much better. Very repetitive, self aggrandizing which is understandable given the enormous challenges involved. Just way too much of the same.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Mr Mark J Burgess
- 12-05-16
Narrator was difficult to listen to.
Two stars to the narrator for trying, but the accent is terrible.
For an author who is at pains to make the distinction between a 'real' climber and one who is just guided along, I find it ironic that he has allowed his book to be read by someone with a fake Australian accent.
I would have preferred to listen to a 'real' Aussie read it. (I wouldn't have cared if an American read it with an American accent, I just found the fake accent very distracting).
I suppose I should have been a 'real' reader.....gotten an ebook and read it myself. At least I know how to pronounce Mt. Kosciuszko
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Cody R.
- 04-08-16
Great Book!!!
Great book!!! Couldn't stop listening to it... If you like mountaineering books, you will love this book and if you don't love mountaineering books you will throughly enjoy this book haha... Good narration and well written book...
1 of 2 people found this review helpful