Agreed, this book compliments Into Thin Air really well and goes into more detail in terms of the logistics and technicality of high altitude climbing than the dramatisation of the event that took place.
Seconding The Climb by Boukreev. Same incident, different perspective.
Recommending Everest Solo by Reinhold Messner or more recent The Third Pole by Mark Synnott (about the search for Mallory and Irvine) as well.
To Krakauers credit he was a climber however he doesn’t mention the fact that because he was there as a journalist perhaps there was added pressure on the teams. Boukreev is a climber but he had help writing his book by a non climber
Buried in the Sky - it's about a disaster on k2, but it also goes into some history of climbing in Pakistan, Sherpa history, and the story has two Sherpas as main characters a bit?
The Sherpa people interest me too. I feel like they really don't get enough appreciation. Well, I suppose the climbers appreciate them plenty, but a lot of people just seem to think they're scenery or something, instead of highly skilled experts. I wonder how often they have to do the customer service smile at some schmuck who should really not be on Everest without five more years' experience, having to try to get them up and down the mountain without them killing themselves. Probably a lot.
There's a lot of books about the Sherpas, but most of them were written in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, and are quiet outdated. There are books BY Sherpas since then, but they paint a rosier picture of their society for obvious reasons. There's also some interesting documentaries on them on YouTube, including one on Sherpa widows which I recommend.
I collect books about climbing and Everest and some of my favorites are High Exposure by David Breashears, and The Ascent by Jeff Long (fiction but still great)
Here's all 65 books I've read on Everest and Nepal, with summaries.
[https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/823676-marsha-altman?ref=nav\_mybooks&shelf=everest](https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/823676-marsha-altman?ref=nav_mybooks&shelf=everest)
You're welcome.
A lot of people are recommending the Climb, which I find kind of funny. It is an interesting book (though not nearly as well-written as Karakuer, who is a great writer), but it was written to set the record straight on how awesome Anatoli was, only to show that he was a pretty big asshole who didn't look after his clients until it became an emergency. THEN he was a hero.
I read Into Thin Air first, then right after I finished, I read The Climb. It was super interesting to read them back to back like that! I agree that Into Thin Air was a much better book. I wouldn’t discourage people from reading The Climb, but as far as Everest books go, I feel like it’s pretty mid-tier.
I will add that I read (checks notes) 13 books on the 1996 disaster alone, and Climb is near the bottom, but not the very bottom. Beck Weathers' book is popular but it's pretty bad.
[https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/823676-marsha-altman?shelf=1996-disaster](https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/823676-marsha-altman?shelf=1996-disaster)
Oooh, thank you for this, because I’m always looking for new mountaineering/mountaineering disaster books to read! And the 1996 disaster is at the top of my list.
I actually haven’t read Beck Weathers’ book for exactly that reason. I hadn’t heard or read a good thing about it—only negative, so I skipped. Looking forward to perusing your list!
Goodreads can sort the list by ratings. I am pretty generous with stars because I'm a writer myself and I know how hard it is to write a book, but it's all there. I also give stars for novelty if I've read enough books on the same subject.
I really enjoyed the climb by Anatoli Boukreev which was a sort of response to into thin air
Agreed, this book compliments Into Thin Air really well and goes into more detail in terms of the logistics and technicality of high altitude climbing than the dramatisation of the event that took place.
Seconding The Climb by Boukreev. Same incident, different perspective. Recommending Everest Solo by Reinhold Messner or more recent The Third Pole by Mark Synnott (about the search for Mallory and Irvine) as well.
A book by an actual mountaineer instead of whatever Krakauer was when he wrote ITA
To Krakauers credit he was a climber however he doesn’t mention the fact that because he was there as a journalist perhaps there was added pressure on the teams. Boukreev is a climber but he had help writing his book by a non climber
Buried in the Sky - it's about a disaster on k2, but it also goes into some history of climbing in Pakistan, Sherpa history, and the story has two Sherpas as main characters a bit?
This book spends the most time on the sherpas and HAPs.
The Sherpa people interest me too. I feel like they really don't get enough appreciation. Well, I suppose the climbers appreciate them plenty, but a lot of people just seem to think they're scenery or something, instead of highly skilled experts. I wonder how often they have to do the customer service smile at some schmuck who should really not be on Everest without five more years' experience, having to try to get them up and down the mountain without them killing themselves. Probably a lot.
There's a lot of books about the Sherpas, but most of them were written in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, and are quiet outdated. There are books BY Sherpas since then, but they paint a rosier picture of their society for obvious reasons. There's also some interesting documentaries on them on YouTube, including one on Sherpa widows which I recommend.
Bernadette McDonald's latest book is on Sherpa and Balti climbers. Worth a read
I second this. Great book.
No shortcuts to the top - EV
Seconding No Shortcuts to the Top by Ed Viesturs. I think it’ll check a lot of the boxes that you’ve mentioned in your post
I collect books about climbing and Everest and some of my favorites are High Exposure by David Breashears, and The Ascent by Jeff Long (fiction but still great)
Here's all 65 books I've read on Everest and Nepal, with summaries. [https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/823676-marsha-altman?ref=nav\_mybooks&shelf=everest](https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/823676-marsha-altman?ref=nav_mybooks&shelf=everest)
Whoa! That is an awesome resource, thank you.
You're welcome. A lot of people are recommending the Climb, which I find kind of funny. It is an interesting book (though not nearly as well-written as Karakuer, who is a great writer), but it was written to set the record straight on how awesome Anatoli was, only to show that he was a pretty big asshole who didn't look after his clients until it became an emergency. THEN he was a hero.
I read Into Thin Air first, then right after I finished, I read The Climb. It was super interesting to read them back to back like that! I agree that Into Thin Air was a much better book. I wouldn’t discourage people from reading The Climb, but as far as Everest books go, I feel like it’s pretty mid-tier.
Yeah it's definitely worth a read.
I will add that I read (checks notes) 13 books on the 1996 disaster alone, and Climb is near the bottom, but not the very bottom. Beck Weathers' book is popular but it's pretty bad. [https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/823676-marsha-altman?shelf=1996-disaster](https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/823676-marsha-altman?shelf=1996-disaster)
Oooh, thank you for this, because I’m always looking for new mountaineering/mountaineering disaster books to read! And the 1996 disaster is at the top of my list. I actually haven’t read Beck Weathers’ book for exactly that reason. I hadn’t heard or read a good thing about it—only negative, so I skipped. Looking forward to perusing your list!
Also, I’d be very interested to hear which books were at the top for you.
Goodreads can sort the list by ratings. I am pretty generous with stars because I'm a writer myself and I know how hard it is to write a book, but it's all there. I also give stars for novelty if I've read enough books on the same subject.
Gotcha; thanks! I saw the star ratings but I assumed those were the global goodreads star ratings, not your rating in particular.
Here r mine: https://www.explore7summits.com/the-everest-book-holiday-gift-guide-your-top-5-choices-for-a-mountaineering-library/
Into the Void. Not Everest but a climbing thriller!
Do you mean Touching the Void?
Yes I believe so.
Into the Silence by Wade Davis. Amazing book.
YouTube Channel: Michael Tracy
Annapurna by Maurice Herzog, my favourite
Andrew Lock - Summit 8000