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.©1997 Jon Krakauer; (P)1997 Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, A Division of Random House Inc.

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

Being There

This was a great, thrilling story and well read by the author. The sense of "being there" with John on Everest was palpable. As a reader, I am normally overly eager to reach the end of a story, to see how it turns out, and get on to the next read. This was a book I never wanted to end. It kept my attention rivieted every second. My most enjoyable book for the last year!

Drive around the block

This was the first book I ever listened to on tape, that didn't have a ding to tell me to turn the pages. It took some time to get into the rythym of the author reading the book, but we found ourselves driving around the block to get to the end of chapters. It is a compelling story.

Exhilarating first hand tale Mt. Everest disaster

Would you listen to Into Thin Air again? Why?

Yes, and have listened to other books recounting the same disaster.

What did you like best about this story?

The novel was written by a professional writer and accomplished mountaineer who actually witnessed first hand the events of 1996.

Any additional comments?

I liked INTO THIN AIR as well as INTO THE WILD by Krakhauer. Both of these works drew controversy, and I have studied these subjects from different angles. I like how Krakhauer tells the story from his viewpoint even if others do not agree him.

Haunting and horrifying

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. I think I managed to listen to the whole thing in two days, and it's a pretty good length.

Any additional comments?

I read this shortly after reading about the heroic Shackelton Expedition, and the two books are somewhat comparable. There was so much that I didn't know about climbing in general (for instance that the worst danger one faces is losing your mind from lack of oxygen at great heights, or that it is nearly impossible to rescue a fellow fallen climber on Everest and why). I have to applaud Krakauer for facing this disastrous, tragic experience head-on, so shortly after it occurred in an effort to exorcise his terrible survivor's guilt. I'd read other books by him before never realising that this was in his background. Spellbinding reading.

Amazing book, minor production issues.

The book is great.

The recording seemed to have "skips" where it would repeat about 10 seconds twice, randomly.

Also, why does the South African sound like Dracula?