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Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster Audiobook
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(3.00) - 181,056 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
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.
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"This book was really good. I decided to read it after watching the movie, and the book definitely told the story much better. The movie made McCandless seem like a selfish idiot, and the book showed his motivations more and made it easier to understand why he did what he did. "
— Braxton (4 out of 5 stars)
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“A harrowing tale of the perils of high-altitude climbing, a story of bad luck and worse judgment and of heartbreaking heroism.”
— People -
“Krakauer describes an experience of such bone-chilling horror as to persuade even the most fanatical alpinists to seek sanctuary at sea level.”
— Sports Illustrated -
“No added dramatics are needed for the listener to imagine the high-altitude cold, fear, bravado and sense of total isolation felt by all who were trapped beyond help, as well as by those who survived. Franklin’s emulations of the multinational voices of guides, clients and Sherpas bring one still closer to the action. Even with all the quotes, notes and factual information included, the unabridged audio production is every bit as engrossing as the book.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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A #1 New York Times bestseller
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A 1997 National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist
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Finalist for the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction
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A New York Public Library Staff Pick of Favorite Books of the Last 125 Years
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Winner of Margaret A. Edwards Award (Alex Awards), 1998
Into Thin Air Listener Reviews
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" Not read by the author as advertised. The sample is Krakauer, but the whole book is not. Stay far away. "
— EB, 3/31/2025 -
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AC Broker, 1/3/2023
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" 4 stars for the second half. The first half was a bit boring to me, but it definitely picked up the second half. "
— Adria, 2/19/2014 -
" I was on the edge of my seat all the way through this book. Really makes you feel like you were part of the expedition. The most chilling non-fiction I've ever read. "
— Raksha, 2/15/2014 -
" The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest Must read Krakuer alongside Bookreev's story of the same climb. So fascinating. "
— Lori, 2/7/2014 -
" This was a re-read. Krakauer pulls no punches. Loved his book about the Mormons, too. "
— Suzy, 2/5/2014 -
" An Amazing account of disastrous events on Everest! More than once I had to stop reading for a night just to absorb the magnitude of the incidents. "
— Mehrdad, 1/24/2014 -
" Krakauer is a master story teller, and this book was no exception. I immensely enjoyed this read. Makes you feel like you are on the mountain with these unfortunate climbers... "
— Stacey, 1/18/2014 -
" This is one of those books that you read from start to finish in one day. Clear your schedule and get comfortable. "
— Brian, 1/10/2014 -
" Fascinating & frightening! "
— Jennifer, 1/10/2014 -
" I have read this book twice and still find it a captivating account of the tragic 1996 Everest summit attempt. "
— Melanie, 1/7/2014 -
" Could not put it down. I moved through so many different feelings for the individuals in the book; fear, annoyance, support, frustration.... It certainly made me look differently at the quest to summit Everest "
— Karen, 12/9/2013 -
" A heart wrenching true account of the Everest tragedy . Etched in my mind forever "
— Abhilasha, 11/30/2013 -
" Yep - that confirms it - this book is about as close as I'll ever get to climbing Everest. Those people are crazy. "
— Dana, 10/27/2013 -
" To the top of Everest. And back again? "
— Scott, 10/8/2013 -
" Compelling, intense and frightening. "
— Mottel, 10/5/2013 -
" January 2012 Club read "
— Richelle, 8/21/2013 -
" One of the best armchair adventures. "
— Todd, 6/18/2013 -
" This made me want to go to a beach. "
— Caitlin, 4/1/2013 -
" Not as good as I was hoping, maybe my expectations were too high after reading Into the Wild and Under the Banner of Heaven. Still enjoyed it and would recommend it. "
— Dave, 3/21/2013 -
" I did not like this book; it was very hard to stay focused throughout the book. I hoped its would get better as I got farther, but it remained mainly facts and not a strong story line. "
— Oren, 12/12/2012 -
" Totally riveting account of a tragic attempt to reach the summit Everest. "
— Elliot, 11/22/2012 -
" Such an interesting book!! "
— Sandy, 2/26/2012 -
" So readable. Stepping into a world I will never know except in these pages. "
— Julia, 2/7/2012 -
" Great for those who love climbing adventures. Your toes will curl reading this one. "
— Carol, 11/18/2011 -
" Makes me want to haul my lazy behind up That mountain. "
— Beverly, 10/21/2011 -
" Excellent book. Krakauer pulls no punches in this book. Climbing the mountain has become big business and it sure sounds like the almighty dollar outweighs safety and sensiblity. His discription of the environment in the Death Zone is haunting. "
— Cliff, 9/20/2011 -
" I loved this book. I had never wanted to climb and after reading this, there is no way in hell,you could get me to. "
— Annette, 8/15/2011 -
" I feel as if I like this more than most people do. Yet another case of the book being better than the movie even though the movie is pretty good too. "
— He-who-must-not-be-named, 5/17/2011 -
" Krakauer's style is always interesting, but he injected too much of his own story into this one -- yes, there are many parallels about the hubris shared by both, but I didn't feel it belonged into this store. Took away from the dynamics. "
— Kuryakin007, 5/16/2011 -
" A great journey to the self. "
— Martin, 5/16/2011 -
" Good book. I like it. "
— Ben, 5/15/2011 -
" incredible read! Also enjoyed the tie-in with excerpts from other writers & climbers. "
— Carolyn, 5/15/2011 -
" Marked it by accident, haven't read it. "
— Beth, 5/12/2011 -
" One of my favorite books, just finished reading it again. Movie...em, ok. "
— Sebastian, 5/12/2011 -
" Un libro increible con el que puedes reflexionar de la verdadera naturaleza del hombre, un viaje increible por Alaska, totalmente recomendado. "
— Dot, 5/11/2011 -
" Its the kind of book you read and wish you had done what he did minus the dying part. It was asigned in college as required reading and it was well worth the read. "
— Ben, 5/9/2011 -
" Excellent book, and way better than the movie. There are pictures of the camp which gave a great visual on what he was experiencing and his personal journal entries gave me goosebumps. "
— Tara, 5/9/2011 -
" I thought that Chris was just trying to find himself in life. "
— John, 5/8/2011
About Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer is the preeminent writer of narrative nonfiction. His numerous bestsellers include Under the Banner of Heaven, Into the Wild, and Into Thin Air. He is editor of the Modern Library Exploration series.