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cdrescher's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 rounded down to 3. She broke out the computer to write this review folks, so you know it's going to be a long one!
I have been fascinated by Mount Everest for as long as I can remember. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer is probably my favorite non-fiction book ever written; I remember the chills I felt when I finished. The Climb does not exist without Into Thin Air as it's essentially a direct rebuttal, so for that reason it's only fair I compare the two.
My take on the May 10, 1996 Everest disaster is that almost everyone is at fault in some way or another. That includes the trip leaders, the guides, the Sherpas, and even the clients. The lack of oxygen and panic of the day has probably led to many misrememberings of the events, and I don't think the truth lies with either Krakauer or Boukreev, but somewhere in the middle. I think it's a mischaracterization to say Krakauer thinks Boukreev is the true villain of the disaster, but I think he probably gives Boukreev a little harder time than he should. Boukreev made decisions that directly led to the rescue of three climbers, while indirectly leading to the struggles of others. I don't think it's fair to say his actions led to the deaths of Scott Fisher and Yasuko Namba but I unquestionably believe he should have been using supplemental oxygen on this expedition for the safety of himself and his fellow climbers. Things may not (probably wouldn't have) turned out different if he had oxygen, but it could've made a difference at least in getting down the mountain faster.
The reason I gave The Climb 3.5 stars is I FELT the rebuttal to Into Thin Air the entire time. I didn't feel this was Boukreev telling his story, but more this was his side to the story. It read more like an encyclopedia of facts as opposed to a narrative story of what happened in the spring of 1996. I can't say Into Thin Air is perfect, especially with the events of the disaster being constantly litigated by those who were there. However, Into Thin Air set a scene and pace that made me feel like I understood the players, the treachery of Mount Everest, the events at each angle, and the true emotions of what it's like to be trapped in a natural disaster with death all around. Part of why people like The Climb over Into Thin Air is because it feels more like "here's what happened without the fluff", but I think the "fluff" makes for a more resonate reading experience.
Ultimately no one will truly know what happened in May of 1996, but I don't know if I fully buy what this version is selling. I do recommend to anyone who has read Into Thin Air and enjoyed it; it brings your understanding of the disaster full circle.
I have been fascinated by Mount Everest for as long as I can remember. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer is probably my favorite non-fiction book ever written; I remember the chills I felt when I finished. The Climb does not exist without Into Thin Air as it's essentially a direct rebuttal, so for that reason it's only fair I compare the two.
My take on the May 10, 1996 Everest disaster is that almost everyone is at fault in some way or another. That includes the trip leaders, the guides, the Sherpas, and even the clients. The lack of oxygen and panic of the day has probably led to many misrememberings of the events, and I don't think the truth lies with either Krakauer or Boukreev, but somewhere in the middle. I think it's a mischaracterization to say Krakauer thinks Boukreev is the true villain of the disaster, but I think he probably gives Boukreev a little harder time than he should. Boukreev made decisions that directly led to the rescue of three climbers, while indirectly leading to the struggles of others. I don't think it's fair to say his actions led to the deaths of Scott Fisher and Yasuko Namba but I unquestionably believe he should have been using supplemental oxygen on this expedition for the safety of himself and his fellow climbers. Things may not (probably wouldn't have) turned out different if he had oxygen, but it could've made a difference at least in getting down the mountain faster.
The reason I gave The Climb 3.5 stars is I FELT the rebuttal to Into Thin Air the entire time. I didn't feel this was Boukreev telling his story, but more this was his side to the story. It read more like an encyclopedia of facts as opposed to a narrative story of what happened in the spring of 1996. I can't say Into Thin Air is perfect, especially with the events of the disaster being constantly litigated by those who were there. However, Into Thin Air set a scene and pace that made me feel like I understood the players, the treachery of Mount Everest, the events at each angle, and the true emotions of what it's like to be trapped in a natural disaster with death all around. Part of why people like The Climb over Into Thin Air is because it feels more like "here's what happened without the fluff", but I think the "fluff" makes for a more resonate reading experience.
Ultimately no one will truly know what happened in May of 1996, but I don't know if I fully buy what this version is selling. I do recommend to anyone who has read Into Thin Air and enjoyed it; it brings your understanding of the disaster full circle.
allbythebook's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
I listened to the Blackstone Audio audiobook version of The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev and G. Weston deWalt, narrated by Lloyd James. This is Boukreev's rebuttal to Krakauer's original article on the 1996 Everest disaster. This one is 4⭐️ from me.
So, I'd already read Into Thin Air before reading The Climb, and based on what Krakauer had written about Boukreev, I was questioning him and his decisionmaking on the mountain during spring 1996, for sure. But hearing about the disaster from Boukreev's perspective was really interesting and definitely added a new layer to the story.
Boukreev was a guide for the Mountain Madness Expedition, and so in this book we saw much for of Scott Fisher and the members of his expedition, rather than the Adventure Consultants group described in Krakauer's book. From the perspective of a guide rather than a client, we also heard a lot more about the organisation of the expeditions, and the difficulties they had hit well before the storm on 10th May.
Boukreev’s book definitely feels like a hurried, defensive response by a non-native speaker to Krakauer’s book, and he doesn’t write as engagingly or sensationally as Krakauer, but I loved the alternative perspective on this - but do read it after Into Thin Air.
Boukreev describes some key incidents pretty differently from Krakauer, and I suppose we'll never know who was right - or how much the altitude had affected their minds and their recollections. But this was another really interesting read.
So, I'd already read Into Thin Air before reading The Climb, and based on what Krakauer had written about Boukreev, I was questioning him and his decisionmaking on the mountain during spring 1996, for sure. But hearing about the disaster from Boukreev's perspective was really interesting and definitely added a new layer to the story.
Boukreev was a guide for the Mountain Madness Expedition, and so in this book we saw much for of Scott Fisher and the members of his expedition, rather than the Adventure Consultants group described in Krakauer's book. From the perspective of a guide rather than a client, we also heard a lot more about the organisation of the expeditions, and the difficulties they had hit well before the storm on 10th May.
Boukreev’s book definitely feels like a hurried, defensive response by a non-native speaker to Krakauer’s book, and he doesn’t write as engagingly or sensationally as Krakauer, but I loved the alternative perspective on this - but do read it after Into Thin Air.
Boukreev describes some key incidents pretty differently from Krakauer, and I suppose we'll never know who was right - or how much the altitude had affected their minds and their recollections. But this was another really interesting read.
eilidhmacq's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
redfezzed's review against another edition
It was just really slow and not super compelling -- certainly not as much as the last two books on the same topic
maddy_11's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Required reading if you've read into thin air
lorianasoma's review against another edition
3.0
I have an outside interest in mountaineering (just reading about it) and read Into Thin Air quite a while ago. I enjoyed this book. It was an interesting insiders view of the 96 Everest events. I didn't like the afterward though. Too much about the Krakaouer feud.
kelishiaradhalal's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
medium-paced
4.0
smurf2416's review against another edition
4.0
An incredible book detailing the tragic events on Mt Everest in 1996. Much like Into Thin Air, this book is captivating, and I think an important book to read if you have any interest in Everest. Especially if you have read Into Thin Air. This book really brings meaning to the phrase "Beware the one handed applause". Boukreev was an absolute beast and a hero on the mountain. Very good book.