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Into Thin Air

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About this listen

One of the inspirations for the major motion picture Everest, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Keira Knightley.

This is the true story of a 24-hour period on Everest when members of three separate expeditions were caught in a storm and faced a battle against hurricane-force winds, exposure, and the effects of altitude, which ended the worst single-season death toll in the peak's history.

In March 1996, Outside magazine sent veteran journalist and seasoned climber Jon Krakauer on an expedition led by celebrated Everest guide Rob Hall. Despite the expertise of Hall and the other leaders, by the end of summit day eight people were dead.

Krakauer's audiobook is at once the story of the ill-fated adventure and an analysis of the factors leading up to its tragic end. Written within months of the events it chronicles, Into Thin Air clearly evokes the majestic Everest landscape. As the journey up the mountain progresses, Krakauer puts it in context by recalling the triumphs and perils of other Everest trips throughout history. The author's own anguish over what happened on the mountain is palpable as he leads his listeners to ponder timeless questions.

©2011 Jon Krakauer (P)2016 Audible, Ltd Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Climbing & Mountaineering Ecosystems & Habitats Nature & Ecology Outdoors & Nature Science Emotionally Gripping Scary Thought-Provoking Adventure Extreme Sports
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If you read a lot of expedition climbing books you soon see a common narrative arc. The setting up of the team, the journey to the peak, the slow struggle up the mountain, the summit, and then the descent and return to a world that doesn’t comprehend what just happened. And all through there is a constant pointing back to how hard previous climbers had it on the same mountain – usually with extensive quotes from previous books.

I stopped reading them because they started to feel similar.

I used to climb. I know some mountains, and I’ve known about the tragedy this book is about for many years.

Having said that I can’t tell you how pleased I am I picked this up.

Sure, it follows the standard path – but with some important differences:
First Krakauer is a great writer, and second the book starts with the fact that you know you are going to hear how 8 people died over a two-day period in 1996. It is not a “who done it?”
As you progress the tension builds up as you follow an account of who perhaps did what. You are actually following the path Krakauer took trying to understand just what he had experienced, what happened, and what when wrong.

Personally, I think it is too hard to apportion blame for actions at high altitude by people struggling through a storm, cold temperatures and starved of oxygen. Krakauer is very open about what he feels are his own mistakes and, when the writing feels so open and honest, maybe other readers will feel confident forming their own opinions. I do not.

The book leaves me with a feeling that for all the guides you can hire big mountains remain big. High altitude climbing is a dangerous sport and the margins between success and failure are so narrow.

For me a 5*. I will read and listen to more by John Krakauer.

With the performance. It is good but in fairness I did think the attempt to replicate accents for particular nationalities of characters in the story did sometimes miss the mark!

Gripping story of the 1996 Everest Disaster

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Fascinating book which kept my interest to the very end. Makes you realise the harsh and unforgiving nature of Everest. Where a sudden change in the weather can make the difference between life and death. Also, how lack of oxygen in that very thin air can make a mockery of rational decisions and detailed planning.

Gripping true story

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I really enjoyed this audiobook! After having watched the movie Everest a second time around I wanted to see if there was a book about the events in 1996 and sure enough there was. Written first hand by someone who was actually there, Jon Krakauer.
For me it either confirmed the events in the film or ironed out a couple of discrepancies. I like survival tales so this really hit the mark, even though it is obviously laced with tragedy.
I’ve never felt compelled to climb a mountain and am baffled by those who want to punish themselves to the point of exhaustion or even death. This book offered insight into the minds of people who want to do just that.
Excellent narration, a truly excellent book!

A thorough account

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A must read/listen! To say that this book is gripping seems distasteful given the real deaths and tragedy that it chronologicals. That said, it cannot be understated just how immense a writer Krakauer is. My heart was racing and he conjures so strong a picture that I could see the mountain and the chaos.

The reader does a brilliant job, bringing the story and it's cast to life.

Informative and Deeply Harrowing

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Really fascinating story, goes into great detail about all aspects of Krakauer and co's fateful trip, including the weeks leading up to the big event. Nice to learn more about the big names in Everest/mountaineering - making them much more human and dimensional. Would have been better if the narrator could successfully do various accents (I've never heard a Kiwi or South African sound as they do in this audiobook!!), or just not bothered to try altogether, as it took me out of the narrative at these points. However, overall a good listen, whether you've an interest in mountaineering or not.

Interesting for all

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