The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest by Anatoli Boukreev, G. Weston DeWalt Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest
Book Review: Mountain Man
Summary: 4 Stars
This book is Anatoli Boukreev's rebuttal of Jon Krakauer's criticism of Boukreev's actions on May 10, 1996, when three teams attempted to summit Everest. Krakauer's "Into Thin Air," of course, was the first of the two books published, was a best seller, and arguably is better written, and for these reasons many will consider Boukreev guilty until proved innocent. This book presents evidence, which I find compelling, that the actions of Boukreev that Krakauer criticizes were not irresponsible, rather that they were part of a plan, approved by Scott Fischer, to get Boukreev from the summit to Camp IV quickly to retrieve additional oxygen cannisters for the clients. Even before this book appeared, writer and mountineer Galen Rowell took to task Krakauer's treatment of Boukreev in his Wall Street Journal review of ITA. And in 1997, a year after the tragedy on Everest, The American Alpine Club's award committee unanimously voted to extend the Club's prestigious David A. Sowles Memorial Award to Boukreev. Clearly, there are many among the ranks of mountineers who do not share Krakauer's critical view of Boukreev's actions on Everest on May 10, 1996. Above I noted that ITA is arguably better written than this book. That is not to say that I found this book poorly written: I did not. Indeed I found this book provided more insight into the strategy of climbing a mountain such as Everest. Boukreev comes though in these pages as quietly heroic and a man truly happy only when climbing: a mountain man. I have no doubt that Rob Hall and Scott Fischer were of the same mould. For the most part, however, their clients - people ready and able to pony up the sixty-grand that it took to put themselves in harm's way and thus secure cocktail party bragging rights - are of a different mould altogether. Mountain man or dilettante, Everest embraces all. Bottom line: If the subject of the disastrous expeditions to Everest in May of 1996 interests you, then you should read both "Into Thin Air" and this book.Book Review: Mountaineering Superman!
Summary: 5 Stars
How many people reading this have ever been above 8000 meters? Then quit babbling about the mudslinging between Boukreev & Krakauer! Boukreev's accomplishments as illustrated in the book are incredible! It's great to hear not from a great or acclaimed journalist, but from a real climber! I think it greatly added to the book's honesty & to it's feeling. May you rest in peace Anatoli!Book Review: Must read this together with Into Thin Air
Summary: 5 Stars
After i read Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air, i thought i knew all there was to know about the 1996 Everest tragedy. Was i wrong.
In Jon's book, Toli (Anatoli) was cast as a villian who knowingly put his clients at risks. After reading this book, i felt that Toli was the real hero in the tragedy. A few things strucked me:
1. Toli came across as a humble and private person who just wanted to be in the mountains. This almost spiritual tie with the mountains shone throughout this book. Climbing mountains was all he ever wanted to do.
2. Unlike Jon's book, this one didn't indulge in any conjectures. This gave Toli's account an air of honesty and somewhat more credibility.
3. Toli was a superb climber (probably the best on both expeditions) trained in the best Soviet traditions whose actions on Everest were made based on what he thought was best for the safety of the clients. It was way too easy for Jon and others, especially amateurs, to restrospectively point fingers at him.
4. Quite a number of people owed their lives to his personal bravery. I thought that this fact is the most telling point in the entire tragedy.
5. Toli's poor command of English hampered him in his work in the expeditions and prevented him from explaining why he did certain things. This unfortunate fact alone could have cast him in a bad light on everyone's account of what happened.
Read both books to find out what happened in 1996 but be wary of Jon's biased and ungrounded conjectures. Jon's book is by no means the official account of what happened. Read Toli's account to get a balanced view. Personally, i'm more inclined to believe in Toli's account. I was sad when i found out that this heroic man died in his beloved mountains in 1997.
Read both books and see if you agree with me.
Book Review: OUTSTANDING EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF THE EVENTS
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is a much better account of the events that transpired on that tragic day on Everest. The facts are much more clearly presented as they were communicated by an actual eyewitness participant in the events. The book "Into Thin Air" by Krakauer seems a confusing, twisted reconstruction of the events. This is not surprising due to the fact that Krakauer was sleeping in his tent and refused to participate in the rescue.
I read "Into Thin Air" first and was left with the feeling that something was missing, something fabricated, incomplete. Reading Anatolis account in "The Climb" filled in the blanks and revealed Krakauer for the lowly person and journalist that he is.
The Climb is the real deal as was Anatoli Boukreev the mountaineer and climber. Into thin Air was nothing but egotistical fantasy as was the author Jon Krakauer.
Book Review: One perspective of the truth - a real page turner
Summary: 5 Stars
Of course, we all know how it ends, but I didn't want to put the book down. Being a big fan of mountain climbing (but not a climber myself), I couldn't get enough of this. I'm ready to read Boukdreev's other book and the counterpoint to this book, Into Thin Air.
Boukreev was clearly building up his side of the story throughout the book, but it wasn't done confrontationally.