Best Selling Books by Jon Krakauer

Climbing & mountaineering.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter. This is the unforgettable story of how Christopher Johnson McCandless came to die. "It may be nonfiction, but Into the Wild is a mystery of the highest order." —Entertainment Weekly McCandess had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Not long after, he was dead. Into the Wild is the mesmerizing, heartbreaking tale of an enigmatic young man who goes missing in the wild and whose story captured the world’s attention. Immediately after graduating from college in 1991, McCandless had roamed through the West and Southwest on a vision quest like those made by his heroes Jack London and John Muir. In the Mojave Desert he abandoned his car, stripped it of its license plates, and burned all of his cash. He would give himself a new name, Alexander Supertramp, and, unencumbered by money and belongings, he would be free to wallow in the raw, unfiltered experiences that nature presented. Craving a blank spot on the map, McCandless simply threw the maps away. Leaving behind his desperate parents and sister, he vanished into the wild. Jon Krakauer constructs a clarifying prism through which he reassembles the disquieting facts of McCandless''s short life. Admitting an interest that borders on obsession, he searches for the clues to the drives and desires that propelled McCandless. When McCandless''s innocent mistakes turn out to be irreversible and fatal, he becomes the stuff of tabloid headlines and is dismissed for his naiveté, pretensions, and hubris. He is said to have had a death wish but wanting to die is a very different thing from being compelled to look over the edge. Krakauer brings McCandless''s uncompromising pilgrimage out of the shadows, and the peril, adversity, and renunciation sought by this enigmatic young man are illuminated with a rare understanding—and not an ounce of sentimentality. Into the Wild is a tour de force. The power and luminosity of Jon Krakauer''s stoytelling blaze through every page.

No one writes about mountaineering and its attendant hardships and victories more brilliantly than critically acclaimed author Jon Krakauer. In this collection of his finest work from such magazines as Outside and Smithsonian, he explores the subject from the unique and memorable perspective of one who has battled peaks like K2, Denali, Everest, and, of course, the Eiger. Always with a keen eye, an open heart, and a hunger for the ultimate experience, he gives us unerring portraits of the mountaineering experience. Yet Eiger Dreams is more about people than about rock and ice—people with that odd, sometimes maniacal obsession with mountain summits that sets them apart from other men and women. Here we meet Adrian the Romanian, determined to be the first of his countrymen to solo Denali; John Gill, climber not of great mountains but of house-sized boulders so difficult to surmount that even demanding alpine climbs seem easy; and many more compelling and colorful characters. In the most intimate piece, “The Devils Thumb,” Krakauer recounts his own near-fatal, ultimately triumphant struggle with solo-madness as he scales Alaska’s Devils Thumb. Eiger Dreams is stirring, vivid writing about one of the most compelling and dangerous of all human pursuits.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the author of Into the Wild and Into Thin Air, this extraordinary work of investigative journalism takes readers inside America’s isolated Mormon Fundamentalist communities. • Now an acclaimed FX limited series streaming on HULU. “Fantastic.... Right up there with In Cold Blood and The Executioner’s Song.” —San Francisco Chronicle Defying both civil authorities and the Mormon establishment in Salt Lake City, the renegade leaders of these Taliban-like theocracies are zealots who answer only to God; some 40,000 people still practice polygamy in these communities. At the core of Krakauer’s book are brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a commandment from God to kill a blameless woman and her baby girl. Beginning with a meticulously researched account of this appalling double murder, Krakauer constructs a multi-layered, bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, polygamy, savage violence, and unyielding faith. Along the way he uncovers a shadowy offshoot of America’s fastest growing religion, and raises provocative questions about the nature of religious belief.

Greg Mortenson, the bestselling author of Three Cups of Tea, is a man who has built a global reputation as a selfless humanitarian and children’s crusader, and he’s been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. But, as bestselling author Jon Krakauer demonstrates in this extensively researched and penetrating book, he is not all that he appears to be. Based on wide-ranging interviews with former employees, board members, and others who have intimate knowledge of Mortenson and his charity, the Central Asia Institute, Three Cups of Deceit uncovers multiple layers of deception behind Mortenson’s public image. Was his crusade really inspired by a desire to repay the kindness of villagers who nursed him back to health when he became lost on his descent down K2? Was he abducted and held for eight days by the Taliban? Has his charity built all of the schools that he has claimed? This book is a passionately argued plea for the truth, and a tragic tale of good intentions gone very wrong. 100% of Jon Krakauer’s proceeds from the sale of Three Cups of Deceit will be donated to the “Stop Girl Trafficking” project at the American Himalayan Foundation (www.himalayan-foundation.org/live/project/stopgirltrafficking).

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A "gripping book about this extraordinary man who lived passionately and died unnecessarily" (USA Today) in post-9/11 Afghanistan, from the bestselling author of Into the Wild and Into Thin Air. In 2002, Pat Tillman walked away from a multimillion-dollar NFL contract to join the Army and became an icon of American patriotism. When he was killed in Afghanistan two years later, a legend was born. But the real Pat Tillman was much more remarkable, and considerably more complicated than the public knew. Sent first to Iraq—a war he would openly declare was “illegal as hell” —and eventually to Afghanistan, Tillman was driven by emotionally charged, sometimes contradictory notions of duty, honor, justice, and masculine pride, and he was determined to serve his entire three-year commitment. But on April 22, 2004, his life would end in a barrage of bullets fired by his fellow soldiers. Though obvious to most of the two dozen soldiers on the scene that a ranger in Tillman’s own platoon had fired the fatal shots, the Army aggressively maneuvered to keep this information from Tillman’s family and the American public for five weeks following his death. During this time, President Bush used Tillman’s name to promote his administration’ s foreign policy. Long after Tillman’s nationally televised memorial service, the Army grudgingly notified his closest relatives that he had “probably” been killed by friendly fire while it continued to dissemble about the details of his death and who was responsible. Drawing on Tillman’s journals and letters and countless interviews with those who knew him and extensive research in Afghanistan, Jon Krakauer chronicles Tillman’s riveting, tragic odyssey in engrossing detail highlighting his remarkable character and personality while closely examining the murky, heartbreaking circumstances of his death. Infused with the power and authenticity readers have come to expect from Krakauer’s storytelling, Where Men Win Glory exposes shattering truths about men and war. This edition has been updated to reflect new developments and includes new material obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.

From bestselling author Jon Krakauer, a stark, powerful, meticulously reported narrative about a series of sexual assaults at the University of Montana u00ad— stories that illuminate the human drama behind the national plague of campus rape Missoula, Montana, is a typical college town, with a highly regarded state university, bucolic surroundings, a lively social scene, and an excellent football team — the Grizzlies — with a rabid fan base. The Department of Justice investigated 350 sexual assaults reported to the Missoula police between January 2008 and May 2012. Few of these assaults were properly handled by either the university or local authorities. In this, Missoula is also typical. A DOJ report released in December of 2014 estimates 110,000 women between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four are raped each year. Krakauer’s devastating narrative of what happened in Missoula makes clear why rape is so prevalent on American campuses, and why rape victims are so reluctant to report assault. Acquaintance rape is a crime like no other. Unlike burglary or embezzlement or any other felony, the victim often comes under more suspicion than the alleged perpetrator. This is especially true if the victim is sexually active; if she had been drinking prior to the assault — and if the man she accuses plays on a popular sports team. The vanishingly small but highly publicized incidents of false accusations are often used to dismiss her claims in the press. If the case goes to trial, the woman’s entire personal life becomes fair game for defense attorneys. This brutal reality goes a long way towards explaining why acquaintance rape is the most underreported crime in America. In addition to physical trauma, its victims often suffer devastating psychological damage that leads to feelings of shame, emotional paralysis and stigmatization. PTSD rates for rape victims are estimated to be 50%, higher than soldiers returning from war. In Missoula, Krakauer chronicles the searing experiences of several women in Missoula — the nights when they were raped; their fear and self-doubt in the aftermath; the way they were treated by the police, prosecutors, defense attorneys; the public vilification and private anguish; their bravery in pushing forward and what it cost them. Some of them went to the police. Some declined to go to the police, or to press charges, but sought redress from the university, which has its own, non-criminal judicial process when a student is accused of rape. In two cases the police agreed to press charges and the district attorney agreed to prosecute. One case led to a conviction; one to an acquittal. Those women courageous enough to press charges or to speak publicly about their experiences were attacked in the media, on Grizzly football fan sites, and/or to their faces. The university expelled three of the accused rapists, but one was reinstated by state officials in a secret proceeding. One district attorney testified for an alleged rapist at his university hearing. She later left the prosecutor’s office and successfully defended the Grizzlies’ star quarterback in his rape trial. The horror of being raped, in each woman’s case, was magnified by the mechanics of the justice system and the reaction of the community. Krakauer’s dispassionate, carefully documented account of what these women endured cuts through the abstract ideological debate about campus rape. College-age women are not raped because they are promiscuous, or drunk, or send mixed signals, or feel guilty about casual sex, or seek attention. They are the victims of a terrible crime and deserving of compassion from society and fairness from a justice system that is clearly broken.

Spanning an extraordinary range of subjects and locations, these ten gripping essays show why Jon Krakauer is considered a standard-bearer of modern journalism. His pieces take us from a horrifying avalanche on Mount Everest to a volcano poised to obliterate a big chunk of Seattle; from a wilderness teen-therapy program run by apparent sadists to an otherworldly cave in New Mexico, studied by NASA to better understand Mars; from the notebook of one Fred Beckey, who catalogued the greatest unclimbed mountaineering routes on the planet, to the last days of legendary surfer Mark Foo. Bringing together work originally published in such magazines as The New Yorker, Outside, and Smithsonian—all rigorously researched, vividly written, and marked by an unerring instinct for storytelling and scoop—Classic Krakauer powerfully demonstrates the author’s ambivalent love affair with unruly landscapes and his relentless search for truth.

Here is Jon Krakauer’s portrait of the iconoclastic architect Christopher Alexander, whose revolutionary human-centered approach has shaken the foundations of modern architecture. Krakauer delves into Alexander’s life and career, from his theories on a timeless “pattern language” that could be used to create buildings and towns that were simultaneously more livable and more beautiful, to his belief that architecture is correctly viewed as a powerful social instrument; from his on-site drafting techniques to his design process that, like a cocoon, shapes a building from the inside out. With trademark rigor, nuance, and insight, Krakauer powerfully draws us into Alexander’s singular vision of human-centered design—one in which people reclaim control over their built environment.

Korean edition of The House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Novel. New stories of Sherlock Homes! Written by a master of mystery stories, this original new story of the sluth is so true to the original that it was endorsed by the Sir Conan Doyle estate! In Korean. Annotation copyright Tsai Fong Books, Inc. Distributed by Tsai Fong Books, Inc.

I april 1992 begav sig den tjugotreårige amerikanen Christoper McCandless ut i Alaskas vildmark för att ensam vandra runt i naturen - utan mål, och utan att ens ha någon karta med sig. Innan han gav sig av hade han gett sig själv ett nytt namn: Alexander Supertramp. Han hade skänkt bort sina besparingar, övergett sin familj, bränt sin bil och sina kontanter och bestämt sig för att starta ett helt nytt liv. Fyra månader efter att han gett sig av hittades han död av en jägare. Han hade svultit ihjäl. In i vildmarken är Jon Krakauers självlysande, hyllade och nu klassiska skildring av John McCandless liv, längtan och tragiska död, berättad med lika delar nyfikenhet och ömsinthet. JON KRAKAUER, född 1954, är en amerikansk författare och bergsbestigare. Han har bland annat skrivit för tidskrifter som Outside och Rolling Stone. In i vildmarken [1996] var Krakauers stora genombrott som journalist och författare, och har sålt i flera miljoner exemplar. 1997 kom den lika hyllade, självupplevda Tunn luft, som även den blev en mångmiljonsäljare. 2007 blev In i vildmarken film i regi av Sean Penn. »Skrämmande och suggestivt. Ett hjärtskärande drama om mänsklig längtan.« The New York Times »Fängslande och tragisk. Omöjlig att lägga ifrån sig.« San Francisco Chronicle »Det må vara sakprosa, men In i vildmarken är ett mysteriedrama av bästa sort.« Entertainment Weekly »En berättelse med en enastående kraft.« Washington Post

¿Por qué un joven que acababa de graduarse decide cortar todos los lazos con su familia y perderse en una región inhóspita? En abril de 1992, Chris McCandless, de 24 años, se internó solo y apenas equipado en tierras de Alaska. Había regalado todo su dinero y abandonado su coche, y soñaba con una vida en estado salvaje. Cuatro meses más tarde, unos cazadores encontraron su cuerpo sin vida. Su historia, difundida en un reportaje de Jon Krakauer, suscitó una agitada polémica, para unos, era un intrépido idealista; para otros, un loco y un ingenuo sin el menor conocimiento de la naturaleza. Antes de desaparecer, Chris McCandless escribió a un amigo: « No eches raíces, no te establezcas. Cambia a menudo de lugar, lleva una vida nómada... No necesitas tener a alguien contigo para traer una nueva luz a tu vida. Está ahí fuera, sencillamente.» El 18 de enero de 2008 se estrenó en España la película basada en este libro, dirigida por Sean Penn.

»En av de bästa äventyrsböckerna genom tiderna.« Wall Street Journal »En perfekt kombination av spänning, natur och ett lättillgängligt språk. Rekommenderas starkt!« Recensenten.se »Krakauer återskapar den dödliga stormen med en självlysande och skräckinjagande intimitet.« New York Times Den 10 maj 1996 nådde bergsklättraren och journalisten Jon Krakauer äntligen toppen av Mount Everest tillsammans med en grupp andra klättrare. Kort därefter drog ett oväder av katastrofala mått in över dem. En storm som dödade fem personer och lämnade de överlevande i ett tillstånd av chock, skräck och skuldkänslor. I den hyllade bästsäljaren Tunn luft berättar Jon Krakauer den fängslande och otäcka historien om den ödesdigra dagen och hur den förändrade hans liv för gott. JON KRAKAUER, född 1954, är en amerikansk författare och bergsbestigare. Han har bland annat skrivit för tidskrifter som Outside och Rolling Stone. In i vildmarken [1996] var Krakauers stora genombrott som journalist och författare, och har sålt i flera miljoner exemplar. 1997 kom den lika hyllade, självupplevda Tunn luft, som även den blev en mångmiljonsäljare. 2007 blev In i vildmarken film i regi av Sean Penn. »Krakauers ögonvittnesskildring är ett hypnotiskt drama om hybris, ansvar och självuppoffrande hjältedåd. Den kommer att ge ett bestående intryck hos alla som läser den.« Booklist »Enastående.« Newsweek

Els 10 millors assajos de la veu més important del periodisme d''investigació, de muntanya i d''aventura. Aquesta és una col·lecció d''assajos que tenen com a tema principal els esports de risc i els perills de la natura en estat salvatge. Des d''un terrible allau a l''Everest que va provocar diversos morts fins a un volcà latent que pot destruir mig Seattle; des d''un programa per rehabilitar adolescents enmig de la natura liderat per uns suposats sàdics fins als últims dies del llegendari surfista Mark Foo... Al llarg de les diferents històries, l''autor investiga els motius econòmics, socials i personals que duen a certes persones a enfrontar-se amb la mort, critica comportaments negligents i s''enfonsa en ambients exòtics amb la intenció d''informar el lector sobre fets esgarrifosos i personalitats extravagants. Com que totes les històries tenen un tema comú, que és el risc, el conjunt forma una unitat que funciona molt bé. Aquest és un llibre molt entretingut i dinàmic, molt ben escrit, que aborda temes sorprenents i capaços de seduir un públic molt ampli. Amb la col·laboració de la Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament de Cultura.

Em doze artigos, Jon Krakauer tenta compreender por que homens e mulheres se aventuram por paredes de rocha e gelo como se procurassem voluntariamente a morte. Você sabia que é possível escalar cachoeiras? Sabia que o monte McKinley, no Alasca, o maior dos Estados Unidos, possui um dos ambientes mais inóspitos do planeta e que mesmo assim cerca de trezentas pessoas o escalam a cada ano? Você sabe qual é a segunda maior montanha do mundo? E sabe que ela é bem mais difícil de ser escalada do que o Everest? Por que tantas pessoas arriscam a vida nas paredes de gelo e rocha? Nesta coletânea de artigos e reportagens sobre aventuras vividas ao redor do mundo, do Himalaia ao Alasca, Jon Krakauer, autor de No ar rarefeito e Na natureza selvagem, mostra homens e mulheres que enfrentam paredes de gelo e rocha por todo o planeta, revela o que eles fazem, como sobrevivem e o que os motiva.

Narrativa verídica sobre sonhos de juventude que se transformam em pesadelo. Nova edição com posfácio inédito do autor. Na natureza selvagem, de Jon Krakauer, autor do best-seller No ar rarefeito, traz uma história real. O corpo em decomposição de um jovem é encontrado no Alasca. A polícia descobre que se trata de um rapaz de família rica do Leste americano que largou tudo, se internou sozinho na aridez gelada e morreu de inanição. Quem era o garoto? Por que foi para o Alasca? Por que morreu? Para responder a essas e outras perguntas, Jon Krakauer refaz a trajetória de Chris McCandless, revelando a América dos que vivem à margem, pegando carona ou circulando em carros velhos, vivendo em acampamentos e cidades-fantasmas. Mergulha no mundo da cidadezinha rural, onde homens rudes bebem e conversam sobre o tempo e a colheita. Compara a história do jovem com a de outros aventureiros solitários que tiveram fim trágico. O resultado é uma narrativa envolvente, por vezes amarga, em que os sonhos da juventude se transformam em pesadelo.

El 24 de julio de 1984, Allen Lafferty, un mormón practicante, se encontró con una escena terrible: su mujer y su hija de quince meses habían sido brutalmente asesinadas. Allen no tenía ninguna duda de la identidad de los culpables: sus hermanos, Ron y Dan Lafferty, dos fanáticos convencidos de que su acto obedecía a un mandato divino. Este clásico del true crime, escrito por uno de los maestros indiscutibles de la no ficción narrativa y que acaba de ser adaptada para la televisión, nos sitúa en un tiempo y unos personajes más propios del medievo que del corazón mismo de Estados Unidos. A la luz de la terrible historia de los fanáticos hermanos Lafferty y del relato del violento pasado del movimiento mormón, Krakauer ofrece un brillante y fascinante relato sobre las teocracias de la América profunda en los que la poligamia, el mesianismo y la violencia salvaje campan a sus anchas. Si las historias que Krakauer narró en Mal de altura o Hacia rutas salvajes eran ejemplos de vidas llevadas a los límites más extremos de la aventura física, este libro es también un viaje hacia una interpretación muy extrema de la fe religiosa, así como un documento fundamental sobre uno de los aspectos más misteriosos de la naturaleza humana, el factor religioso y su interpretación.

Quince años despues del inicio de la guerra de Afganistán, el nombre de Pat Tillman todavía se recuerda como símbolo del gran sacrificio que Estados Unidos pidió a toda una generación en la que ya es la misión militar más larga de su historia. Tillman había renunciado a un contrato millonario con la Liga de Fútbol Americano (NFL) para alistarse en el Ejército, tras el fuerte impacto que tuvieron sobre él los atentados del 11 de septiembre de 2001. Pero dos años más tarde fue abatido en una misión en el sureste de Afganistán, y la Casa Blanca y el Pentágono emplearon su sacrificio para ennoblecer la guerra y sus motivos. Sin embargo, pronto se descubriría que a Tillman no lo mataron los talibanes, sino el "fuego amigo", y que el Ejército conspiró para ocultar esas circunstancias. A través de los diarios y cartas de Tillman, entrevistas con su esposa y amigos, conversaciones con los soldados que sirvieron junto a él y una amplia investigación, Krakauer expone los acontecimientos y acciones que llevaron a su muerte. Tillman era ateo, recelaba de Bush y vivió como un calvario personal su primera misión en Iraq. Como muchos estadounidenses, veía aquella guerra innecesaria, un capricho de la administración Bush. Se negó a dar entrevistas y no quería ser representante de ninguna generación, sólo quería luchar por su patria, como uno más.

"Dans le comté d''Utah, presque tout le monde a entendu parler des fils Lafferty en raison des meurtres atroces." Utah. Une petite ville plantée dans le sillage de Salt Lake City, le fief de l''Église mormone. Le 24 juillet 1984, Allen Lafferty, mormon pratiquant, rentre chez lui après sa journée de travail, dans la maison qu''il habite avec sa jeune épouse et leur bébé de quinze mois. Quand il pousse la porte, l''horreur l''attend : Brenda et sa petite fille ont été sauvagement égorgées. En un instant, Allen est convaincu qu''il connaît les coupables. Et pour cause, ce sont ses frères. À la barre des mois plus tard, Ron et Dan Lafferty ne nieront pas les faits. Pas plus qu''ils n''exprimeront le moindre remords. Les deux Lafferty sont des prophètes, Dieu parle à travers eux, il leur chuchote ses ordres. Pour eux, l''État n''existe pas. L''école ? Une machination. La médecine ? Un charlatanisme. Ron et Dan Lafferty ont quitté le giron des mormons pour embrasser une foi chrétienne radicale, dont l''un des piliers n''est autre que la polygamie. Et Brenda Lafferty avait commis l''erreur d''y être opposée... Revenant sur les grandes heures de la fondation de la religion mormone et l''épineux dossier des sectes transfuges qu''elle a fait naître dans ses rangs, le maître de la narrative non fiction interroge les ressorts du fanatisme religieux et exhume l''une des affaires criminelles les plus retentissantes de l''histoire américaine des dernières décennies.

A maior tragédia já ocorrida no teto do mundo, contada por um de seus sobreviventes. "Mais tarde - depois que foram localizados seis corpos, depois que a busca de outros dois foi abandonada, depois que os médicos amputaram a mão direita de Beck Weathers meu companheiro de equipe - as pessoas se perguntariam por que motivo, se o tempo começara a piorar, os alpinistas não haviam prestado atenção aos sinais. Por que os veteranos guias do Himalaia continuaram subindo e conduzindo um bando de amadores relativamente inexperientes - que pagaram até 65 mil dólares para chegar em segurança ao Everest - rumo a uma evidente armadilha mortal?"

Je t''aime. Dors bien, ma chérie. Je t''en prie, ne te fais pas trop de souci. Telles furent les dernières paroles adressées à sa femme, en Nouvelle-Zélande, par Rob Hall, l''un des guides himalayens les plus expérimentés, depuis le sommet de l''Everest. Il ne devait pas en redescendre vivant. Le 10 mai 1996, le Toit du monde fut le théâtre d''une véritable hécatombe. En route vers le sommet, quatre expéditions furent prises dans une violente tempête. En vingt-quatre heures, huit alpinistes, dont deux guides réputés, trouvèrent la mort. Envoyé spécial du magazine américain Outside, Jon Krakauer faisait partie des survivants. Salué par le magazine Time comme le meilleur document de l''année 1997, ce livre lucide et courageux passionnera tous les amoureux de récits d''aventures vécues, amateurs de montagne ou non, comme il a fasciné des centaines de milliers de lecteurs américains qui en ont d''ores et déjà fait un classique.

" Parvenu à l''âge de dix-huit ans, une seule chose m''intéressait : l''escalade. Tout le reste était subordonné à cette passion et, le plus souvent, je le négligeais complètement. " Fou d''alpinisme, Jon Krakauer nous offre ici douze récits d''aventures en montagne. Il nous entraîne dans l''ascension de l''Eiger, mais aussi de cascades de glace, de blocs de granit ou des parois verticales d''un canyon du Colorado, nous livrant au passage sa vision personnelle - quelque peu critique - de Chamonix, cette " capitale mondiale de l''alpinisme ". Nous le suivons avec un intérêt qui ne faiblit jamais de l''Alaska à l''Himalaya, des Rocheuses au sommet des Alpes, en ayant l''impression de vivre ses ascensions en direct. Krakauer a le don rare de restituer l''atmosphère d''un lieu, de nous faire voir les traits particuliers de telle ou telle montagne et de tracer sur le vif le portrait des hommes souvent fascinants qu''il rencontre chemin faisant. Jon Krakauer est depuis longtemps reconnu aux Etats-Unis comme le meilleur écrivain de montagne. Il a franchi quelques degrés supplémentaires dans la notoriété avec le triomphe de Tragédie à l''Everest, best-seller mondial d''ores et déjà considéré comme un grand classique du récit d''aventures.

When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mount 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 the perilous descent from 29,028 feet (roughly the cruising altitude of an Airbus jetliner), twenty other climbers were still pushing doggedly to the top, unaware that the sky had begun to roil with clouds. Into Thin Air is the definitive account of the deadliest season in the history of Everest by the acclaimed Outside journalist and author of the bestselling Into the Wild. Taking the reader step-by-step from Katmandu to the mountain''s deadly pinnacle, Krakauer has us shaking on the edge of our seat. Beyond the terrors of this account, however, he also peers deeply into the myth of the world''s tallest mountain. What is it 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 unimpeachable reporting, Krakauer''s eyewitness account of what happened on the roof of the world is a singular achievement.Illustrations.

A true story expanded from Krakauer''s article about a young man who starved to death in Denali National Park in Alaska. In a compelling book that evokes the writings of Thoreau, Muir, and Jack London, Krakauer recounts the haunting and tragic mystery of 22-year-old Chris McCandless who disappeared in April 1992 into the Alaskan wilderness in search of a raw, transcendent experience. His emaciated corpse was discovered four months later.