Into Thin Air - J. Krakauer

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 book 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 readers to ponder timeless
questions.