Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains Review
This book is a collection of articles written and previously published by Jon Krakauer (with one chapter a joint written one) and it's worth noting that most of it isn't actually about the Eiger. Each chapter takes a different element of perspective of the different types of climbing or the personalities in climbing and each gives a superb taster, whetting the appetite for more climbing literature.
If you've already read other climbing books there may be some repetition here but for new climbing reader this is a great introduction into the culture and legends of mountaineering and climbing. I really enjoyed it but it is ripe for an update having been written in the late 1980s and it frequently refers to things that should be happening just as the book/article was written. A second edition would be great to tie up these loose ends.
I'm not a climber (it's far too scary for me) but I love reading about the adventures of others. Definitely a collection rather than a progressive story it's still very readable, very interesting and very enjoyable. Recommended.
Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains Feature
- ISBN13: 9781599216102
- Condition: New
- Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains Overview
In this collection, Krakauer writes of mountains from the memorable perspective of one who has himself struggled with solo madness to scale Alaska's notorious Devil's Thumb.
Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains Specifications
No matter what the actual temperature may be, several pages into
Eiger Dreams you will begin to shiver. Halfway through you will acquire a new appreciation for your fingers, toes, and the fact that you still have a nose. And by the end of this collection, you'll define some commonly used phrases in an entirely different way. The understated "catch some air" and the whimsical "log some flight time" are climbers' euphemisms for falling, while "crater" refers to what happens when you log some flight time all the way to the ground. "Summiting," the term for reaching the top of a mountain, seems almost colorless in comparison. The various heroes, risk-takers, incompetents, and individualists Krakauer captures are more than colorful, whether they summit or not. The author is more interested in exploring the addiction of risk--the intensity of effort--than mere triumph. There's the mythical minimalist climber, John Gill, whose fame "rests entirely on assents less than thirty feet high," and the Burgess brothers--freewheeling, free-floating English twins who seem to make all the right decisions when it counts, and hence most often fail to reach the top. Of course, they are
alive. Over these and other talented climbers hangs a malignant, endlessly creative nature--its
foehn winds can make people crazy and its avalanches do far worse.
Eiger Dreams is an adrenaline fest for the weary, an overdue examination of a stylish, brave subculture. As one of the heroes Krakauer outlines says of his occupation, "It's sort of like having fun, only different."
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Customer Reviews
It will speak to your soul - Irene M. Cox -
I am a 74 year old lady and I don't climb mountains but this is a delightful book and, if you have an adventurous soul, Jon Krakauer will speak to you. I have also read "Into Thin Air" and "Into the Wild".
Interesting and informative if you enjoy true climbing tales - Nina M. Osier - Augusta, ME USA
What makes men and women want to climb mountains? Or, in the case of one article in this collection, climb boulders? That theme ties "Eiger Dreams" together. Most of the true stories are author Krakauer's first hand accounts, but several deal with other climbers' adventures.
These articles were all written years before Krakauer's fateful 1996 summit of Mount Everest, and anyone who picks the book up expecting another "Into Thin Air" will be disappointed. If you're looking for a fairly varied group of climbing-themed nonfiction tales, though, these collected reprints of Kraukauer's earlier works for periodicals should both interest and inform you. I especially enjoyed the colorful characters, and one of the most colorful turned out to be the very young author-to-be himself.
--Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of "Love, Jimmy: A Maine Veteran's Longest Battle"
Good Read - G. Poston - Elko, Nevada
I got this book because I am interested in the subject of mountaineering. After reading a few books about Mt Everest, this collection of mountaineering and related adventure stories is a lot of fun and variety.
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