Beautiful Pictures, Deadly Story | Everest : Mountain Without Mercy

Fabulous Photography, Sketchy Text | Everest : Mountain Without Mercy | Broughton Coburn

books:


	• Everest : Mountain Without Mercy Broughton Coburn National Geographic, 1997 - 256 pages average customer review:based on 51 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

great photos

great phots and more scientific indepth articles but for interesting reading buy high exposure by d. breashears or climb by anatoli b. instead

Beautiful Pictures, Deadly Story

This book is an excellent companion piece to Jon Krakauer's epic Everest tale "Into Thin Air" as well as the Everest IMAX film that was being shot at the time that the May 1996 trajedy occurred. The book is coffee table size, and full of spectacular photographs of the mountain, mostly taken by the IMAX team. The narrative that accompanies the images documents what happened during that terrible month, from the horrific deaths to climber David Breashears's team's successful summitting of the mountain with IMAX camera in tow. The words read like a National Geographic article, however, giving only an overview of the events that occurred. Krakauer's book is essential for a complete understanding of what happened.

Overall, a fine coffee table book for those with an interest in mountaineering as well as those fascinated by the May 1996 disaster.

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Fabulous Photography, Sketchy Text

As long as you view this in the "Coffee Table" genre, you will be spellbound and in awe. The photographs are so gorgeous and often I found myself being deluded by the scale - the little tiny specks in the picture often turned out to be people! I have a particular interest in Everest because my parents have hiked the 30 day trek to Base Camp with the British Ramblers, not once but twice.

I cannot help but notice that the author, Broughton Coburn, has nothing positive to say about Jon Krakauer. Krakauer, a client on the 1996 Everest expedition and the author of "Into Thin Air," took care of himself as well as assisting in the rescue of other clients. He will forever be one of my heroes. By contrast, the author refers to the ordeal Seaborn "Beck" Weathers, M.D., survived with what seems to be some animosity towards the other survivors. Dr. Weathers is NOT a victim, and I'm sure he would be the first to tell you so. He survived because of his will to live and strength of character. He is the one who made the decision to go for the summit despite his worsening vision problems, without informing expedition leader Rob Hall of his vision issues until he (Beck) was already on the summit push. He paid a terrible price by losing his nose and hands, and must have contributed to the collective disaster by spreading thin resources even thinner.

I suggest reading "Into Thin Air" for background, in conjunction with this gorgeous book. The photographs are of extremely high quality, even by National Geographic standards!

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A must-have for Everest junkies

If you've read "Into Thin Air" or any of the multitude of books written about the 1996 Everest disaster, you must read this. It includes a poignant, but objective account that, because of the photos, puts you into that place at that time. The photos are beautiful and I loved seeing the places I read about: the Western Cwm, the Khumbu Icefall (and its array of seracs and crevasses), the South Summit ridge and the Hillary Step. It also includes background on the Nepalese culture and people, which is interesting and engaging.

1996 IMAX Expedition

This is a beautiful, large coffee table sized book. The photography is sharp, clear and the colors are beautiful. What is most impressive is the range of the text. It takes up the culture of the Sherpas, Buddhism, some geological and physiological findings as well as the climbing and filming of the Everest IMAX movie.

Sponsored by the National Geographic, and led by David Breashears, a highly respected leader and photographer, this was a dream team in operation. Lead climber was Ed Viesturs, brilliant U.S. climber who has attained 12 of the 14 highest peaks in the world, all without supplemental oxygen. I am happy to report he is not just a myth; his favorite meal on the mountain is Spam, yes Spam. Also this grueling trip was his "honeymoon." His bride accompanied him to Base Camp (about 17,000 feet) and got to worry about him for a solid month. I enjoyed reading about sparkling Aracali Segarra, attempting to be the first Spanish woman to summit Everest (she made it!) She is living proof that female mountaineers can be pretty and vivacious as well as awesome athletes.

The IMAX team was of enormous assistance to the beleaguered Hall/Fisher teams. They supplied oxygen, helped rescue and support the injured climbers on the South Face. Some of the pictures are brutal of the rescue attempts. The pictures of the mountain are splendid. The viewer will get an excellent sense of Everest's brooding size. To me, Everest is a Godzilla of a mountain. It does not have the proportioned beauty of K-2; it is one enormous hulk. But this does not take away from its majesty and awe. To the Sherpas, climbing Mt. Everest is a spiritual experience, something that is done with many prayers and much reverence.

Everest: Mountain Without Mercy will give you hours of enjoyment. It covers so many aspects of the area, and is beautifully printed and bound. I recommend it for your own reading or an excellent gift.
-sweetmolly-Amazon Reviewer

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