|
Dark Summit: The True Story of Everest's Most Controversial Season |  | Author: Nick Heil
Publisher: Holt Paperbacks
Category: Book
List Price: $16.00
Buy New: $8.96
as of 7/29/2010 14:54 CDT details
You Save: $7.04 (44%)
New (22) Used (18) from $5.09
Seller: best_bargain_books3
Rating:  33 reviews
Sales Rank: 53372
Media: Paperback
Edition: Reprint
Pages: 288
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.9
ISBN: 0805089918
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.522095496
EAN: 9780805089912
ASIN: 0805089918
Publication Date: February 3, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
"A dramatic story, ably and convincingly told . . . A chilling look at the precarious line between success and tragedy."—Kirkus Reviews On May 15, 2006, a young British climber named David Sharp lay dying near the top of Mount Everest while forty other climbers walked past him on their way to the summit. A week later, Lincoln Hall, a seasoned Australian climber, was left for dead near the same spot. Hall’s death was reported around the world, but the next day he was found alive after spending the night on the upper mountain with no food and no shelter. If David Sharp’s death was shocking, it was hardly singular: ten others died attempting to reach the summit that year. In this meticulous inquiry into what went wrong, Nick Heil tells the full story of the deadliest year on Everest since the infamous season of 1996. As more climbers attempt the summit each year, Heil shows how increasingly risky expeditions and unscrupulous outfitters threaten to turn Everest into a deadly circus. Written by an experienced climber, Dark Summit is both a riveting account of a notorious climbing season and a troubling investigation into whether the pursuit of the ultimate mountaineering prize has spiraled out of control.
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 33
 Its the truth...I was there. July 10, 2008
Brett Merrell (Laguna Niguel, Ca United States)
77 out of 85 found this review helpful
First off, let me talk about my qualifications to write this review. My name is Brett Merrell and I was on Mt Everest in 2006 as part of the Himex expedition written about in this book. I am writting this review so that you people can buy a book knowing that it tells and accurate story.
Nick Heil has restored my faith in journalists. This book is accurate and 99% objective. Nick tells the true story of Everest and the people that live in its shadow. Not since "Into Thin Air" have I read a book that paints such a clear picture of the good, bad and ugly of Mt Everest. Although my personal opinion of Russ Brice and the Discovery Channel is completely negative, I can say that Nick's description of Russ Brice is mostly accurate.
Attention readers! If you want a book that tells the truth about an Everest expedition then buy this book! Nick spent countless hours of research. He asked all the tough questions and he actually became part of the 2007 Himex expedition and climbed to 23500 feet on Mt Everest. Most importantly, Nick Heil took all the facts and emotions and then documented them accurately with heartfelt words.
BUY THE BOOK. It is a real Everest story. I received nothing and will receive nothing for writing this review.
Brett Merrell
Well-researched and very well-written August 27, 2008
R. Murphy (Eastern U.S.)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
A stunning addition to the Everest bookshelf, Heil writes about the 2006 climbing season, the second-deadliest since the 1996 disaster. This time, there was no crippling storm and no stranded teams - but forty people walked past a dying man just below the summit without stopping. Heil presents a thorough and amazing look at what the circumstances were, and ponders the question - what ethics exist at the roof of the world?
Simply Amazing November 3, 2008
Tropicalwolf (Ohio, USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
While I will draw short of calling this book "equal" to INTO THIN AIR, it certainly stands on its own as one of the BEST books ever written about Everest and in particular about the 2006 climbing season. Well written, well researched, and completely thorough. This book goes beyond the 2006 season and delves into the history of Everest, the men and women who have climbed the mountain, and the reasons behind their passions. It gives fair representation to ALL the individuals involved including the often maligned Russell Brice. The conclusion should be that Brice did all that was possible and even went beyond the call for climber David Sharp and his family. Each climber who sets foot on Everest knows the score. Come prepared, come equipped, pay attention, or you're going to die. This book is a great companion to the Discovery DVD series "Everest - Beyond The Limit". HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Dark Summit December 1, 2008
John Dillon Jr. (Longmont, CO)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
If you are into mountaineering books, Dark Summit is one to read. I have been intriqued by why climbers are so obsessed with climbing the higher peaks over 8000 meters. Iam an avid hiker and climb only moderate peaks. I became obsessed myself with the tragedy of 1996 with Scott Fischer and Rob Halls' group and why in the face of danger would a client or climber risk their lives to bag the ultimate summit. In So many unseem factors led to their demise. Dark Summit tragedy strikes again ten years after the first one in 1996. As in the first, there are remarkable similarities that occur though under different circumstances. As the story unfolds, author, Nick Heil does a wonderful job in portraying the events as they happen. I wanted to continue reading to find out what happened next and didn't want to put the book down. Like many of the other mountaineering books I read, I wanted to seek out answers to questions in my mind such as why do climbers put their body through so much torture and pain to what it must feel like being in the death zone. There are many complexies to solving the puzzle. This is one book that evokes interest in the quest of obtaining the ultimate dream of summiting mountains that seem to be like pillars that connect earth to the heavens. You will not be disappointed.
Excellent! March 5, 2009
Oats and Berries
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book was thoroughly engaging, and touches on a number of important facets of understanding Mt. Everest, and what it means to attempt to climb it. Heil provides a detailed overview of the mountain's history (dating back to the 19th century) and the clearest sense I've found to date of the controversy surrounding commercial mountain expeditions, all within the context of the 2006 and 2007 climbing seasons. Heil does not forward a specific argument or agenda; rather, he provides history, facts, and a variety of perspectives that enable the reader to formulate his or her own opinion about what it means to climb Everest, as well as the personal, political, and moral implications of so doing.
I have read many books to date on this topic, and I find Heil's to make a meaningful contribution to this conversation--I highly recommend it for climbers, as well as those who are simply fascinated by the lore of this incredible--yet dangerous--place.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 33
|
|
|
Copyright © 2009 History of China
| |
