Best Books

K09

Hi all,

Since it's Christmas time and with books making popular presents I thought it would be good to get people's fave outdoor books they have read - be it adventure, mountain climbing, endurance events, biographies, etc.

For me some of my fave books include...

1) Ranulph Fienes - Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know
2) Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer
3) No Way Down - Graham Bowley
4) Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer
5) Touching the Void - Joe Simpson
6) White Spider - Heinrich Harrer

What books do you recommend?

Thanks

Mickeroo

The Beckoning Silence by Joe Simpson is also another really good read.

nompere

The Villain: The Life of Don Whillans by Jim Perrin. It was written at least seven years ago but it is still very much in print. I re-read it from time to time.

A bargain on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Villain-Life-Don-Whillans/dp/0099416727/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355908548&sr=1-1

Tabnabs

The Long Way by Bernard Moitessier. A 37,455 mile journey, non stop and alone. A riveting read.

Gasherbraun

White Spider - Heinrich Harrer

Freedom Climbers - Bernadette McDonald. It won the Banff Mountain book festival + Boardman Tasker prize and is the story of the rise of Polish climbers in the 70's and 80's in the greater ranges. Tough b*stards :-)

Andy Kirkpatrick - Psychovertical - A brillliant description of big wall climbing (14 days solo on the Reticent Wall) in Yosemite

The Climb - Anatoli Boukereev - AB was a guide on Everest during the events covered in Jon Krakauers 'Into Thin Air' and was written by AB in response to 'Thin Air'. It gives another perspective on the disaster.

Mickeroo

Gasherbraun wrote: »

The Climb - Anatoli Boukereev - AB was a guide on Everest during the events covered in Jon Krakauers 'Into Thin Air' and was written by AB in response to 'Thin Air'. It gives another perspective on the disaster.

This is one I've always meant to read. Loved Into Thin Air but would be good to get another side of the events. Apparently Boukereev wasn't happy with Krakauer's criticism of his decision not to use bottled oxygen and all that. Shame he died not long after.

Mountains of the Mind - A History of a Fascination by Robert Macfarlane

A philosophical analysis of man's obsession with mountains, packed with interesting anecdotes of his own experiences, or those of the great mountaineers, trivia...found it hard to put down. Plus his writing is so...beautiful that I still read bits out of it here and there just to admire the style.

Mickeroo

Oh yeah, another decent book by Jon Krakauer is Eiger Dreams. It's more a selection of articles he wrote than anything else but they're all a pretty interesting. One is a more in depth description of his solo expedition to the Devil's Thumb in Alaska which he mentions briefly in Into the Wild.

DeepSleeper

Annapurna by Maurice Herzog - an account of the first ascent of an 8,000m peak (by a French team in 1950) - a classic and far more readable than many of the later books on Everest

Esel

Gasherbraun wrote: »

The Climb - Anatoli Boukreev - AB was a guide on Everest during the events covered in Jon Krakauer's 'Into Thin Air' and was written by AB in response to 'Thin Air'. It gives another perspective on the disaster.

I have just finished reading The Climb by Boukreev / DeWalt. I have not read Into Thin Air.

My opinion is that the Fischer expedition was badly organised - radio facilities were basically crap; the fixing of ropes above the South Col was not planned/implemented as it should have been; and the turn-around time was not adhered to or enforced. There were little or no reserve oxygen supplies. Fischer himself, the only member of his expedition to die, was probably not healthy enough to attempt to summit in the first place and it was way too late in the day for him to have done so. Also, the guiding responsibilies seem to have been very badly defined.

Although it only gets a brief mention in the book, Rob Hall's radio/sat phone conversation with his wife shortly before he died must rate as one of the most heart-breaking calls in history.

a148pro

Esel wrote: »

Although it only gets a brief mention in the book, Rob Hall's radio/sat phone conversation with his wife shortly before he died must rate as one of the most heart-breaking calls in history.

Agreed.

I got the climb on audiobook, listened to it driving to Cork and ended up driving to Limerick because I was so absorbed in it . Its not as good as Into Thin Air but I think Krakauer is a little unreliable as a historian and likes a witch hunt as much as a good story.

Interesting as I quite disliked some of the recommendations here, including the Beckoning Silence and Mountains of the Mind.

I would recommend Stranger in the Forest, an account of a guy travelling through the jungles of Borneo in the company of local tribes, really really interesting insight into a primitive world which has all but disappeared now.

The Boys of Everest is quite an interesting collection of tales in relation to the mountains with a different take. There's also a very good book on K2 by a guy called Jim Curran, I think its called the Savage Mountain or something, its on the 1986 season there where over a dozen climbers lost their lives. Krakauer also has a chapter on it in Eiger Dreams which is a book (well really a collection of articles) which I'd also recommend.

loobylou

Mountaineering in Scotland by W H Murray. Old but a classic!

Esel

loobylou wrote: »

Mountaineering in Scotland by W H Murray. Old but a classic!

Another classic: One Man's Mountains, by Tom Patey, 1971, ISBN 0-575-01358-3

ljeh1

1. The Death Zone by Matt Dickinson-another perspective on the 1996 Everest tragedy.

2. Where the mountain casts its shadow by Maria Coffey-deals with the effects on the loved ones of people who have died in mountain accidents.

3. Fragile Edge by Maria Coffey-deals with similar themes as 2, but much more personal as it deals with her own loss.

4. Great Mountain Days in Scotland by Dan Bailey-published in 2012, brilliant book for anyone thinking of going hill walking or mountaineering in Scotland. 50 walks described.

Deleted User

Posted this before...

Deleted User wrote: »

I know it might sound like a local book for local people but love Richard Mersey's 'The Hills of Cork and Kerry' (1987). I know the areas and walks he describes. I like the mix of raconteur/amateur historian/geolgist/cultural references and pop history he brings in. I like the whole approach he takes, no North Face gear for him, sensible shoes and a packet of fags and an orange brought him up most climbs. I like the whole carefree attitude that if night fell he would sleep under the nearest bush. Just a nice easy read of some of the countrys finest hikes.