I thought this account of the disastrous '96 Everest expedition was well written, captivating, and suspenseful. However, I wish I had first read "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer, as "The Climb" is somewhat of a rebuttal to Krakauer's account.

I admit to a fascination with the tragic 1996 season on Mt Everest. I loved "In Thin Air" by Krakauer, and this is another angle on the happenings from a survivor, and true hero, on the mountain that day. Until the Boukreev's death, he and Krakauer held opposing views of what went wrong and what went right in the events that led to the loss of five lives on the mountain. I think that this book gives a believable perspective, and puts you into the shoes of a lone hero, hindered by language barriers, doing his best to minimize damage in a situation under no one's control.

Interesting counterpoint to Krakauer's INTO THIN AIR, particularly in relation to that author's seeming unwillingness to consider the story he originally told may not be the whole truth.

This books should be read after Krakauer's "Into Thin Air". It narrates the same sequence of events from a different perspective and in a different style. It gives a much more balanced and objective account of the 1996 Everest disaster than Krakauer's book.

Interesting perspective to complement the other books about the 1996 tragedy. However the crux of Boukreev's defense to the supposed allegations Krakauer makes is somewhat glossed over. I get the feeling that it is impossible to ever explain what truly happens in an Everest expedition as the altitude alters memory and perception, also the time that passes, and in this case, it was obvious that Boukreev's language was a barrier as well. It is very sad to think of the circumstances in the tragedy for all concerned.