This not a great book by all means. It has some delightful moments allowing the reader to abandon reality and dream of the places Breashears has visited. However it seams he is deliberately cool and dis attached from the material. Seams like he is trying to resolve some personal issue (relationship with his dad), a them that pops through out the book.

Anything about mountain climbing is for whatever reason fascinating to me --not that I would ever have considered it, but so admire anyone who does. Once knew a doctor who took time off from his internship to join an Everest group. He did not summit, but came close. I also read the book about the women's group who climbed K 2. Anyway, I enjoyed it and if he writes more -- I'll read it.

David Breashears' book had what my last book (Left for Dead) did not... lots of material that was actually worth writing about! David Breashears has an incredible collection of anecdotes and stories to tell, especially from his youth, because he led exactly the kind of life that leads to the best stories: he took risks, followed his passions, and pursued his art. He also has an incredible way with words, so that not only is the content of the book interesting, but the narrative is insightful and often poetic. Breashers' reaction to and observations about the 1996 Everest disaster (he was part of the first team to summit after the disaster) was the most moving account I've read yet - and I've read many at this point. This is potentially the best climbing book I've read so far.

I liked a lot of the parts of this book, but some of it - not so much. I do not read biographies, so I could have done without the childhood descriptions. The early rock climbing and even his working in the oil fields is more interesting and pertains to the themes suggested by the book title.

I agree with some other reviews that the writing and the point of views feels somewhat distanced to me a lot of the time. If you read Peter Boardman, or even Jon Krakauer you can see the difference. A lot of the time the author says the right things and I did come away believing that the climbing ethics he details are really his, but some of his dealing with people, especially women, seems lacking. I was not impressed with his hot pursuit of the beautiful Veronique, where he invited her to work with him on projects to throw them together, only to discover after he married her that suddenly he didn't have any work for her anymore, so the marriage foundered. And though he admits he was harsh (nasty is the word I'd use) when the wife of his great friend Ed Vistiers and respected colleague had the nerve to express an opinion, there is no sign that he ever apologized or even acknowledged the unfairness - except in an offhanded way in this book, that is.

Now, as Maria Coffey describes in a book on the loved ones of serious climbers, with them the mountain comes first and family second, so perhaps this author is just more open about it than the rest. But I would advise any climber/writers who show us their jerkier moments to throw in a few positive personal exchanges as well. Weeping for dead friends up in the thin air is all well and good, but most of us readers also judge people by their relationships down here on flat land.

I don't mean to be hypercritical of this book; if I am it is only because it could easily have been so much better, more accessible for non-climbers and with more sharing of his emotions and feelings, guaranteed to keep the reader on his side and on the edge of their seats rooting for him. Yes, I would trust him with my life on the mountain, but would I want to share a tent with him?

Interesting if you're interested in climbing, but there are other far more well-written accounts of mountain life than this. Breashears comes off as arrogant and occasionally sexist.

What is the human cost of mountaineering? And I don't mean a death toll. What happens when one's passion takes them to the heights of the world, risking injury and death, gone for months at a time? What effect does that have on relationships? There's a line from the chapter on the 1996 tragedy where Breashears writes that he would have called his wife, but Veronique wasn't his wife anymore. He would've called his mother, but he didn't want her to worry. So he didn't call anyone. No one to tell, no one to share this devastating tragedy with on a personal and not professional level. That strikes me as tragic in itself.

Interesting account of a life lived mainly on mountains by David Brashears. You get the feeling that this is a pretty tightly wound guy who had a rough childhood that certainly hampered him though life. He is not a highly introspective guy on paper but his marriage was sort of cringeworthy as he basically abandoned her while traveling everywhere. But he became an expert climber at a young age and later a film maker and that is what the book is mainly about. His obsession with Mt. Everest is a primary theme of the book which I found very interesting as I share that to a far lesser degree (doubt I will ever even see it from afar much less climb any portion of it!). One of the best books I read in recent years was the Wade Davis account of the early Everest expeditions in the 1920s, 'Into the Slience'. That book was simply superb as it followed the legendary George Mallory before he disappeared on the mountain in 1924. Brashears book discusses some of that and one of his early trips to Tibet was to follow the route of Mallory, that was fascinating. He also has an excellent first-hand account of Tibet in the early 1990s under increasing Chinese authority and repression, which is sort of terrifying. But this book culminates in the horrific events on Everest in May 1996 made famous by John Krakauer in his book 'Into Thin Air'. I had no idea when I picked this up (though it is likely mentioned in Krakauer's book) that Brashears and his team were there at the same time making an IMAX film on Everest (which apparently became the most successful IMAX documentary ever). So this provides another perspective from a real professional of that calamity. He actually helped Beck Weathers (who was left to die twice!) down part of the mountain and his description that man's incredible fortitude is a real highlight. Overall an excellent book.

For some reason I am fascinated by mountain climbing. In particular, I am fascinated by Mount Everest and the '96 disaster, in which David Breashears was present for and very instrumental in the rescue of Beck Weathers. I have no actual desire to climb a mountain myself. It seems terrifying on a scale that I can't even describe, but I do have the highest respect for people like David Breashears who have spent a lifetime honing their abilities and putting their life on the line to conquer these massive feats.

His memoir is written well. We get an insight into his life and what motivated him to become the mountaineer and filmmaker that he's known as today. He's had the kind of life some people can only imagine and even had the privilege of meeting Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay. Literal heroes who accomplished one of the greatest mountaineering feats before anyone else, presumably. Honestly, I'm in awe of them all.

Of course, he also details his experience with the '96 disaster. I believe his group was the first to come across Rob Hall's body. It was a tragedy that I just can't look away from. I've read so many memoirs of survivors from that day and David's memoir provides an insightful and alternative perspective, as he had decided not to summit at that time and was lower on the mountain. He was there for the fallout and did as much as he could do.

My only complaint, if you can call it a complaint, is that Breashears sort of toes the line between Team Krakauer and Team Boukreev but ultimately is Team Krakauer because they're friends. I am Team Boukreev so I disagree with the sentiment that Anatoli was in the wrong. This was a tragic disaster and mistakes were made, but it's no use pointing fingers. Had Boukreev not made the choices that he made that day, the loss of life would have been much higher.

My small complaint aside, this was an excellent memoir of a man who has led an extremely interesting and adventurous life. Something I can only imagine living. He's brutally honest about his skills and flaws and it was a pleasure to read this.

This is another of the mountain climbing books that I have re-read recently. This book by Breahears is written from a different point of view than most of this type of adventure books. Breashears was on Everest during the 1996 disaster filming an IMAX movie with Ed Viesturs. He knew many of those who climbed that day including the ones that died. The part he played was definitely a selfless and courageous act. He laid down the camera and put his entire million-dollar film at risk to help. His reflections of what happened offer another view amongst the several books written about this tragedy. "Despite the snow and ice, Everest is as dry as a desert; the sun and wind quickly mummify human remains. They come to resemble nothing so much as that ancient iceman discovered years ago in an Italian mountain pass. I've dealt with them before, and hardened myself to the harsh knowledge that the line between life and death is mercilessly thin in the frigid and rarefied air of this unforgiving place."

It was an motivation and inspiring story from David Breashears. His childhood, his dreams of making a name of himself, climbing rock faces and to high mountains. Learned about the events after 1996 disaster.

Enjoyed the book as another account of the climbing season

I have met the author and finally got around to reading his book. Fabulous. Such a great book on his life and how he came to direct the IMAX film, Everest.

I never read "Into Thin Air" and although I really like Krakauer, I would suggest this book if you're looking to read about Everest. Breashears traces his passion for climbing from his youth up to his summit of Everest in 1996. During this expedition, he was filming the Everest IMAX and somehow avoided the storm that lead to the disaster chronicled in Krakauer's book. Breashears's account is gripping and personal. And honestly, it makes you want to experience life from the highest peaks.