James M. Tabor

This book is the true tale of a mountaineering expedition on Mt. McKinley in 1967. 7 out of 12 men died on the mountain, but the exact reasons why and how were somewhat of a mystery. Tabor, a journalist, sets out to uncover exactly what happened and why.

I found this a very engaging read, but it probably isn't for everyone. It isn't quite as gripping as Into Thin Air, but has more of a tone of investigative journalism (think 60 Minutes). I just find it riveting to read about the challenges on the mountain and how the individual personalities handle them. One hard thing though was that with 12 men, it took some concentration to recall who was who - - some had the same first names.

This book really combines all the elements of an adventure, a mystery and a psychological thriller into one story. No stone was left unturned. A great piece of journalism and a great read!

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I listened to the audiobook version, and I use the number of exits I miss on the highway as an indicator of my engagement. I find if I'm really caught up in the book, I drift past my turns, or drive around the block a few extra times to get to the end of the chapter. On the other hand, when an audio book doesn't capture my attention, the opposite is true and it's the words of the book that I miss and not my turns. That describes my reaction to this book. Maybe it's a lack of imagination on my part, because there's only so many ways to describe a deep cave, e.g., it's dark, it's wet, it's uncomfortable, and it's dangerous. It has the elements which could make the story interesting and exciting, but the story didn't build along those lines. Tabor describes several different expeditions, in several locations, with different team make-ups, and then started again at a different time and place. The continuity wasn't there for me to make it comparable to climbing Everest or moon landings or other memorable exploits.… (más)