Review by Booklist Review
In August 2008, 11 climbers died on K2, the world's second-highest mountain. The story has been told before (in, for example, Freddie Wilkinson's One Mountain Thousand Summits, 2010, or Wilco van Rooijen's Surviving K2, 2012), but here the authors take an unusual approach, chronicling the tragic events, which were triggered by the collapse of an ice wall that stranded climbers in the Bottleneck, a gully leading to the summit, from the point of view of the Sherpas who had been assisting the climbers. Sherpas are usually unnamed and unmentioned (apart from Tenzing Norgay, Edmund Hillary's Sherpa on his historic Everest climb), but the authors do a very nice job of not only reminding us that climbers couldn't do what they do without the Sherpas' expertise and dedication but also giving us a revelatory look at Sherpa history and culture. Two Sherpas survived the K2 disaster, and their stories are key to the book. For climbers, and for readers of books about climbing, this one is highly recommended.--Pitt, David Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Journalists Zuckerman and Padoan examine the 2008 mountaineering tragedy on K2, when 11 climbers on various expeditions died. They focus on the backgrounds and roles of survivors Chhiring Dorje Sherpa and Pasang Lama, as well as other Himalayan-born high-altitude workers. Providing historical and religious background on Nepal and the Sherpa ethnic group, and a judiciously crafted chronicle of the devastating series of incidents that left 11 dead, this narrative is well organized and chilling. Zuckerman and Padoan's extensive research, including information gathered from many translated interviews with survivors, provides clear evidence to support their version of events, and their conclusions raise hard ethical questions about often-impoverished local workers risking their lives to satisfy the ambitions of Western climbers. VERDICT Since many climbing chronicles tend to neglect the essential and expert contributions of Nepali Sherpas and Pakistani high-altitude workers, this work's alternative viewpoint is eye-opening. Best suited to mountaineering and adventure buffs who should also consider Freddie Wilkinson's One Mountain Thousand Summits: The Untold Story of Tragedy and True Heroism on K2.-Ingrid Levin, Salve Regina Univ. Lib., Newport, RI (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A fast-paced narrative of one of the worst climbing disasters in the history of K2. Zuckerman and Padoan join forces in this harrowing account of the 2008 mountaineering tragedy on the summit of K2. Presented from the untold perspective of the sherpas, the authors give voice to the men who risk their lives so others may garner fame and fortune. With few other careers choices for these men, they turn aside their cultural differences to aid the rich and famous on their quest to reach the summit while receiving little acknowledgment for their own climbing expertise. In interviews with the sherpas and their families, Zuckerman and Padoan offer glimpses into the climbing culture that are as rare as the thin air the climbers breathe in the Death Zone. Although tradition dictates that K2 is an extremely dangerous mountain to summit, the world continues to press onto her flanks for personal glory or simply to make a statement. In 2008, when the one window of perfect climbing weather briefly opened, too many teams attempted the summit, with fatal results. The authors portray the grueling trek up as well as the gruesome, sometimes deadly ride back down the mountain as avalanches and rock slides picked some climbers off one by one. Readers will be left questioning the need to climb such mountains when many lives are frequently lost, severe frostbite and sickness are common, and the expense of engaging in one climb could be used to support families in the region for many months. A provocative perspective on one of the world's most expensive and deadly athletic adventures. ]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
