Epic: Stories of Survival from the World's Highest Peaks

This audio book took me six hours down the road to Mobile without pain. It was so riveting that time disappeared. These are stories of men's struggles to climb the highest mountains in the world, complicated by sheer ice, blinding storms, lack of oxygen, and extreme cold. These authors are the actual climbers so that we are able to understand them as their emotions rollercoaster from elation at the start to deepest despair as they contemplate not only not being able to summit but their very possible end on the mountain. For those who can live vicariously it is the limit.

These stories, all of excellent quality capture the allure of climbing, the starkness of the experience. They also present tremendously sobering arguments against the journey. As I read each chapter, I noted that almost all of the authors, most of them young men, either died or dissapeared on later expeditions. THAT added some power to their observations of how close the line is between being lucky and dying. A must-read over-view of the world of serious mountain-climbing.

Troy Stabenow

This book contains the greatest short stories about climbing that I have ever read. Each story is unique and as entertaining as the other.

Clint Willis has created a fascinating series of books with Epic, Climb, High, Wild, Ice, Rough Water, and The War. Each of these volumes presents the best literature about their respective subjects in a powerful cohesive manner. These books are a quick read, but intricate and spellbinding. I have given many of them to friends and family as gifts.

Well worth reading. If you liked into thin air you'll like this book.