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dinglestyle
Jun 28, 2007, 2:28 AM
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Please help me with a reading list. What are the top climbing books for pleasure reading. I am not looking for guide books or books on technique. Other outdoor books are welcome. Thanks for your help.
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jakedatc
Jun 28, 2007, 3:25 AM
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i just read No Shortcuts to the Top by Ed viesturs. goes all the way from him starting climbing to finishing all the 8,000m peaks around the world w/o O2. i don't even mountaineer and that kinda stuff is interesting.
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lostcauseclimber
Jun 28, 2007, 4:15 AM
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one i read recently that i liked was On THe Ridge Between Life And Death by David Roberts...
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bent_gate
Jun 28, 2007, 5:00 AM
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I'm currently reading this, and it's been pretty good so far:
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail - by Bill Bryson
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jakedatc
Jun 28, 2007, 5:07 AM
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yes!! haha Walk in the woods is freaking great.. i have to borrow it from my dad again and re read it.. very classic
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el_layclimber
Jun 28, 2007, 5:15 AM
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The Snow Leopard - Peter Matthiessen
Yak Butter and Black Tea - Ray Brackenbury
Those two are more trekking than climbing per se.
For climbing, read Mirrors in the Cliffs and The Games Climbers Play, both are excellent collections of climbing literature. Far superior to 90% of what you will see in most climbing rags these days.
Pat Ament wrote a good biography of Royal Robbins as well.
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mtn_geek
Jun 28, 2007, 5:40 AM
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Eiger Dreams - Krakauer
Kiss or Kill - Twight
Boys of Everest - Willis
Thin Air - Child
There's more, I just can't remember right now.
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abock33
Jun 28, 2007, 6:22 AM
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Registered: Mar 3, 2004
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Over The Edge
Beth Rodden, Tommy Caldwell and two other climbers get kidnapped in Kazakhstan. Was very interesting. I "read" it on my ipod.
I hate reading but I don't mind audio books.
Into Thin Air was good too.
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blubeard
Jun 28, 2007, 12:59 PM
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Registered: Jun 21, 2007
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No shortcuts to the top was good, even my wife read it!
Into the woods was excellent, I almost died laughing.
Into the Wild was also great, and very thought provoking.
Of course, i would be reading another book that I ordered from CHESSLER BOOKS, but I can't because they haven't yet delivered it....NEVER BUY FROM CHESSLER BOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you don't believe me read the ranting and raving that has arisen from the -chessler books- forum.
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dreday3000
Jun 28, 2007, 6:24 PM
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Registered: Jun 15, 2006
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'Fall of the Phantom Lord: Climbing and the Face of Fear - by Andrew Todhunter'
Written about Dan Osman before he bite the dust. Great book.
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brokenankle
Jun 28, 2007, 6:32 PM
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Registered: Jan 17, 2006
Posts: 50
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How about:
American Rock - Don Mellor
or
The Desert Solitaire - Edward Abbey
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zionvier
Jun 28, 2007, 6:35 PM
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mtn_geek.... you mentioned Eiger Dreams by Krakauer, but didn't mention Into Thin Air by him also? Someone else mentioned Into The Wild, but all three are incredible.
Another good one is Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston (the guy that had to cut off his own arm)
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bozeclimb
Jun 28, 2007, 6:49 PM
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One of my favorite books that has not yet been mentioned is "Enduring Patagonia " by Gregory Crouch. I am only part way through "Boys of Everest," but I think it will also be on my list of top climbing books.
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toohigh
Jun 29, 2007, 9:54 PM
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Registered: Nov 2, 2006
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Conquistadors of the Useless
By: Lionel Terray
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summerprophet
Jun 29, 2007, 10:17 PM
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Registered: Jan 17, 2004
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I am a fan of Daniel Duane.
"Lighting Out" is particularly good
And of course, my bookshelf has a bunch of the classics, white spider, eiger dreams, Annapurna, Into the wild.
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medicus
Jul 8, 2007, 1:13 AM
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Registered: Dec 2, 2006
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You have to be kidding me.
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medicus
Jul 8, 2007, 3:07 AM
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Registered: Dec 2, 2006
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sgauss wrote: medicus wrote: You have to be kidding me. Well, if I ever got published, I'd plug my book every chance I got, too.  
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stymingersfink
Jul 8, 2007, 3:50 AM
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Registered: Aug 12, 2003
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Three that I have really enjoyed, both recently and in the not too distant past.
and if you're looking for a epic page-turner:
I've read that last one twice in the past ten years. Incredible read, incredible story.
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medicus
Jul 8, 2007, 4:24 AM
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Registered: Dec 2, 2006
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Thanks for that recommendation on that last one. I've added it to my list of summer reads after reading some reviews of it and such. Hopefully it will be as good as it sounds
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stymingersfink
Jul 8, 2007, 6:10 AM
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Registered: Aug 12, 2003
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well, one doesn't read 900+ pages twice if it's no good. trust me on that one
in fact, If i hadn't lent the book to a friend who ended up taking it back to Brazil, I'd probably have read it again already!
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livinonasandbar
Jul 9, 2007, 2:02 PM
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Registered: May 3, 2003
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medicus wrote: sgauss wrote: medicus wrote: You have to be kidding me. Well, if I ever got published, I'd plug my book every chance I got, too. Lol, yeah. I can understand plugging your book... but "this is the best outdoor book on the market right now"... I don't think I would every attempt to make that claim about my own book.
Medicus, I guess you'll have to buy a copy to find out if my claim is warranted! (heh, heh...)
G.
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ggdillon
Jul 9, 2007, 3:37 PM
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Registered: Jul 28, 2005
Posts: 34
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"the big book of climbing adventures" in paperback is a collection of excerpts from other mountaineering books, including classics like "the white spider." Focuses on the summit climb and the related disasters. I read this book, dog-earing the excerpts with good stories and good writing, and then went back and read alot of the complete books. All from interlibrary loans. Cheap.
Another nice trick is to read about the same subject from different angles... very interesting. Makes some "just OK" books much more interesting. I read Herzog's "Annapurna" and then "True Summit" back to back. Yikes!
I re-read "into thin air" then read "The Climb" by Boukreev then read Brashears (yeah, I think it was Brashears) book that covered the 1996 everest disaster in one chapter, then read another book that included that incident from a party on the north ridge, then, finally Vestieurs "No shortcuts..." I am everest disastered out.
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