Left for Dead: My Journey Home from Everest

I picked this up in the mountaineering section expecting some good tales from the 1996 expedition. Although well written, after the first couple of chapters the book goes into the rather uninteresting tale of a pretty boring ordinary life. I have sympathy for Dr Weathers unfortunate circumstance but I think that there was a milking of the story for this book. Not much climbing, no adventure and if you fancy a more interesting read then look elsewhere.

Not what I expected (8/9 people found this helpful)

The big problem with this book is its been billed as a book on mountaineering and often placed in the adventure sections. Its not a book on mountaineering. Its more of an apology to his long suffering wife and family for being a self obsessed climber. Unless I was studying pyschology I won't bother. I read it, the hubby got bored when he realised the mountain story was only two chapters. It is well written and it is a good book but its not a mountaineering or travel or adventure book.

Don't read this if you have a trip to Everest planned! (4/5 people found this helpful)

I heard Beck Weathers' name when viewing the IMAX Everest film. I knew he'd have to write a book based on his experience and here it is.

The first half of the book deals with his being left for dead on Everest and the second half on how he got into mountaineering and its effect on his marriage. His wife and friends comment along the way giving you an extra dimension. Saying that, I started to skip parts of the second half, being interested only in what happened on the mountain, after all, I'm not going to meet him and am not interested in this guy's father and mother! However, after a while, I was hooked on the impact his personal drive had on his wife. Not only did his life, but his marriage, hung in the balance. My husband on the other hand, found it really hard to get into the second half, so maybe it's a female thing?!?

It's quite a factual book, not full of flowery descriptions, just a good, quick, compelling holiday read. And if you want to enhance your experience of frostbite, may I recommend the Everest Exhibition held at Reghed in the Lake District - someone's toes preserved in a nice perspex box - don't view just after lunch.

Gripping (2/2 people found this helpful)

I decided like many others to read this book after hearing about the accident in Into Thin Air, it gives as wonderfully different pespective as only i guess it could do.
It also opened my eyes to the general relationship problems the mountaineers seem to have, they use the mountains as a means of escape.
It is an lonley and isolated tale... well worth a read

Not really that much about Everest (2/2 people found this helpful)

I read this book after read both Jon Krakauer's into thin air and also Anatoli Boukrev's The climb, both about the everest disaster of 1996. I have to say that i was disappointed with this book. Whilst undoubtedly heroic, Beck is also somewhat boring. As is his wife, who we hear from throughout the book all too frequently. If you are buying this book to read about the exploits on everest or any other mountain, you get slim pickings. Yes, there are some details, but they take second place to Becks fragmented family saga. This is fine if you are interested in the type of book that enjoys dissecting relationships and situations such as this, but it is not mareketed as such and is, therefore, a disappointment.

Left for Dead: My Journey Home from Everest

Beck Weathers

Reader Reviews:

Not what I was expecting (0/0 people found this helpful)

Not what I expected (8/9 people found this helpful)

Don't read this if you have a trip to Everest planned! (4/5 people found this helpful)

Gripping (2/2 people found this helpful)

Not really that much about Everest (2/2 people found this helpful)

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