Gear

Alex (Epic) Ford wrote (see)

There's:

"Into thin air" by Jon Krakauer.

"Regions of the heart" by Ed Douglas and some one else.

"The death zone" by Matt Dickinson.

Although these two are not "mountaineering" books they are a cracking read:

"Endurance" by Alfred Lansing - About Ernest Shackeltons epic.

"Scott's last expedition", by erm , Capt Robert Falcon Scott RN.

If you read Krakauer's diatribe, which is what it is however well written, you must balance it with the more matter of fact account of Anatoli Boukreev as related by him to G Weston DeWalt in his book "The Climb". Krakauer's account is well written and gripping but he is self serving and hypocritical in his treatment of Boukreev. He certainly doesn't emerge squeaky clean from the incident. It is clear from the testimony of expedition members other than Boukreev that he, i.e. Boukreev, was not and was not expected to be a decision maker on this expedition, a fact made abundantly clear by Scott Fischer his boss. It is quite obvious that Krakauer must have known this and although he was apparently non judgemental to Boukreev's face subjecting him to no criticism at all, he later, without any warning, lays a great deal of blame for the tragedy at Boukreev's door.

As to Krakauer's motives for this skullduggery, you'll have to judge for yourself but he did sell an awful lot of books!

H W Tilman ,seven mountain travl books and eight sailing/exploration books .And if you like them try Eric Shiptons books as well .

  But on a personal basis (i have heard of some crazy people who don't like his style ) any thing by Jim Perrin . They will charm ,delight ,and enlighten you  .

 My top ten

Anything by HW Tilman, FS Smyth, Eric Shipton - all early  explorers of the HImalayers

Peter Mathieson - The  Snow Leopard

Houston & Bates - K2 the Savage Mountain

Julie Tullis - Clouds from both Sides

Edward Whymper - Scrambles amongst the Alps

Ralph Barker - The Last Blue Mountain 

Maurice Herzog  - The Ascent of Annapurna

Simon Calder & ??? - Boots, Bagguetes and Backpacks - for all lovers of the Pyrenees

and how can you omit the greatest achivement of all time - 

WE BOWMAN _ THE ASCENT OF RUM DOODLE  

sorry - top nine 

Vertical Pleasure, by Mick Fowler, is a good read. Lot's of variety and Mr. F does not take himself -- or anybody else -- at all seriously, which is refreshing.

Against the Wall, by Simon Yates, is another funny look at modern climbing, drinking and being mad in South America.

Or, if you want really mad, try Alone to Everest, by Earl Denman (if you can find it). An eccentric man with little or no climbing experience who set out to do what the title of the book says, and trained for it by climbing mountains in Africa.

As Peter says, the books by F. S. Smythe are interesting -- look out for Kangchenjunga Adventure, Kamet Conquered and The Valley of Flowers. His quasi-religious views can be a bit odd, and some of his early books are very "empire", but he got a lot more open to a less European viewpoint, and the books are very evocative of an era when many mountain areas really were blanks on the map.

Mountain Days and Bothy Nights

Hamish's Mountain Walk - Hamish Brown

Life and Limb - Jamie Andrews

The Munros and Tops - Chris Townsend

The First Fifty - Muriel Gray

If you read Krakauer's diatribe, which is what it is however well written, you must balance it with the more matter of fact account of Anatoli Boukreev as related by him to G Weston DeWalt in his book "The Climb". Krakauer's account is well written and gripping but he is self serving and hypocritical in his treatment of Boukreev. He certainly doesn't emerge squeaky clean from the incident. It is clear from the testimony of expedition members other than Boukreev that he, i.e. Boukreev, was not and was not expected to be a decision maker on this expedition, a fact made abundantly clear by Scott Fischer his boss. It is quite obvious that Krakauer must have known this and although he was apparently non judgemental to Boukreev's face subjecting him to no criticism at all, he later, without any warning, lays a great deal of blame for the tragedy at Boukreev's door.

As to Krakauer's motives for this skullduggery, you'll have to judge for yourself but he did sell an awful lot of books!

Jugears, I agree with most of your sentiments. Have read both books and cannot help but feel that the total confusion of the circumstances at the time made for difficult balanced judgement. Boukreev was a guide and it seems did all he could and more. The responsibility lies with Fischer and Hall. The books are both compelling reading though!