I never get tired of pulling Desert Solitaire off the shelf and picking a page at random:

<i> A weird, lovely, fantastic object out of nature like Delicate Arch has the curious ability to remind us - like rock and sunlight and wind and wilderness - that out there is a different world, older and greater and deeper by far than ours, a world which surrounds and sustains the little world of men as sea and sky surround and sustain a ship. The shock of the real. For a little while we are again able to see, as the child sees, a world of marvels. </i>

If you'd like some perspective on the sports origin in a California context two great books I'd recommend are:

"Up and Down California" which is THE ur classic of Sierra mountaineering literature, recounting the first detailed exploration of the range by the leader of the Whitney survey's field party. Also, a great book about California in general--and this was when John Muir was still planning on spending his life working in a factory.

A later classic about the golden age of Sierra climbing is "Missing in the Minarets," which introduces a wide range of people whom anyone venturing into the range should know about, such as Norman Clyde.

Annapurna, by Maurice Hertzog is a a good read.

I second DMT's Cadillac Desert. I moved to CA from Boston, and had no idea how differently water is considered out west. Blew me away. I consider it required reading for anyone that lives in or west of the Rockies. Sure, he's biased, but there is a lot of history in there, too.

Muir's stuff is fun, too. Up and Down California may have to get onto my list from the sounds of it.

For those who like lists, here is another list of lists: <a href="http://www.ronwatters.com/BkMain.htm">Outdoor Book Review Page</a>

It includes, among other lists:
<a href="http://www.ronwatters.com/BkChess.htm">Chessler's Top 100 Mountaineering Books</a>
<a href="http://www.ronwatters.com/BkNGAList.htm">National Geographic Adventure: 100 Best Adventure Books</a>
<a href=""></a>

One title that makes numerous lists is Eric Newby's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0864426046/qid%3D1124990964/103-1427837-9671814">A Short Walk in the Hundu Kush</a>, a classic in my mind, beginning with the fateful cable "CAN YOU TRAVEL NURISTAN JUNE?"

Finally there is this amazing personal site: <a href="http://www.billbuxton.com/climbing.html">Bill Buxton's Books on the History and Exploration of Central Asia, and the History of Climbing, and Mountaineering, Especially in the Himalaya and Karakoram Ranges</a>. A labor of love there!

Thanks Nelson. Thats an excellent link.

try Hugh Thompson's Nanda Devi - not quite like Krakaur's style but a great book about a rarely explored and beautiful place. about mountains but less of the disaster style of mtn book.

also Mountains of the Mind by Robert McFarlane - a exploration of our obsessions, very well written.

my favourite book is Joe Simpson's Storms of Silence - proving how good a writer he is beyond the touching the void genre.

the climb up to hell by jack olsen - account of the eiger attempt by the italian / german team (forget names...) is in the into thin air mould.

this is a great thread! i'm going to buy a few of the reccomendations here!

"One Man's Mountains" -- essays by Tom Patey

"Mt. Analogue" -- Rene Daumal

Left for Dead- Beck Weathers
The Climb-Anatoli Boukreev What really happend in '96 on Everset
Above the Clouds-also by Boukreev, his journals of a life spent climbing.

ATTM'S favorite reading <a href=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0963209159/ref%3Dpd%5Fsr%5Fec%5Fir%5Fb/104-5038588-4370312>Good Book</a>

I recently read Herzog's 'Annapurna' and followed immediately with D Roberts 'True Summit'. Very interesting to see different perspectives on same climb. (Especially since Herzog's [admittedly classic and gripping] book is a very 'controlled' presentation.)

I have read Into Thin Air but hope to re-read, and follow with Boukreev's 'Climb' and Weathers' "Left for Dead" in quick succession.

Reading the different books in this way reminds me of (one of) the reason(s) I often get sucked into reading posts and mtn pages on SummitPost --- the variety of experience on the same mountains is incredibly enticing.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned "The West Ridge" by Hornbein. I am admittedly biased (Tom is one of my mentors) but he is a great writer, and it is a great story.

"The West Ridge" was pretty good but IMHO a bit dry.
Nobody mentioned John Long's books?

A second for No Picnic on Mt. Kenya - truly inspirational and a book I have re-read at lest 4 times; plus Left for Dead- Beck Weathers, a monument to true grit!

Just read Life and Limb by Jamie Andrew, brilliant - if you thought life was tough - read this; yours will never be this bad - and yet this man can joke about his climbing misfortunes - inspirational. DN