I've previsouly read Krakaur's books "Into the Wild" and "Into thin air". I loved them. does anyone else know of some equally good, or better books like these? Fiction or non-fiction.

thanks

Touching the Void - Joe Simpson
The White Spider - Heinrich Harrar
Alone at the Summit (?) - Stephen Venables
The Crystal Horizon - Messner (lighter reading than the whole thing about first solo ascent of Everest).

Krakaur's "Eiger Dreams" recounts his solo ascent of the Devils Thumb
Whymper's "Scrambles amongst the Alps"
Rebuffat "Starlight and Storm"
David Roberts' books

Recently, I enjoyed "Addicted to Danger" my Jim Wickwire and "Stories Off the Wall" by John Roskelley. Steve Roper's "Camp 4" is an enjoyable read if you want to learn more about Yosemite climbing. "In the Shadow of Denali" by Jon Waterman was excellent! Still trying to trace a copy of Layton Kor's book. If anybody has it for $150 or less, let me know.

<a href = "http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1558216847/104-5240297-8578316?v=glance">The Long Walk</a>

Story of escapees from a Siberian prison camp who attempt to trek to India.

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/078670621X/qid=1124924128/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/104-5240297-8578316?v=glance&s=books">Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage</a>

Unbelievable escape from the Antarctic ice pack.

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/067978361X/qid=1124924387/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-5240297-8578316?v=glance&s=books">In the Land of White Death</a>

The Arctic version of Shackleton's epic.

Here is a big list to choose from <a href=http://www.chockstone.org/Media/Review.asp?LimitedFormat=BK>http://www.chockstone.org/Media/Review.asp?LimitedFormat=BK</a>

The Long Walk, Layne's link above, is the best (true story) survival book of all time in my opinion. I plan on following their footsteps when and if I am willing to take six months off of climbing. We Die Alone is another along the same lines.

* A Most Hostile Mountain by Jonathan Waterman- about his attempt to do Mt. St. Elias in the style of the FAionists. He has a great sense of humour.

If you're interested at all in getting a Sierra Nevada alpine rock guide, get Peter Croft's The Good, The Great, & The Awesome. Great guide book, but it also has an anecdote (frequently quite amusing) for each climb.

Haven't read it yet, but have heard An Ascent of Rumdoodle is supposed to be pretty funny.

"One Man's Wilderness, An Alaskan Odyssey" by Sam Keith
is based on the Journals and Photos of Richard Proenneke of his 16 month adventure in what is now is part of Lake Clark National Park. He built his own cabin lived off the land as much as he could for 16 months until a family emergency forced him to spend only summers there. I just finished reading it and it is very good.
Later, Rob

Craig Childs:
_Secret Knowledge of Water_
_Soul of Nowhere_

What about Kerouacs _Dharma Bums_ ? It has some good mountain stuff in it.

John Muir _Mountaineering Essays_

<i>..most of the good mountaineering books have already been mentioned</i>

I beg to differ, Anita! Here are three that I guarantee anyone will enjoy:

<i><b>Karakoram</b></i> by Fosco Maraini. The first ascent of Gasherbrum iV, probably the hardest high altitude climbing done at the time, written by a gifted scholar. Beautifully poetic writing at times.

<i><b>The Last Blue Mountain</b></i> by Ralph Barker. A tragic attempt on Haramosh, in the vein of Touching the Void or Into Thin Air, but 30 years earlier.

<i><b>No Picnic on Mount Kenya</b></i> by Felice Benuzzi. The author and his partners escape from a British prison camp for an attempt on Kenya, and then must sneak back into prison. All part of the plan. Crampons and ice axes were made from scraps of metal they could find. Read the book!

The above are either on used book sites or have been reissued in paperback.

I could go on and on....

.. oh, right now I'm into Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Greg Child- "Thin Air: Encounters in the Himalaya", as well as his: "Postcards from the ledge". I really enjoyed reading Joe Simpson's "The beckoning SIlence" also. These are both contain both tragedy and happiness- which seems to be the foundation of extreme mountaineering. Yet they are also very realistic, whereas Krakeaur seems to stretch things a bit. But, if you liked Into the wild and into thin air by Krakauer- then you should read Eiger Dreams as well. I think it is just as good as ITA.