Listen free for 30 days
-
Into Thin Air
- Narrated by: Philip Franklin
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $21.48
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Buy it with
-
Into the Wild
- Written by: Jon Krakauer
- Narrated by: Philip Franklin
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself.
-
-
Dated reading
- By Marc on 2019-01-28
Written by: Jon Krakauer
-
K2
- Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain
- Written by: Ed Viesturs, David Roberts
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In K2: Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain, Viesturs explores the remarkable history of the mountain and of those who have attempted to conquer it. At the same time he probes K2's most memorable sagas in an attempt to illustrate the lessons learned by confronting the fundamental questions raised by mountaineering - questions of risk, ambition, loyalty to one's teammates, self-sacrifice, and the price of glory.
-
-
Ed Viesturs is a climbing godfather
- By g-dogs on 2021-04-20
Written by: Ed Viesturs, and others
-
The Climb
- Written by: Anatoli Boukreev, G. Weston DeWalt
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Climb is a true, gripping, and thought-provoking account of the worst disaster in the history of Mt. Everest: On May 10, 1996, two commercial expeditions headed by experienced leaders attempted to climb the highest mountain in the world, but things went terribly wrong...
-
-
Falls short
- By J Burghardt on 2023-04-21
Written by: Anatoli Boukreev, and others
-
No Shortcuts to the Top
- Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks
- Written by: Ed Viesturs, David Roberts
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For 18 years, Ed Viesturs pursued climbing's holy grail: to stand atop the world's 14 8,000-meter peaks, without the aid of bottled oxygen. But No Shortcuts to the Top is as much about the man who would become the first American to achieve that goal as it is about his stunning quest. As Viesturs recounts the stories of his most harrowing climbs, he reveals a man torn between the flat, safe world he and his loved ones share and the majestic and deadly places where only he can go.
-
-
great "listen "
- By Rodd on 2022-11-05
Written by: Ed Viesturs, and others
-
Touching the Void
- Written by: Joe Simpson
- Narrated by: Andrew Wincott, Daniel Weyman
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Joe Simpson, with just his partner, Simon Yates, tackled the unclimbed West Face of the remote 21,000-foot Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in June of 1995. But before they reached the summit, disaster struck. A few days later, Simon staggered into Base Camp, exhausted and frostbitten, to tell their non-climbing companion that Joe was dead. For three days he wrestled with guilt as they prepared to return home. Then a cry in the night took them out with torches, where they found Joe, badly injured.
-
-
Amazing, wish I knew more.
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-07-24
Written by: Joe Simpson
-
Under the Banner of Heaven
- A Story of Violent Faith
- Written by: Jon Krakauer
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This extraordinary work of investigative journalism takes listeners inside America’s isolated Mormon Fundamentalist communities, where some 40,000 people still practice polygamy. Defying both civil authorities and the Mormon establishment in Salt Lake City, the renegade leaders of these Taliban-like theocracies are zealots who answer only to God.
-
-
Informative but Boring
- By Anonymous User on 2023-04-09
Written by: Jon Krakauer
-
Into the Wild
- Written by: Jon Krakauer
- Narrated by: Philip Franklin
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself.
-
-
Dated reading
- By Marc on 2019-01-28
Written by: Jon Krakauer
-
K2
- Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain
- Written by: Ed Viesturs, David Roberts
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In K2: Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain, Viesturs explores the remarkable history of the mountain and of those who have attempted to conquer it. At the same time he probes K2's most memorable sagas in an attempt to illustrate the lessons learned by confronting the fundamental questions raised by mountaineering - questions of risk, ambition, loyalty to one's teammates, self-sacrifice, and the price of glory.
-
-
Ed Viesturs is a climbing godfather
- By g-dogs on 2021-04-20
Written by: Ed Viesturs, and others
-
The Climb
- Written by: Anatoli Boukreev, G. Weston DeWalt
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Climb is a true, gripping, and thought-provoking account of the worst disaster in the history of Mt. Everest: On May 10, 1996, two commercial expeditions headed by experienced leaders attempted to climb the highest mountain in the world, but things went terribly wrong...
-
-
Falls short
- By J Burghardt on 2023-04-21
Written by: Anatoli Boukreev, and others
-
No Shortcuts to the Top
- Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks
- Written by: Ed Viesturs, David Roberts
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For 18 years, Ed Viesturs pursued climbing's holy grail: to stand atop the world's 14 8,000-meter peaks, without the aid of bottled oxygen. But No Shortcuts to the Top is as much about the man who would become the first American to achieve that goal as it is about his stunning quest. As Viesturs recounts the stories of his most harrowing climbs, he reveals a man torn between the flat, safe world he and his loved ones share and the majestic and deadly places where only he can go.
-
-
great "listen "
- By Rodd on 2022-11-05
Written by: Ed Viesturs, and others
-
Touching the Void
- Written by: Joe Simpson
- Narrated by: Andrew Wincott, Daniel Weyman
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Joe Simpson, with just his partner, Simon Yates, tackled the unclimbed West Face of the remote 21,000-foot Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in June of 1995. But before they reached the summit, disaster struck. A few days later, Simon staggered into Base Camp, exhausted and frostbitten, to tell their non-climbing companion that Joe was dead. For three days he wrestled with guilt as they prepared to return home. Then a cry in the night took them out with torches, where they found Joe, badly injured.
-
-
Amazing, wish I knew more.
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-07-24
Written by: Joe Simpson
-
Under the Banner of Heaven
- A Story of Violent Faith
- Written by: Jon Krakauer
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This extraordinary work of investigative journalism takes listeners inside America’s isolated Mormon Fundamentalist communities, where some 40,000 people still practice polygamy. Defying both civil authorities and the Mormon establishment in Salt Lake City, the renegade leaders of these Taliban-like theocracies are zealots who answer only to God.
-
-
Informative but Boring
- By Anonymous User on 2023-04-09
Written by: Jon Krakauer
-
Buried in the Sky
- The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2's Deadliest Day
- Written by: Peter Zuckerman, Amanda Padoan
- Narrated by: David Doersch
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Edmund Hillary first conquered Mt. Everest, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay was at his side. Indeed, for as long as Westerners have been climbing the Himalaya, Sherpas have been the unsung heroes in the background. In August 2008, when eleven climbers lost their lives on K2, the world’s most dangerous peak, two Sherpas survived. They had emerged from poverty and political turmoil to become two of the most skillful mountaineers on earth. Based on unprecedented access and interviews, Buried in the Sky reveals their astonishing story for the first time.
-
-
Good story, narrator needs work
- By Guillaume Knowlden on 2019-09-17
Written by: Peter Zuckerman, and others
-
The Next Everest
- Surviving the Mountain's Deadliest Day and Finding the Resilience to Climb Again
- Written by: Jim Davidson
- Narrated by: Jim Davidson, Tim Campbell
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On April 25, 2015, Jim Davidson was climbing Mount Everest when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake released avalanches all around him and his team, destroying their only escape route and trapping them at nearly 20,000 feet. It was the largest earthquake in Nepal in 81 years and killed about 8,900 people. That day also became the deadliest in the history of Everest, with 18 people losing their lives on the mountain.
-
-
Great success story
- By Shaun Clark on 2022-12-18
Written by: Jim Davidson
-
Alive
- The Story of the Andes Survivors
- Written by: Piers Paul Read
- Narrated by: Paul Ansdell
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On October 12, 1972, a plane carrying a team of young rugby players crashed into the remote, snow-peaked Andes. Out of the 45 original passengers and crew, only 16 made it off the mountain alive. For 10 excruciating weeks, they suffered deprivations beyond imagining, confronting nature head-on at its most furious and inhospitable. And to survive, these men and women not only had to keep their faith; they had to make an impossible decision: Should they eat the flesh of their dead friends?
-
-
Couldn't put it down
- By Bforsyth on 2021-07-14
Written by: Piers Paul Read
-
Left for Dead
- My Journey Home from Everest
- Written by: Beck Weathers, Stephen G. Michaud
- Narrated by: Roger Wayne
- Length: 7 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1996, Beck Weathers and a climbing team pushed toward the summit of Mount Everest. Then a storm exploded on the mountain, ripping the team to shreds, forcing brave men to scratch and crawl for their lives. In this powerful memoir, Weathers describes not only his escape from hypothermia and the murderous storm that killed eight climbers but the journey of his life. This is the story of a man's route to a dangerous sport and a fateful expedition, as well as the road of recovery he has traveled since.
-
-
Not what I expected/Lame and boring
- By Raven on 2023-02-13
Written by: Beck Weathers, and others
-
Endurance
- Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
- Written by: Alfred Lansing
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In August of 1914, the British ship Endurance set sail for the South Atlantic. In October, 1915, still half a continent away from its intended base, the ship was trapped, then crushed in the ice. For five months, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men, drifting on ice packs, were castaways in one of the most savage regions of the world.
-
-
One of the best stories ever, plus great narrator
- By Ben on 2018-01-31
Written by: Alfred Lansing
-
Eiger Dreams
- Ventures Among Men and Mountains
- Written by: Jon Krakauer
- Narrated by: Philip Franklin
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
No one writes about mountaineering and its attendant victories and hardships more brilliantly than Jon Krakauer. In this collection of his finest essays and reporting, Krakauer writes of mountains from the memorable perspective of one who has himself struggled with solo madness to scale Alaska's notorious Devils Thumb.
-
-
Great collection of stories
- By Konrad J. Komuniecki on 2018-12-17
Written by: Jon Krakauer
-
Conquistadors of the Useless
- From the Alps to Annapurna
- Written by: Lionel Terray, David Roberts - foreword
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 15 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Frenchman Lionel Terray is one of mountaineering history's greatest alpinists, and his autobiography, Conquistadors of the Useless, stands among the "100 Greatest Adventure Books of All Time", according to National Geographic Adventure magazine. Following World War II, when France desperately needed successes to heal its wounds, Terray emerged as a national hero, conquering summits atop the planet's highest mountains.
-
-
New favorite book
- By marco on 2023-05-25
Written by: Lionel Terray, and others
-
One Man's Wilderness
- An Alaskan Odyssey
- Written by: Sam Keith, Richard Proenneke
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
To live in a pristine land unchanged by man... to roam a wilderness through which few other humans have passed... to choose an idyllic site, cut trees and build a log cabin... to be a self-sufficient craftsman, making what is needed from materials available... to be not at odds with the world but content with one's own thoughts and company. Thousands have had such dreams, but Richard Proenneke lived them.
-
-
My favorite book of all time
- By Patrick on 2019-08-27
Written by: Sam Keith, and others
-
The Martian
- Written by: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive - and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet.
-
-
Well worth it for Wil Wheaton.
- By Gregory Russell Jr on 2020-01-14
Written by: Andy Weir
-
The Sun Is a Compass
- A 4,000-Mile Journey into the Alaskan Wilds
- Written by: Caroline Van Hemert
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For fans of Cheryl Strayed, the gripping story of a biologist's human-powered journey from the Pacific Northwest to the Arctic to rediscover her love of birds, nature, and adventure.
-
-
Feel Like You Are on the Journey With the Author
- By Kathleen on 2022-01-29
Written by: Caroline Van Hemert
-
Into the Planet
- One Woman's Journey to Find Herself
- Written by: Jill Heinerth
- Narrated by: Jill Heinerth
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As one of the most celebrated cave divers in the world, Jill Heinerth has seen the planet in a way almost no one has. In a workday, she might swim below your home, through conduits in volcanoes or cracks in the world's largest iceberg. She's an explorer, a scientist's eyes and hands underwater - discovering new species and examining our finite freshwater reserves - and a filmmaker documenting the wonders of underwater life. Often the lone woman in a male-dominated domain, she tests the limits of human endurance at every tight turn, risking her life with each mission.
-
-
Truely amazing
- By rod d. on 2021-01-07
Written by: Jill Heinerth
-
The Third Pole
- Mystery, Obsession, and Death on Mount Everest
- Written by: Mark Synnott
- Narrated by: Steve Campbell
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A hundred-year mystery lured veteran climber Mark Synnott into an unlikely expedition up Mount Everest during the spring 2019 season that came to be known as “the Year Everest Broke”. What he found was a gripping human story of impassioned characters from around the globe and a mountain that will consume your soul - and your life - if you let it.
-
-
great
- By Scott vanderveer on 2021-08-09
Written by: Mark Synnott
Publisher's Summary
One of the inspirations for the major motion picture Everest, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Keira Knightley.
This is the true story of a 24-hour period on Everest when members of three separate expeditions were caught in a storm and faced a battle against hurricane-force winds, exposure, and the effects of altitude, which ended the worst single-season death toll in the peak's history.
In March 1996, Outside magazine sent veteran journalist and seasoned climber Jon Krakauer on an expedition led by celebrated Everest guide Rob Hall. Despite the expertise of Hall and the other leaders, by the end of summit day eight people were dead.
Krakauer's audiobook is at once the story of the ill-fated adventure and an analysis of the factors leading up to its tragic end. Written within months of the events it chronicles, Into Thin Air clearly evokes the majestic Everest landscape. As the journey up the mountain progresses, Krakauer puts it in context by recalling the triumphs and perils of other Everest trips throughout history. The author's own anguish over what happened on the mountain is palpable as he leads his listeners to ponder timeless questions.
More from the same
What listeners say about Into Thin Air
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tia
- 2019-12-20
Amazing
Probably one of the best performances and stories in my audiobook experience. Jon did an amazing job of capturing those weeks on Everest to make the reader/listener feel like they were there and Philip’s low, even voice captured the tone of writings.
The tale is sad and the cognitive dissonance of people regarding Everest since it’s publication is even sadder but you need to add this book to your list if you haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing it yet. 10/10 would recommend.
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Artem B
- 2019-03-06
Interesting read, performance may not be for every
Tye book is fascinating. one has to keep in mind that it is an account of just 1 man, which inevitably comes with a degree of bias, but it does a great job showcasing the reality of commercial Everest trips (at least in the mid 90s). Performance, however, is hit and miss. Although generally great, the narrator attempts to emulate national accents of the people whose dialogue he is reading, with less than perfect results. For me, it quickly became rather annoying. But to each his own...
Also, several times there is repetition of the sentence just read. Not sure if it has something to do with the physical book format or recording errors.
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- LP, Ontario
- 2020-02-16
Peaking my interest in Everest (with apologies)
I've enjoyed this from the beginning, and it has me reading and watching supplementary books/videos. It's eye-opening for me, it seems it would be a lot less physically taxing to fly in a rocket ship to outer space than to attempt Everest.
My only complaint is that at least 3 times, the narration repeats itself with at least a full sentence fully repeated. It brings me out of the story. Other than that, excellent story and narration.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jennifer R.
- 2020-03-02
A must-read
Fantastic! i couldn't put it down. So well written! I felt cold the whole time I was reading i!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jim
- 2019-09-16
Great book and narration!
Really enjoyed this book by Jon Krakauer and the accompanying narration.
It was an exciting story that was tense, suspenseful and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the listen.
Philip Franklin's narration help immerse me in Krakauer's journey from hope to excitement to despair and desperation.
Would recommend!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Duane Morgan
- 2021-01-23
Excellent
This was very interesting. it's a no BS account of what happened on the mountain disaster, with alot of backstory and context prior to the events.
Its not fluffed up or made dramatic, but naturally keep you interested through its detailed recount.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lindsay
- 2021-01-13
love the story, the audio had issues
it's an older recording and there were times when the audio repeated like it was stuttering. audio books have come a long way.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2020-04-19
A Harrowing moving tale of courage and strength
Into Thin Air is a powerful read!Loved thisbook. and narration of it
High lying recommends.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Shaun Antle
- 2020-01-09
Hypnotizing
what an astounding tragic yet overcoming story of great failure and success all at the same time.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kindle Customer
- 2019-11-16
Enjoyed it.
Sometimes hard to follow without concentrating intently. The story is much worth listening to and I found myself googling the expedition members to find out even more of their history beyond the info in the book.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Daniël Cloete
- 2017-11-20
Balanced
As an avid amateur mountaineer and writer, this book spoke to me on many levels. Perhaps it seems more intellectual to criticize, but I will avoid this pretentious practice.
Krakauer's account is rendered with a balance of awe, realism, adventure, reverence and sadness. While not as experienced as John myself, the technical and physical aspects of climbing were completely relatable to me as an amateur. The surrealism of losing a teammate on the mountain is so relatable that I was reduced to tears I was unable to shed previously.
Thank you for this John, and may you find the peace you seek.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 2021-05-15
Great story. But that kiwi accent!
I thoroughly enjoyed Krakauer's account of the disaster.
The narrator was great until the kiwi/South African accent came out. I found it quite funny at first but by the end, it was rather grating. Maybe I’m too tough a critic being a kiwi myself 😂
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Tom Colyer
- 2021-04-17
Thrilling, interesting, and we’ll written.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read it directly after Ed Viesturs, no shortcuts to the top, which gave incredible perspective about the incredible risks the 96 expedition took. It also gives an understanding of how amazing inhuman Ed is. Both books should be read together in my opinion and they provide a great perspective on high altitude mountaineering, 1 amateur and 1 expert.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Tina
- 2020-12-03
Riveting
Jon Krakauer puts you right in the middle of this unbelievable trip up Everest. It’s graphic and gritty and he’s not shy to be self critical. I rate him as a properly talented writer. The story has left me wanting to look for images online and find the movie.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 2020-04-06
Does not get more real
Grim at places but beautiful.
This real life story takes you as close to reality as possible.
The author speaks truly from deep inside.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Safjoe
- 2020-02-18
Sobering!
For those that are dreamers: May the truth guide you and poison you not to the perils that befell those that came before you, for through the desire to achieve you will invite your own perils and whether by force or through providence you either will or you won't end up where you intended. Whatever the outcome, so it should be for therein lies your lesson or your salvation. Interpret both with grace.
A sad story, expertly told.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amanda
- 2020-01-12
Into Thin Air
The subject matter of the book is riviting, and Jon Krakauer uses his excellent journalistic skills to draw the reader into the events. You will not only feel as if you were there to experience it, you will also be confronted by some of the very difficult moral choices people had to make.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 2018-05-29
Great book...
Loved it! i'm not a mountaineer but enjoyed the epic story! Great, Gripping, and life lessons to be learned.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 2017-09-27
Great
It feels like as true an accounting of a tragedy, that anyone can give, having being in the middel and/or apart of it.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kate Oats
- 2017-05-14
Compelling and cautionary
Tragic story compellingly told. Use of accents by narrator was not great though, as someone very familiar with South African and New Zealand accents, it made for some awkward moments. Otherwise, a very good listen.