In May 1996, Jon Krakauer set out for the summit of Mount Everest, on assignment with Outside magazine, led by guide Rob Hall. An unexpected blizzard hit Everest the next day, putting the lives of the more than forty guides, climbers, and sherpas up there that day in peril; eight people perished in the disaster. Into Thin Air is Krakauer's account of the events leading up to the climb that day -- and his account of the experience on the mountain.

Into Thin Air was a wild success -- and with good reason. Alastair Scott at The New York Times said, "[Krakauer] has produced a narrative that is both meticulously researched and deftly constructed. Unlike the expedition, his story rushes irresistibly forward. But perhaps Mr. Krakauer's greatest achievement is his evocation of the deadly storm, his ability to re-create its effects with a lucid and terrifying intimacy."

The book was released in 1997, and Krakauer lends his own voice to the oral telling in the audiobook version. Listen to this excerpt below.