''After the Wind: 1996 Everest Tragedy—One Survivor’s Story'' is a book by Lou Kasischke that details his experiences as a client on

Rob Hall Robert Edwin Hall (14 January 1961 – 11 May 1996) was a New Zealand mountaineer. He was the head guide of a 1996 Mount Everest expedition during which he, a fellow guide, and two clients died. A best-selling account of the expedition was ...

’s expedition during the 1996 Mount Everest tragedy. The accident killed eight climbers—including four from the Hall expedition—and remained the worst climbing accident on

Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...

until the

2014 Mount Everest avalanche On 18 April 2014, seracs on the western spur of Mount Everest failed, resulting in an ice avalanche that killed sixteen climbing Sherpa people, Sherpas in the Khumbu Icefall. This was the same icefall where the 1970 Mount Everest disaster had t ...

. The book features 55 illustrations by Jane Cardinal and was published in 2014 by Good Hart Publishing.

Overview

Although he wrote the book in the aftermath of the tragedy, Kasischke waited 16 years to release ''After the Wind''. The book focuses on the events leading up to the ascent, Kasischke’s experiences on the mountain, and his motivation for turning around 400 feet from the summit, as well as the close relationship he shares with his wife, Sandy. Though Kasischke avoids blaming any single person for the tragedy, he does note that the presence of journalist

Jon Krakauer Jon Krakauer (born April 12, 1954) is an American writer and mountaineer. He is the author of bestselling nonfiction books—'' Into the Wild''; '' Into Thin Air''; '' Under the Banner of Heaven''; and '' Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pa ...

may have caused guide

, whose

Adventure Consultants Adventure Consultants, formerly Hall and Ball Adventure Consultants, is a New Zealand-based adventure company that brings trekking and climbing groups to various locations. Founded by Rob Hall and Gary Ball in 1991, it helped pioneer the com ...

business was in competition with

Scott Fischer Scott Eugene Fischer (December 24, 1955 – May 11, 1996) was an American mountaineer and mountain guide. He was renowned for ascending the world's highest mountains without supplemental oxygen. Fischer and Wally Berg were the first Americans ...

’s

Mountain Madness Mountain Madness is a Seattle-based mountaineering and trekking company. The company specializes in mountain adventure travel and has a training school for mountain and rock climbing. History Fischer and Krause In 1984, Scott Fischer, Wes K ...

, to take uncharacteristic risks on the mountain in an effort to get as many clients as possible to the summit and subsequently receive favorable press from Krakauer's report.

Reception

''After the Wind'' received favorable reviews from critics. ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

'' gave the book a

starred review A starred review is a book review marked with a star to denote a book of distinction or particularly high quality. A starred review can help to increase media coverage, bookstore placement and sales of a book. Outlets that published starred review ...

, describing it as "a vivid, intimate memoir that, with great clarity and attention to detail, tells an unforgettable survival story." Blue Ink Reviews labelled the book a "thoughtful, well-written love story" and "an edge-of-your-seat description of navigating and mountaineering Everest," and awarded the book a starred review. It was also nominated for the 2014 Kirkus Prize for non-fiction and was a finalist for Eric Hoffer Grand Prize and First Horizon Book Awards. A reviewer of ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' commented "His narrative is stark and accessible, bringing the mountaineer's journey to life in accessible language, though the internal monologue veers toward self-indulgent reflection and recriminations... Regardless of why the tragedy occurred, Kasischke’s account provides an eye-opening look at the perils and extreme conditions on Everest. Evocative illustrations by Jane Cardinal further enhance the text, and include maps and timelines".

Awards

* Gold Medal: Benjamin Franklin Book Award, Best New Voice in Nonfiction * Bronze Medal: Foreword Reviews' Book of the Year Award: Adventure * Winner: New York Book Festival, Memoir * Winner: National Indie Excellence Book Award, Adventure and Memoir * 1st Runner-Up: The Eric Hoffer Book Award for Independent Books, Memoir * Winner: Shelf Unbound Best Independently Published Book * Bronze Medal: Independent Publishers Association Book Award, Sports

References

{{Reflist Climbing and mountaineering books Mount Everest in fiction Books about survival skills 2014 non-fiction books

Overview

Reception

Awards

See also

Books and films

Lists

References