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Dark Summit: The Extraordinary True Story of Everest's Most Controversial Season Paperback – International Edition, April 2, 2009

by Nick Heil (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars 1,617 ratings
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Dark Summit
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  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Virgin Books
  4. Publication date
    April 2, 2009
  5. Dimensions
    5.31 x 0.75 x 7.76 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0753515709
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0753515709
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Virgin Books (April 2, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0753515709
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0753515709
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.7 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 0.75 x 7.76 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 1,617 ratings

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Nick Heil

Nick Heil

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4.4 out of 5 stars
1,617 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book an excellent read with a detailed narrative and well-documented story of the 2006 Everest season. The writing is unbiased and rich in mountaineering history, making it fascinating and engaging. They appreciate the book's look, with one customer highlighting the color pictures in the middle. The pacing receives mixed reactions, with some comparing it to "Into Thin Air."

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61 customers mention "Readability"61 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as an excellent read that reads like a novel, with one customer noting it's worth 8 hours of their time.

"...Fast paced and hard to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book." Read more

"...Dark Summit is well worth 8 hours of your time and $17. Strengths: This is generally a well-designed book by Henry Holt...." Read more

"I recommend this book, because it was informative, and a fast, entertaining read, but with one caveat for readers who are not fascinated by..." Read more

"This is an excellent work, that tells a great deal about David Sharp being found in "Green Boots" cave, alive, near the top of Mt. Everest...." Read more

39 customers mention "Narrative quality"39 positive0 negative

Customers praise the book's detailed and well-researched narrative, with one customer noting how it chronicles the 2006 season.

"...The story here is much more complete than the video series was...." Read more

"...Good bibliography...." Read more

"...The narrative is smooth, very well-written, and a great work of storytelling. I read it in one day! It was hard to put down...." Read more

"...Background and context are important, but over one third of this book is just a history of Everest, giving agonizing detail on the surveyor after..." Read more

39 customers mention "Writing quality"28 positive11 negative

Customers find the book well-written and unbiased, with one customer noting that the author strikes the right non-judgmental note.

"...The story here is much more complete than the video series was. Extremely well written with "just the facts" and, sometimes, both sides presented on..." Read more

"...Good bibliography. Weakness: Heil's writing is readable indeed, but Heil does not come across as a naturally gifted writer..." Read more

"...After the perfection of "Into Thin Air," this does not read like a classic mountaineering masterpiece, so I guess Jon Krakauer and David Roberts..." Read more

"...The narrative is smooth, very well-written, and a great work of storytelling. I read it in one day! It was hard to put down...." Read more

23 customers mention "History"20 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the book's mountaineering history, with one customer noting its detailed coverage of expedition culture and another highlighting its vivid portrayal of climbing experiences.

"...He also provides a great backstory on Russell Brice, considered Big Boss of the mountain, whose Himex expedition is the gold standard...." Read more

"...It details the hardships of climbing Everest, how the mind and is I a story of how to survive, and how choices must be made...." Read more

"...It covers in detail what an expedition to Everest entails and really gets across how difficult it can be when it goes wrong...." Read more

"...personalities involved, but the book also gives a cogent history of Everest climbing in general...." Read more

13 customers mention "Interest"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book fascinating and engaging, describing it as riveting and thought-provoking.

"...Those things aside, it is a fascinating story about an interesting and controversial climbing season on a great mountain...." Read more

"...about climbing Mt. Everest that I did not thoroughly enjoy and find engrossing. Jon Krakauer's book, of course, remains the stand-out in this genre...." Read more

"...is about (the climbers of this particular season) it is absolutely thrilling! Those parts are well written and you can really fly through the pages...." Read more

"A thought provoking, articulate and very informative read...." Read more

10 customers mention "Look"10 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's appearance, with one mentioning the color pictures in the middle and another noting its outstanding photos.

"...Strengths: This is generally a well-designed book by Henry Holt. The book has a very readable type face, and sports several outstanding photos...." Read more

"...Nick Heil does a beautiful job introducing us to the history of Everest expeditions - failures and successes - and the hubris, dreams and..." Read more

"...As anyone knows who has been there, Everest has a magical allure but at the same time the margin for error or inadequate preparation is slim...." Read more

"This is an interesting look at this history of the mountain and its many conquerors and those who lost their way." Read more

10 customers mention "Pacing"5 positive5 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some comparing it to "Into Thin Air" and finding it engaging, while others describe it as choppy and monotonous.

"...Well written and probably is the analogue of Into Thin Air. Also recommend to read is High Crimes by Michael Kodas...." Read more

"...hard to make true stories read easily this author did a good but not great job. Got a little jumpy at times. Hard to keep track of everyone." Read more

"...I was engaged throughout." Read more

"...It's just so monotone, so I'd say skip it on audio, and read it." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • MJM
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read
    Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I recently watched the Discovery video of Russell Brice's team on Everest in 2006 and then came across this book. The story here is much more complete than the video series was. Extremely well written with "just the facts" and, sometimes, both sides presented on what may or may not have happened to cause the deaths of so many people. Fast paced and hard to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Mr. Jones
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good addition to Everest lit
    Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2008
    Verified Purchase
    Dark Summit is a welcome addition to Everest literature. Heil writes in an even-handed tone, and attempts to give a balanced view of what happened in 2006. Heil examines the deaths of David Sharp, Thomas Weber, and the near-death experience of Lincoln Hall. Weber's death, I feel, remains most puzzling and bizarre. Russell Brice and Himex receive extensive coverage.

    Dark Summit is well worth 8 hours of your time and $17.

    Strengths: This is generally a well-designed book by Henry Holt. The book has a very readable type face, and sports several outstanding photos. Heil offers a more nuanced perspective on Russell Brice and Himex than offered by his detractors. Good bibliography.

    Weakness: Heil's writing is readable indeed, but Heil does not come across as a naturally gifted writer (compare: Michael Kodas [High Crimes] is a much stronger and fluid writer). This book would have benefited from another round of editing.

    Examples:
    p. 137
    "Within the next hour, Sharp would have climbed the last dihedral, cresting a gently sloping corniced ridge, the summit straight ahead. If the crossing the last section of the ridgeline appeared difficult--and what didn't at such altitude?--even more difficult would be returning to the world below with the business unfinished. The summit wasn't the end of the journey, but it was its culmination--the cure for the things that had gnawed inside him for so long."

    p. 182
    "They harped on the old oxygen bugaboo--faulty equipment (7 Summits Club had swapped out about a third of its regulators during the trip), the unreliability of refilled canisters--but the thrust of the editorials was becoming less about technical issues and more about the ethic behind the action."

    Heil also engages in speculation in various places of the book regarding David Sharp, and parts of the book appears to be a summary of the excellent Everest series on Discovery.

    Reference to Joe Tasker's body on p.42 needed an elaboration, and contrary to the index, Tasker is not mentioned on pages 43-45.
    30 people found this helpful
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  • Christine
    5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible Read
    Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I've been fascinated by those with an obsession to climb Everest. Nick Heil does a beautiful job introducing us to the history of Everest expeditions - failures and successes - and the hubris, dreams and eccentricities of its climbers. Although Heil uses Russell Brice's Himex operation as a narrative anchor of sorts, he also looks at other teams on the mountain and the tragedies that befell them in 2006. The narrative is smooth, very well-written, and a great work of storytelling. I read it in one day! It was hard to put down.

    Heil accomplishes his mission to tell the story of the 2006 climbing season - the deadliest after 1996 - without passing judgment on the actors. The deaths of so many - including David Sharp - should cause the climbing community to stop and think. Heil brings up many good arguments regarding the personal responsibility of climbers, the ability to save severely incapacitated people above 8,000 meters, and how sometimes, yes, miracles do happen when people risk their own lives to help others. He also provides a great backstory on Russell Brice, considered Big Boss of the mountain, whose Himex expedition is the gold standard. He also talks about the post-Sharp controvery surrounding Brice and double amputee climber Inglis. For some reason, the brunt of criticism fell on their heads.

    It didn't change my personal feelings about the Everest climb. I am in awe of the human drive to conquer great physical challenges. We need people like Inglis in the world. But much blame needs to fall on David Sharp - and other climbers - who took completely unnecessary risks on the mountain. Sharp took the cheap, self-sufficient route at $7000, opting to climb with little supplemental oxygen, no sherpas, and no radio communication. He didn't even climb with a friend or companion who could kick him and say "Get up, David! We cannot stop. We must go down now!" I think the title - Dark Summit - is not just about some of the questionable actions that take place around climber deaths. I think it's also about the darker part of human hubris, the part that ignores reality and pushes forward into the abyss in the hopes of glory. The part of us that chooses to ignore the risks in order to say "I did it."
    10 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Cristina Cortes
    1.0 out of 5 stars Hard to follow
    Reviewed in Mexico on August 6, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    The narrative was hard to follow, and to keep up with the dates, characters, and the outcome. Overall it was a boring.
    Report
  • B_Island
    5.0 out of 5 stars A true mountaineer book, not just a look at the negative aspects, but quite balanced
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 16, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    It's a great read. Especially well written also. This author is passionate about mountaineering (and obviously about grammar and vocabulary too), and seems to have the same deep curiosity about the "why" part as I have - so he is asking and finding answers to the exact questions I was searching for. Loved this book.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in India on November 29, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting read....but slightly lagging at times...raises questions about morality and ambition
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  • Hella Wahnsinn
    1.0 out of 5 stars bad
    Reviewed in Germany on December 29, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    The author for sure received money from the main suspect of the tragedy, the operator of the whole business to relief him from guilt. Everything is just a justification, that he did nothing wrong. BOring, not worth to be read. There exist so many good books about moiuntaineering, don't wast your time with this!!!
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  • Sissou
    5.0 out of 5 stars Lâcheté et héroïsme en très haute montagne
    Reviewed in France on March 18, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Une palpitante description des moments sombres de l'accès à l'Everest par le versant tibétain (nord), quand chacun lutte pour sa propre survie (mais aussi parfois, "seulement" pour l'accès au sommet). Des alpinistes en perdition dans la "zone de la mort", certains seront sauvés, d'autres non, mais qui peut juger le comportement des autres grimpeurs ? Certains seront héroïques, désintéressés, mettant parfois leur propre vie en jeu, d'autres seront indifférents, concentrés sur leur propre progression et survie.
    Passionnant - et réfrigérant - du début à la fin. Et la grande question : qu'aurais je fait ? Même si l'on n'est, comme moi, qu'un "armchair alpinist".
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