Download or read book Into Thin Air written by Jon Krakauer and published by Anchor. This book was released on 1998-11-12 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The epic account of the storm on the summit of Mt. Everest that claimed five lives and left countless more—including Krakauer's—in guilt-ridden disarray. "A harrowing tale of the perils of high-altitude climbing, a story of bad luck and worse judgment and of heartbreaking heroism." —PEOPLE A bank of clouds was assembling on the not-so-distant horizon, but journalist-mountaineer Jon Krakauer, standing on the summit of Mt. Everest, saw nothing that "suggested that a murderous storm was bearing down." He was wrong. By writing Into Thin Air, Krakauer may have hoped to exorcise some of his own demons and lay to rest some of the painful questions that still surround the event. He takes great pains to provide a balanced picture of the people and events he witnessed and gives due credit to the tireless and dedicated Sherpas. He also avoids blasting easy targets such as Sandy Pittman, the wealthy socialite who brought an espresso maker along on the expedition. Krakauer's highly personal inquiry into the catastrophe provides a great deal of insight into what went wrong. But for Krakauer himself, further interviews and investigations only lead him to the conclusion that his perceived failures were directly responsible for a fellow climber's death. Clearly, Krakauer remains haunted by the disaster, and although he relates a number of incidents in which he acted selflessly and even heroically, he seems unable to view those instances objectively. In the end, despite his evenhanded and even generous assessment of others' actions, he reserves a full measure of vitriol for himself. This updated trade paperback edition of Into Thin Air includes an extensive new postscript that sheds fascinating light on the acrimonious debate that flared between Krakauer and Everest guide Anatoli Boukreev in the wake of the tragedy. "I have no doubt that Boukreev's intentions were good on summit day," writes Krakauer in the postscript, dated August 1999. "What disturbs me, though, was Boukreev's refusal to acknowledge the possibility that he made even a single poor decision. Never did he indicate that perhaps it wasn't the best choice to climb without gas or go down ahead of his clients." As usual, Krakauer supports his points with dogged research and a good dose of humility. But rather than continue the heated discourse that has raged since Into Thin Air's denouncement of guide Boukreev, Krakauer's tone is conciliatory; he points most of his criticism at G. Weston De Walt, who coauthored The Climb, Boukreev's version of events. And in a touching conclusion, Krakauer recounts his last conversation with the late Boukreev, in which the two weathered climbers agreed to disagree about certain points. Krakauer had great hopes to patch things up with Boukreev, but the Russian later died in an avalanche on another Himalayan peak, Annapurna I. In 1999, Krakauer received an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters--a prestigious prize intended "to honor writers of exceptional accomplishment." According to the Academy's citation, "Krakauer combines the tenacity and courage of the finest tradition of investigative journalism with the stylish subtlety and profound insight of the born writer. His account of an ascent of Mount Everest has led to a general reevaluation of climbing and of the commercialization of what was once a romantic, solitary sport; while his account of the life and death of Christopher McCandless, who died of starvation after challenging the Alaskan wilderness, delves even more deeply and disturbingly into the fascination of nature and the devastating effects of its lure on a young and curious mind."

Download or read book The True Adventures of Charley Darwin written by Carolyn Meyer and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 2009 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Just in time for Charles Darwin's 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of the publication of "On the Origin of Species," Meyer tells the story of his restless childhood, unrequited teenage love, and a passion for studying nature that was so great, Darwin would sacrifice everything to pursue it.

Download or read book El G ero written by Elizabeth Borton De Trevino and published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR). This book was released on 1991-10-01 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: His father's loyalty to the Mexican president deposed by Porfirio Diaz in 1876 forces a boy known as El Güero and his family into exile to the dangerous Baja California territory.

Download or read book The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P Figg Scholastic Gold written by Rodman Philbrick and published by Scholastic Inc.. This book was released on 2012-11-01 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Newbery Honor Book, this warm, funny, & heart-wrenching Civil War novel introduces readers to the Battle of Gettysburg & "Little Round Top," one of the most famous feats of bravery in U.S. history! In this emotive, Newbery Honor-winning page-turner, 12 year-old orphan Homer runs away from Pine Swamp, Maine, to find his older brother, Harold, who has been sold into the Union Army. With laugh-aloud humor, Homer outwits and outruns a colorful assortment of Civil War-era thieves, scallywags, and spies as he makes his way south, following clues that finally lead him to the Battle of Gettysburg and the dramatic story of the 20th Maine at Little Round Top. Even through a hail of gunfire, Homer never loses heart--but will he find his brother? Or will it be too late?With engaging wit and comical repartee reminiscent of Mark Twain, master storyteller Rodman Philbrick introduces us to the unforgettable character of Homer in this groundbreaking historical novel.The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg joins the Scholastic Gold line, which features award-winning and beloved novels. Includes exclusive bonus content!

Download or read book Apollo 13 Totally True Adventures written by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld and published by Random House Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2015-03-24 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Could you survive an outer-space disaster? Aspiring astronauts and young explorers will love this out-of-this-world Totally True Adventure. Astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise blasted off for the Moon on April 11, 1970. But after a disastrous explosion damaged their spacecraft, the three men had only one goal: to get back home safely. This informational text makes space travel exciting and accessible for younger readers and features illustrations, photographs, a map, and additional Story Behind the Story facts. Perfect for readers of the I Survived series and the Who Was series, Totally True Adventures are captivating nonfiction stories with not-to-be-missed bonus content.

Download or read book The Black Pimpernel written by Zukiswa Wanner and published by Pushkin Children's Books. This book was released on 2022-09-27 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The story of Nelson Mandela's early years on the run from the apartheid authorities JOHANNESBURG. MARCH 1961. Thirty-one activists are on trial for treason. Among their number is Nelson Mandela, a rising star of the resistance movement and one of the biggest threats to the South African government and their racist system of apartheid. To everyone's surprise, they are found not guilty. But rather than relish his newfound freedom, Nelson disappears. With this, the incredible true story of Nelson Mandela's life on the run begins. For months, he is an outlaw, the police and secret services hunting him in vain, living under new identities and separated from his young family. His mission? To set up armed resistance to apartheid, and in doing so change the course of history.

Download or read book Before Columbus written by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel and published by Random House Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2004-07 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Five hundred years before Columbus, a young Viking named Leif Eriksson crossed the Atlantic and became the first-known European to set foot in North America. The tale of the crossing has been passed down for 1000 years. Now Elizabeth Cody Kimmel retells it to a new audience, painting a vivid picture of what Eriksson might have experienced. Includes reproductions of maps, illustrations, and Viking artifacts.

Download or read book The Greatest Adventure written by Tony Piedra and published by Scholastic Inc.. This book was released on 2018-09-11 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Where does true adventure come from? A young Latino boy and his grandfather find the true answer together. Eliot imagines sailing wild rivers and discovering giant beasts, right there on his block! But he wishes his adventures were real. Eliot's grandpa, El Capitan, once steered his own ship through dangerous seas, to far-off lands. But he can't do that anymore. Can Eliot and El Capitan discover a real adventure... together? Come find out! All aboard The Greatest Adventure!

Download or read book The Search for El Dorado Totally True Adventures written by Lois Miner Huey and published by Random House Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2016-04-19 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Was the City of Gold a real place? Treasure seekers and mystery readers alike will love this action-packed Totally True Adventure. Towers of gold! Glittering streets! Jewels, coins, and more! Early Spanish explorers heard a story about El Dorado. It was a lost city in the Americas made of gold. The explorers believed it was real—and they believed they could find it! Soon the story became a legend, and the legend changed the world. But the city of El Dorado has not been found . . . yet. This nonfiction chapter book makes history exciting and accessible for younger readers and features illustrations, photographs, a map, Common Core connections, and additional Story Behind the Story facts. Perfect for readers of the I Survived series and the Who Was . . . ? series, Totally True Adventures are captivating nonfiction stories with not-to-be-missed bonus content.

Download or read book The True Adventures of John Steinbeck Writer written by Jackson J. Benson and published by New York : Viking Press. This book was released on 1984 with total page 1196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reveals the dimensions of the man and the events of his life as he pursued his artistic vocation.

Download or read book Harry Truman s Excellent Adventure written by Matthew Algeo and published by Chicago Review Press. This book was released on 2011 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Missouri to New York and back again, this work chronicles the amazing road trip of a former president and his wife and their amusing, failed attempts to keep a low profile.

Download or read book The True Adventures of Nicolo Zen written by Nicholas Christopher and published by Ember. This book was released on 2015-10 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A richly detailed historical novel from master storyteller Nicholas Christopher that School Library Journal calls " A] lush tale of music, magic, and intrigue" Nicol Zen is all alone in 1700s Venice, save for his clarinet, which a mysterious magician had enchanted, allowing its first player to perform expertly. Soon Nicol is a famous virtuoso, wealthy beyond his dreams, but he can't stop wondering if he earned the success himself--or what might happen if the spell were removed. And throughout it all, he continues to think about the girl he met in Venice, what she might be doing and if she's safe from harm. With a guest appearance by composer Vivaldi, and brimming with fascinating period details, this is a compelling coming-of-age story full of universal themes and a love story that will conjure memories of Romeo and Juliet, perfect for teens who love stories set in other times, and a magician who dresses all in white and can be in two places at once. . . .

Download or read book The True Adventures of the Rolling Stones written by Stanley Booth and published by Chicago Review Press. This book was released on 2014-10-01 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stanley Booth, a member of the Rolling Stones' inner circle, met the band just a few months before Brian Jones drowned in a swimming pool in 1968. He lived with them throughout their 1969 tour across the United States, staying up all night together listening to blues, talking about music, ingesting drugs, and consorting with groupies. His thrilling account culminates with their final concert at Altamont Speedway—a nightmare of beating, stabbing, and killing that would signal the end of a generation's dreams of peace and freedom. But while this book renders in fine detail the entire history of the Stones, paying special attention to the tragedy of Brian Jones, it is about much more than a writer and a rock band. It has been called—by Harold Brodkey and Robert Stone, among others—the best book ever written about the 1960s. In Booth's afterword, he finally explains why it took him 15 years to write the book, relating an astonishing story of drugs, jails, and disasters. Updated to include a foreword by Greil Marcus, this 30th anniversary edition is for Rolling Stones fans everywhere.

Download or read book True Adventures Collection written by Paul Dowswell and published by Usborne Books. This book was released on 2007 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contains thirty-three true stories of survival, heroes, and spies from throughout history.

Download or read book The Flag Never Touched the Ground written by Kekla Magoon and published by Pushkin Children's Books. This book was released on 2022-09-27 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The story of an all-black regiment's assault on the impregnable Fort Wagner in the Civil War, an act of extraordinary courage that changed hearts and minds in America for ever THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR. 1863. On a cold beach in South Carolina, the soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment are marching into battle. Their mission: to capture the impregnable Fort Wagner. The odds are heavily against them, and the stakes could not be higher - they are one of the first all-Black regiments in the Union Army, and all of America is watching them. Among their ranks is William Harvey Carney. A former enslaved man who escaped to the North, he knows what a precious thing freedom is. So when the bugle sounds, and the regimental flag is hoisted high, William charges towards the guns.

Download or read book Dolphin Adventure written by Wayne Grover and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2000-07-05 with total page 83 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Eighty feet below the ocean's surface, Wayne Grover hears a clicking sound. Soon he sees three dolphins--two adults and a baby--swimming toward him. A large fishing hook is embedded in the baby's back, and suddenly Wayne realizes that, in their own way, the dolphins are asking for his help.

Download or read book Bud Me written by Alta Abernathy and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1909 5-year-old Temple and his 9-year-old, Bud, rode from Frederick, Oklahoma to Santa Fe, New Mexico...Alone. And that was only the beginning -- Book jacket.