The White Death: Tragedy and Heroism in an Avalanche Zone

The White Death: Tragedy and Heroism in an Avalanche Zone
Average customer rating:

Too much technical information

Makes you think twice before skiing again

A Scary and Scientific Read

A valuable read for skiers and climbers

An extraordinary book

The White Death: Tragedy and Heroism in an Avalanche Zone
Mckay Jenkins
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Natural Disasters | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Mountaineering | Sports | Subjects | Books
Mountain Climbing | Mountaineering | Sports | Subjects | Books
Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0385720777
Release Date: 2001-02-13

Amazon.com

By turns gripping, informative, and even frightening, The White Death probes the interplay of human endeavor in the mountains, the fragile beauty of snow, and nature's mysterious power. Jenkins succeeds admirably in melding human drama with the indifference of natural forces, allowing the "avalanche-beast" to build in character through survivors' reports, news clippings, and scientific findings. The book's emotional centerpiece is the tragic story of an avalanche that roared down Mount Cleveland in Glacier National Park, where five young climbers set out to scale the treacherous North Face. Just days into their climb, snow and strong winds set in. "What they saw could not have been inviting: snow clouds covered the mountain's summit...with loose powder avalanches regularly scrubbing it clean." Bud Anderson, older brother to one of the climbers, flew his single-engine plane over the mountain to observe the team's progress. "He hoped, perhaps, to rock his wings at them as a sign of encouragement, or congratulations." Instead, "his breath caught. The tracks ended at the unmistakable edge of a massive fresh avalanche..." Jenkins's stirring account pieces the clues and rescue efforts together to read like a true and terrible mystery being solved.

The horror of being buried alive by snow is vivid and sober among these pages, and is sure to chill climbers as well as those reading from the comforts of central heating. The author's vision is acute and helps better assess the bounds of our human capacity and domain. --Byron Ricks

Book Description

In 1969, five young men from Montana set out to accomplish what no one had before: to scale the sheer north face of Mt. Cleveland, Glacier National Park's tallest mountain, in winter. Two days later tragedy struck: they were buried in an avalanche so deep that their bodies would not be discovered until the following June. The White Death is the riveting account of that fated climb and of the breathtakingly heroic rescue attempt that ensued.
In the spirit of Peter Matthiessen and John McPhee, McKay Jenkins interweaves a harrowing narrative with an astonishing expanse of relevant knowledge ranging from the history of mountain climbing to the science of snow. Evocative and moving, this fascinating book is a humbling account of man at his most intrepid and nature at its most indomitable.

Customer Reviews:

Too much technical information.......2006-10-25

The actual story of the 5 boys would make a good chapter in a book about avalanche disasters. There was not enough story in itself for a whole book, so the author turned it into an historical narrative about the formation of mountains, snow, avalanches, etc; the history of mountain climbing, rescues, etc.; a brief biograghy of everyone involved in the rescue. Way too much irrelevant information if you just want an exciting story. I kept forgetting what I was reading about because so little of it had to do with the story of the 5 boys.

Makes you think twice before skiing again.......2002-02-06

Throughout history, mountains have held a certain irresistible appeal, an unknown feeling of holy ascendence. That appeal has held through the ages, and envelops people who have already done something important with their lives, those who haven't, and older people as well as young people. Being close to nature, risking everything for the beauty of the view from the top of a mountain, for the physical prize after a hard climb, for the closeness a peak brings heaven or any sentient all-powerful being; these are all rewards from a successful climb, and these are not all. But there is also so much to risk - life itself, which, being already so short, is worth more than anything imaginable. People risk themselves constantly through mountain climbs or extreme sports, believing the rewards far outweigh the losses. The White Death is a well-told story of five boys who risked it all for the climb of a lifetime.

McKay Jenkins transforms the elusive and unknown world of avalanches to an intriguing story of mountain rescues. Don't read this book expecting it to focus on the lost boys; it won't. But you'll learn all about avalanche rescue techniques, types of snow and how to test them for avalanche safety, helicopter rescues, et cetera. You get my point.

I would completely recommend this book to any skiier, boarder, hiker, climber, or person interested in the outdoors and rescues. I picked this book off the shelf because I liked the cover, then read the flap and borrowed it. It is definately worth the time to read "The White Death".

A Scary and Scientific Read.......2001-06-13

I am not a mountain climber, nor a skier, but I love the outdoors and the mountains, thus my interest in this book. I was pleasantly surprised by the author's flowing writing style and the way he seamlessly incorporated historic details about avalanche disasters and the science of snowflakes and snowpack. This book offers a wide breadth of fact while expertly narrating the gripping story of the plight of these five climbers, and the lives of those they left behind. If you enjoyed "The Perfect Storm" or "Into Thin Air", you will not be disappointed at all with this book. This ranks up there with the finest natural disaster books I have read, and I highly recommend it.

A valuable read for skiers and climbers.......2001-05-17

This book does a great job of blending snow science and the history of human avalanche experience with a compelling personal story of five unfortunate young climbers. If the scientific and historical perspectives in this book had been available to these climbers, their story would likely be a different one. Anyone interested in skiing or climbing in mountainous backcountry should find this book to be informative, intriguing, and, if not for the tragedy, enjoyable. This book presents the dry text of snow science in a package that will hold your interest. Though flawed in its accuracy regarding personal history, details of mountaineering and local geography, it provides knowledge about the nature of snow and its metamorphosis that any mountain adventurer should be aware of. I am sending a copy to a friend who teaches avalanche awareness classes, as I know he'll thoroughly enjoy it...in spite of the tragedy.

An extraordinary book.......2001-03-10

I spent several years as the book critic for Outside magazine, during which time I had the opportunity (and sometimes misfortune) to read dozens of books about mountaineering tragedies and triumphs. The White Death is one of the genre's very best, in part because of Jenkins' considerable skills as a storyteller and wordsmith, and in part because--unlike the professional climbers who typically write such tomes--he has healthy skepticism about the sport itself. This is not simply a tale about "tragedy and heroism," as the subtitle indicates, but also about hubris, teen angst and dumb luck. It's also a paean to an extraordinary place (Glacier National Park) and an endlessly fascinating and mysterious phenomenon (snow). Written with flair and suspense, it unfolds with the power of a wall of white cascading down a slope.

Book Description

Packed with stunning photographs, easy-to-use maps, and all the information you really need to know to get the most from your visit to Tuscany: Natural beauty, rolling hills, gentle valleys, lush vineyards, endless fields of sunflowers; magnificent art from the Renaissance masterpieces of Florence to the medieval splendor of Siena; pastoral hill towns, the towers of San Gimignano, the Etruscan treasures of Volterra, the vineyards of Montepulciano; Umbrian gems, Perugia, center for chocolate- and pasta-making, Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis, and Orvieto, with its spectacular Duomo; shopping tips, a guide to the best of Tuscan cuisine, a guide to music and folk festivals, plus language and culture tips.

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Manufacturer: Baedekers Guides
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0028600843

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ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Binding: Library Binding

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Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers , Shuter , and Hicks
Manufacturer: Steck-Vaughn
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"Don't let the grass grow beneath your feet!": Collected anecdotes of Genevieve
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Binding: Paperback
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Although several books and conference proceedings have already appeared dealing with either the mathematical aspects or applications of homogenization theory, there seems to be no comprehensive volume dealing with both aspects. The present volume is meant to fill this gap, at least partially, and deals with recent developments in nonlinear homogenization emphasizing applications of current interest. It contains thirteen key lectures presented at the NATO Advanced Workshop on Nonlinear Homogenization and Its Applications to Composites, Polycrystals and Smart Materials. The list of thirty one contributed papers is also appended.

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British Government and Politics Since 1945 (Hansard Society Series in Politics & Government)

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Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Europe | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Since 1945 Britain has moved from a Cabinet to a Prime Ministerial style of government, and from confrontational to consensual politics and back again. This volume surveys the state of British politics over the last fifty years and charts the changes in the central features of the British system of government and the types of individuals who become politicians.

The British Press and Broadcasting Since 1945 (Language in Society)

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Succinct and general overview

The British Press and Broadcasting Since 1945 (Language in Society)
Colin, Seymour-Ure
Manufacturer: Blackwell Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Communications | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0631164448

Book Description

This second edition of Colin Seymour-Ure's history of the press and broadcasting in post-war Britain offers a concise and fully up-to-date overview of the development of the media and its central role in British society. The book covers the period from a time when the phrase "mass media" was barely used, to the era of international media conglomerates and global communications. Supported by detailed tables, the analysis traces changes in what was available and what people used - the size and ownership of the national and provincial press; the growth of television and the impact of ITV; the decline and revival of radio; the continuities and differences in what people read, looked at, listened to and liked. This updated edition also covers recent developments such as the proliferation of satellite use, upheavel at the BBC, and the reform of ITV in the 1990 Broadcasting Act. Such developments place more weight than ever on the relations between media and politics. Seymour-Ure's analysis focuses on the key question of accountability - the accountability of politicians through media to the public, and the accountability of media themselves.

Customer Reviews:

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ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SE8YEM

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BRITISH SOCIETY SINCE 1945
ARTHUR MARWICK
Manufacturer: PENGUIN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000S2BQOE

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Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Manufacturer: Edwin Mellen Press
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Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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The Temper of the Times: British Society Since World War II
Bill Williamson
Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishers
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General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Making books: design in British publishing since 1945.: An article from: Papers of the Bibliographical Society of Canada

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Making books: design in British publishing since 1945.: An article from: Papers of the Bibliographical Society of Canada

Manufacturer: Bibliographical Society of Canada
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Papers of the Bibliographical Society of Canada, published by Bibliographical Society of Canada on September 22, 2000. The length of the article is 972 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Making books: design in British publishing since 1945.
Publication: Papers of the Bibliographical Society of Canada (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2000
Publisher: Bibliographical Society of Canada
Volume: 38 Issue: 2 Page: 126-8

Article Type: Book Review

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