Hardcover edition
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Author | Lou Kasischke |
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Illustrator | Jane Cardinal |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Subject | 1996 Mount Everest tragedy |
Genre | Non-fiction |
Publisher | Good Hart Publishing |
Publication date
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2014 |
Media type | |
Pages | 328 pp. |
ISBN |
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’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 until the 2014 Mount Everest avalanche. The book features 55 illustrations by Jane Cardinal and was published in 2014 by Good Hart Publishing.
Initially written 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.
Using the analytical skills acquired from his many years as a corporate attorney, Kasischke also offers a fresh analysis of how the tragedy unfolded and the decisions—both individual and collective—that contributed to it. Though Kasischke avoids blaming any single person for the tragedy, he does note that the presence of journalist Jon Krakauer may have caused guide Rob Hall, whose Adventure Consultants business was in competition with Scott Fischer’s Mountain Madness, 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.
After the Wind received favorable reviews from critics. Kirkus Reviews gave the book a 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.