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Book recommendations please

Original Post
Tanner James · · Tahoe · Joined Dec 2019 · Points: 1,683

Hey team, haven’t read many “mountain” or climbing books at all before but I was recommended reading “kiss or kill” by Mark twight recently. I picked it up and read it cover to cover in one full day, really incredibly captivating read and super interesting. I’m looking for recommendations for similar books, anything related to mountaineering or climbing, just really any good material centered around pushing it and adventure. Open to any suggestions at all, thanks!

Sean Sullivan · · Idyllwild, CA · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 115

I really loved "Hang Dog Days". Great story. Great characters. Kinda felt like Stand by Me but with climbing. 

Also, "American Rock" is another great one. The author takes you on a tour of the country's climbing areas and gives you an overview of the style, the history, and some classic stories. 

jdejace · · New England · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 5

Dr. Doom is a character and I'm not sure there's anything out there quite like Kiss or Kill. But here's a list of entertaining mountaineering books. There are plenty more I'm sure.

Beyond the Mountain 

The Calling

Above the Clouds 

Freedom Climbers

Touching the Void

Buried in the Sky

Eiger Dreams 

Any of Greg Child's books (Thin Air, Postcards from the Ledge)

Annapurna 

The White Spider

K2 The Savage Mountain 

No Picnic on Mount Kenya

Carey De Luca · · Yucca Valley, Ca · Joined Jul 2007 · Points: 25

Lynn Hill's Climb Free

alpinist 47 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2017 · Points: 0

Learning to breath  Andy cave

David Roberts Is good

Andy kirkpatrick is good

climbing coastie · · Wasilla, AK · Joined Feb 2011 · Points: 95

I hate reading, but really enjoyed “No Shortcuts to the Top”. 

saign charlestein · · Tacoma WA · Joined Apr 2017 · Points: 2,427

+1 for hangdog days. My wife got it for me. It was really enjoyable, and has some history to it. 

Max R · · Davis, CA · Joined Mar 2015 · Points: 104

Extreme Alpinism: climbing light, fast, and high

C Gall · · Montana · Joined Aug 2016 · Points: 0

Touching the void is pretty wild! 

Daisie Magrob · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2021 · Points: 0

K2 The Savage Mountain is one of my favorite book, did anyone here who planned to climb K2?

Buck Rogers · · West Point, NY · Joined Nov 2018 · Points: 240

Slight thread drift here (sorry) but I'm trying to remember the name of a book that I read a review of and wanted to buy and would appreciate the help (and it sounds like a super book as well): It was written by a Brit climber and the review said it was funny and humble but a great recount of climbing in the, I think, '80's and '90's (maybe as early as the '70's).  Really want to buy it but cannot find the name anywhere!  

So that's one you should read (if anyone knows what I'm talking about???).

oldfattradguuy kk · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2006 · Points: 172

The 15 Tillman books

Boardman/tasker 

No picnic on Mt Kenya 

Should get you started

bearded sam · · Crested Butte, CO · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 145

The Tower by Kelly Cordes

The Calling by Barry Blanchard

Sean Sullivan · · Idyllwild, CA · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 115

Buck, I thought you were talking about Jerry Moffat's book "Revelations" until you said humble...he was a lot of things but that wasn't one of them.

Eithet way, that's another good one. Ghostwritten by Niall Grimes, I remember Grimes had a postscript where he was talking about a mantra that he'd (Grimes) developed while writing the book. While climbing a hard route, Grimes would repeat, "I am Moffat " Good stuff. 

Buck Rogers · · West Point, NY · Joined Nov 2018 · Points: 240
Sean Sullivanwrote:

Buck, I thought you were talking about Jerry Moffat's book "Revelations" until you said humble...he was a lot of things but that wasn't one of them.

I don't think that was it.  

Maybe I dreamt the whole thing???

Stig gles · · Index · Joined May 2013 · Points: 984

Psychovertical by Kilpatrick is an outstanding read 

M A · · CA · Joined Jun 2015 · Points: 22

I liked Feeding the Rat, it's a pretty short book about Mo Anthoine, a British climber. 

Derek Jones · · Winston-Salem, NC · Joined Jun 2012 · Points: 53

Sixty Meters to Anywhere - Brendan Leonard

Josh Rappoport · · Natick, MA · Joined Sep 2017 · Points: 31

Into Thin Air

A Walk in the Woods (a bit off topic, but still great)

I loved The Rock Warrior's Way - anybody want to recommend Espresso Lessons?

Daniel Chode Rider · · Truck, Wenatchee · Joined Sep 2020 · Points: 7,484

Challenge of the North Cascades, Fred Beckey

Into thin Air or Eiger Dreams, Jon Krakauer

Stories off the wall, John Roskelley

No shortcuts to the top, Ed Viesturs

The Push, Tommy Caldwell

Honnold's book isn't amazingly well written but is a cool insight into his head.

Touching the void is a classic, but I thought This Game of Ghosts is better (Joe Simpson)

A few more will come to me.

Lone Pine · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2014 · Points: 0

Some that have not been mentioned that I think have great story telling:

Downward Bound

Enduring Patagonia

Valley Walls

Denali's Howl

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

General Climbing
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