On August 1, 2008, eleven climbers perished on K2, the world’s second-highest mountain. In the aftermath of one of the worst disasters in climbing history, reporters sought to answer a single question: Why did these experienced mountaineers die? Drawing on interviews with expedition participants and first responders as well as recently declassified Pakistani military records, Amanda Padoan tells for the first time the full story of what happened that day. Buried in the Sky reveals how a combination of weather conditions, bad luck, and human error led to one of Everest’s deadliest days ever. But it is also a tale about resilience in the face of tragedy–of Sherpas who continued their climb despite losing friends and loved ones; of climbers who battled incredible danger and injury to rescue those stranded on K2; and ultimately of families who have found strength even after losing everything.
For who is this book for ?
This book is for people who are interested in mountaineering and the outdoors.
Pros :
- The author does a great job of portraying the events leading up to and on K2’s deadliest day.
- Buried in the Sky educates readers about what exactly happened on this fateful day, as well as resilience displayed by climbers and Sherpas involved.
- The book is written in an easy to read style, making it enjoyable for all audiences.
Cons :
- The book is repetitive
- The author could have provided more information
- The story lacks emotion
Learn more about the author
Amanda Padoan is an American journalist and author. She has worked as a staff writer at the Denver Post, a correspondent in Rome for NPR, and most recently as the Afghanistan bureau chief for The Times of London. Buried in the Sky is her first book.
Reader Reviews
“An amazing and well written account of the deadliest day in K2’s history. Definitely a book I could not put down.”
“Gripping, tragic and inspiring all at once. This is a definitive account of one of the worst disasters in climbing history.”
“This book is about the 2008 K2 disaster where 11 climbers died. The author does a great job of piecing together what happened using interviews with expedition participants and first responders, as well as recently declassified Pakistani military records. It’s really interesting to read about how everything came together to lead to such a tragic event.”
“This book is a real page-turner! I’m not really into outdoor/survival type books, but this one sucked me in. It’s the perfect blend of human interest story and technical climbing information. The author does a great job of keeping things interesting without going too deep into the science jargon.”
