From the Internet:
On Mount Everest, May 1996 was the cruelest monthAthe month eight climbers died on the mountain, the month that has been recounted already in books by Jon Krakauer, David Breshears, Anatoli Boukreev, Matt Dickinson and others. Half a year earlier, in October 1995, Swedish climber KroppAthe second person in the world to reach the summit of K2 without the aid of oxygenAset out from Stockholm on an 8000-mile bicycle trip to Katmandu, with 250 pounds of gear and the intention of scaling Everest without oxygen. Kropp’s account, written with journalist Lagercrantz, is straightforward, yet ultimately trifling. Too much space is wasted on self-absorbed anecdotes (e.g., Kropp, during what he calls his “wild period,” mounting the stage at a rock concert and shouting “The government is imperialistic!”). The world according to Kropp is filled with too many silly exclamations (“This is totally awesome!”) and too little insight. But when Kropp refrains from glib self-absorption, his story is as gripping as the adventures of Indiana Jones. Along the way, Kropp encounters ravenous wild dogs, numerous free lunches, blizzards, stone-throwing youngsters, a hilarious misadventure in a brothel in Hungary, weddings in Romania, gunfire in Turkey. It’s an excellent adventure, but very mediocre adventure writing.
Here are some books I read along the road. I don’t know how you have it but I hardly find time – or more truly, I don’t take the time – to read a books while I’m at home. The fact that you probably also have more time will you are traveling makes it easier to grab once in a while a book and lay some were – lets say in a hammock on the beach – and read a book.
More for me, so I can remember the books I read, I make this list but you are more then welcome to have a look and maybe get inspired to read one or an other. I’m also more then pleased to get inputs from you about books you enjoyed to read. Who knows I might find the time – taking the time – to read them. If you like to do so pleas send my a mail to [email protected]
This list is not complete and I forgot the names of some authors. I had it written down on a nice paper but I can’ find it anymore. This is also a reason I made this list, so I don’t have to take care of all my little papers. |