In reply to Dee:
> (In reply to lost1977) You're right to reflect accurately on Krakauer's role - there are unfortunately a number of amibiguities around his position and his writing (my impression having read the accounts of Krakauer, Boukreev, Gamelgaard et al) - is that Krakauer perceived himself as providing a pivotal reflection of what occurred.
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> That a number of the inaccuracies in Krakauer's account caused significant distress is widely acknowledged, especially the impact on Andy Harris's family, but I believe that Krakauer's account serves a useful purpose in explaining just how different perception and reality can be at altitude.
Well, despite its flaws, it is surely a classic, almost compulsory reading for any mountaineer. The truth is that both books are very good, and to get a rounded picture you simply have to read both. But the Krakauer is the better writing and perhaps the more important book in the long term because of the way it works and the implicit message it puts across, which stands, despite the inaccuracies in detail.