Left for Dead: My Journey Home from Everest | 
 enlarge | Authors: Dr. Seaborn Beck Weathers, Stephen G. Michaud
Creator: Buck Schirner
Publisher: Brilliance Audio on MP3-CD
Category: Book
Buy New: $24.95
New (5) Used (2) from $24.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  91 reviews
Sales Rank: 1804272
Format: Audiobook, Mp3 Audio, Unabridged
Media: MP3 CD
Edition: MP3 Una
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
ISBN: 1596006072
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.522092
EAN: 9781596006072
ASIN: 1596006072
Publication Date: April 25, 2005
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
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Amazon.com
Left for Dead is a deeply personal story, told in first person by a variety of people who contributed to the survival of Beck Weathers during the Everest accident of 1996 that left nine climbers dead. It goes past the tragedy to discuss why Weathers got involved in climbing in the first place, his lengthy and painful recovery, and the all-important relationship with his wife, Margaret (commonly referred to as Peach). Without Peach's hope and tenacity, it's likely that rescue efforts would not have been continued, and Weathers may never have recovered from the hypothermic coma and its dreadful results. The story of their relationship--they were estranged at the time of the accident--is told from both perspectives, and his obsession with mountains seems almost like another family member. The overall tone is straightforward and conversational: children, pets, and clothing feature as prominently as reconstructive surgery and heroic rescues. But no matter how plainly they are told, the events of that climb are sure to bring tears. Rob Hall's last conversation with his wife, climbers disappearing into the storm, Anatoli Boukreev's rescuing three people, and Weathers and climbing partner Yasuko being left for dead are just a few from a long list. Still, you'll find yourself laughing just pages later, when Weathers gets his rescue team to sing "Chain of Fools" while hiking back to safety--you can imagine Peach being in full agreement of that song's appropriateness. The Everest deaths affected people around the world, and this chronicle of one survivor and his family is a hopeful reminder of the good that can result from such tragedies. --Jill Lightner
Product Description
On May 10, 1996, nine climbers perished in a blizzard high on Mount Everest, the single deadliest day ever on the peak. The following day, one of these victims was given a second chance. His name is Beck Weathers.
The tale of Dr. Weathers's miraculous awakening from a deep hypothermic coma was widely reported. But the hidden story of what led the pathologist to Everest in the first place, and his painful recovery after his dramatic rescue, has not been told until now.
Brilliant and gregarious, Weathers discovered in his thirties that mountain climbing helped him cope with the black dog of depression. But his self-prescribed therapy came at a steep cost: estrangement from his wife, Peach, and their two children. By the time he left for Everest, his home life had all but disintegrated.
Yet when he was reported dead after lying exposed on the mountain for eighteen hours in subzero weather, it was Peach who orchestrated the daring rescue that brought her husband home. Only then, facing months of surgery and the loss of his hands, did Beck Weathers also begin to face himself, his family, his past, and his uncertain future.
Candid and uncompromising, Left for Dead is a deeply compelling saga of crisis and change, and of the abiding power of love and family.
Download Description
On May 10, 1996, nine climbers perished in the "death zone" on Mount Everest. The following day, one was given a second chance at life. His name was Beck Weathers. The tale of Weathers' miraculous awakening from a deep hypothermic coma was widely reported. Yet the hidden story of what led the pathologist to Everest in the first place, and his painful recovery after his dramatic rescue, has not been told until now.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 86 more reviews...
 left for dead April 12, 2008
For a real life story it does not get much more real than this, a passion becomes an obsession that takes away the hero status that he was aiming for in the first place? . I found it easy to read. A bit of soft filling in the middle and couldn't really relate to the relationship with his wife.
 RE: Mt Everest January 3, 2008
As one of the other reviewers had written, I too have becme nearly obsessed with the events surrounding the tragic events of May 1996. I have read every book I can find on the subject.
Dr. Weathers book is very well written. It gives perspective from his wife and friends view as they waited his return and the sadness and then apprehension when they find he is still alive but in dire trouble.
I'd highly recommend this book. it is inspirational - his courage - his acceptance of what happened.
 Not for mountaineers December 6, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
If you like to read about real mountaineering, try a book by Joe Simpson or Jon Krakauer. If you want to read a book about a guy who blows off his family to climb, and all the damage he does because of it, then this book is ideal for you.
I was hoping to read a survival story, instead I got family dynamics.
Beck Weathers book July 19, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The book is OK.I like to know all the book about 1996 Everest disaster.The middle part of book - about Beck life history - was boring.The climbing parts were OK.In my opinion the best book was "The Climb"
Realizing the times you didn't even know you were numb March 3, 2007
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
If you, like me, are an avid armchair mountaineer, gripping your cup of hot chocolate at the risk of either spilling your drink or breaking the cup as the National Geographic Channel or Discovery Times takes you over the breathtaking vistas of the Seven Summits; and if you, like me, stop to read or listen to every story of the mighty Everest and the hundreds of people who've braved its summit since Tenzing Norgary Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hilary cut the ribbon, you're bound to be drawn to this book. And certainly if you, like me, know by name everyone on Rob Hall's and Scott Fischer's teams in 1996...those who perished, and those who survived, along with a preview of the breathtaking tale Beck Weathers tells here of his rescue from the mountain, you may scratch your head in puzzlement when you realize that you are less than a third into "Left for Dead" when you've reached this point in the book. What more could there be to tell?
Don't stop reading.
First of all, Beck does a spectacular job, aided by his wife, now, who adds comments about how his obsession with climbing afffected the family, of his entire history of climbing, including the colorful characters and the close calls that accompany Beck and his companions during their climb. But now as he looks back, Beck is able to reflect on what he missed.
Oh no. Is this turning into a screenplay for a chick flick? Well, not really. Or not entirely. But by the end, Beck has realized all that he came very close to losing ....even after the Everest climb...included much more than a hand, and was much more precious.
Although I still would have liked a bit more build-up before the crisis on Everest, I thought this was a darned good book. I would not ask the author to lose any more extremities, but if he could manage to write another without losing one, that would be OK.
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