Jon Krakauer: Difference between revisions

Differences centered on what experienced mountaineers thought about the facts of Boukreev's performance. As [[Galen Rowell]] from the ''[[American Alpine Journal]]'' wrote to Krakauer, "the fact [is] that every one of Boukreev's clients survived without major injuries while the clients who died or received major injuries were members of your party. Could you explain how Anatoli [Boukreev]'s shortcomings as a guide led to the survival of his clients…?"<ref name="The Climb 267">DeWalt p.267</ref> In an article in the [[Wall Street Journal]], Rowell cited numerous inconsistencies in Krakauer's narrative, observing that Krakauer was sleeping in his tent while Boukreev was rescuing other climbers. Rowell argued that Boukreev's actions were nothing short of heroic, and his judgment prescient: "[Boukreev] foresaw problems with clients nearing camp, noted five other guides on the peak [Everest], and positioned himself to be rested and hydrated enough to respond to an emergency. His heroism was not a fluke."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB864852385619851000|title=Climbing to Disaster|last=Rowell|first=Galen|date=May 29, 1997|website=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=March 5, 2019|archive-date=July 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722125950/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB864852385619851000|url-status=live}}</ref> Conversely, Scott Fischer, the leader of Boukreev's team who died on the mountain, had complained continuously about Boukreev's shirking responsibility and his inability to meet the demands put upon him as the top guide—complaints documented in transcripts of radio transmissions between Fischer and his base-camp managers{{Citation needed|date=September 2017}}. After the publication of ''Into Thin Air'' and ''The Climb'', DeWalt, Boukreev, and Krakauer became embroiled in disagreements about Krakauer's portrayal of Boukreev. Krakauer had reached a détente with Boukreev in November 1997, but the Russian climber was killed by an avalanche only a few weeks later while climbing [[Annapurna Massif|Annapurna]].<ref>Author's postscript, 1999 edition of ''Into Thin Air''.</ref>

 

 

In 2003, ''[[Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith|Under the Banner of Heaven]]'' became Krakauer's third non-fiction bestseller. The book examines extremes of religious belief, specifically [[Mormon fundamentalism|fundamentalist offshoots]] of [[Mormonism]]. Krakauer looks at the practice of [[polygamy]] in these offshoots and scrutinizes it in the context of the [[Latter Day Saints]] religion throughout its history. Much of the focus of the book is on the [[Utah v. Lafferty|Lafferty brothers]], who murdered Erica and Brenda Lafferty on July 24, 1984 in the name of their fundamentalist faith.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.deseret.com/2004/7/27/19841799/1984-lafferty-case-still-haunts|title = 1984 Lafferty case still haunts|date = July 27, 2004|access-date = April 5, 2022|archive-date = April 5, 2022|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220405155927/https://www.deseret.com/2004/7/27/19841799/1984-lafferty-case-still-haunts|url-status = live}}</ref>