Rating: 
Summary: An interesting perspective
Review: Although I am sure I do not have the perspective of an Allison Pennington, as an armchair mountaineer I can say that I have read this book numerous times, and never tire of it. Many people complain that Curran "doesn't get into the action," but I have two comments to make about this. First of all, the base camp vantage point provides a unique perspective. I would argue that this is what makes this particular account interesting. Curran is a humorous writer, lacking the self-serious and somewhat bleak outlook of many of his peers in the field of adventure writing. His commentaries about the international flavor of "The Strip" are funny and dare I say it: educational. "K2" compares favorably to Jon Krakauer's dark and somewhat pretentious prose about the catastrophic year on Everest ten years later (regardless of the fact that Krakauer "climbs"). Secondly, considering the luck of the English up high on this particular mountain, I severely doubt that we would be reading such an interesting book if Curran had gone above Camp 2.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Information for K2 Climbs
Review: As a fellow mountaineer interested in climbing the mountain myself, I found the information in this book very helpful. It is a solid piece of mountaineering literature with something for every adventure enthusiast. If you are thirsting for high country adventure epics like this one, you should also explore "Rocky Mountain Adventure Collection", also available at Amazon.com.
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Summary: The title says it all -- and Heartfelt Account
Review: Aside from being a great account of the tragic 1986 season at K2, Curran's book has the quality of masterfully weaving the author's sense of humor with his deeply felt emotions about lost friends.While some may argue that Curran was not at the forefront of leading the climbing on any of the expeditions, his keen sense of a filmmaker allows him to tell a very human story. In the great tradition of English mountaineering tradition he tells with wit and humor about the scrambles in putting the expedition together. His storytelling about the trials and challenges in the walk-up to base camp is equaled in its jovial spirit perhaps only by Greg Child (see "Thin Air"). When true drama begins to unfold with the death of Casarotto, Curran does not simply "recount" the casualties -- his voice is full of passion, heartache and doubt. His reflections upon the dangers of mountain climbing are deeply felt. A highly recommended read!
Rating: 
Summary: A remarkable story told poorly to an American audience
Review: Curran writes to a distinctly British audience. I found his use of the laguage confusing and it detracted from what was an interesting story. For people interested in learning about high altitude mountaineering is it educational, but not very fun to read.
Rating: 
Summary: The bumblie perspective
Review: Curran, as a writer and cinematographer rather than a world-class climber, offers a unique perspective on the world of high altitude mountaineering. This, and his self-deprecating humor and honest tone, makes his books appealing. In Triumph and Tragedy he gives us the Base Camp view of a disastrous climbing season. He manages to neither gloss over his subjects' foibles nor rake up scandal for its own sake. Accounts written by climbers who were high on the mountain contain more on-the-spot information, but do not replace this book.
Rating:
Summary: Well-written, deeply felt
Review: Excellent companion volume for current best-sellers such as =Into Thin Air= or =The Climb.= Jim Curran was part of a mountaineering expedition on K2, but not one of the summit party; his experiences in base camp provide the necessary human grounding to invest the deaths that occurred with their full weight of dignity and pathos. If you're intrigued about Mountains Eating Up Mountaineers this is a must-read, and a significant contribution to the literature.
Rating:
Summary: Who's Who on K2, Summer of 1986
Review: I bought this book because many of the reviews gave it 4-5 stars. I personally found it boring and was tempted more than once halfway through to stop reading it. The first half of this book reads more like a Who's Who Amongst Mountain Climbers, mostly describing the different teams and climbers (and which mountains they've climbed) at Base Camp and climbing K2. I was hoping for more in-depth insight into well-rounded and interesting characters, rather than just a running commentary (full of pure speculation) of who is on the mountain and what is supposedly going on up there. It was confusing keeping track of everyone and which team they were with, etc. I was also curious about the author's somewhat dismissive attitude toward Reinhold Messner's achievements. Curran dismissively attributes that Messner's ability to climb the high peaks without oxygen is due to his choosing the easiest route. Whether true or not, who is Curran to knock the achievements of one of the best climbers out there? This guy (Curran) doesn't seem to write any better than he climbs, either. On a more positive note, my interest was captured after most of the British team disbanded, leaving only Al Rouse and Jim Curran. The story picked up a bit after that. While the events that unfolded were tragic, this is not the most gripping mountaineering account out there. I would not recommend buying this book unless you are intested in a running commentary and general speculation of the various expeditions to visit K2 during the summer of 1986 from someone who spent the bulk of his time at Base Camp.
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Summary: Reality Check
Review: I enjoyed this book very much, and highly recommend it to any adventure reader. As a beginning climber, it was more realistic than most climbing books. It focused on the bad and the good, where most books leave you feeling you are glad to be safely at sea level. This book is loaded with fatalities, but also with hopes and dreams, and day to day life at Base Camp. Instead of saying, "what are you thinking?" to myself after reading this book, I found myself thinking, "There are risks, and rewards. Let's go climb mountains." It didn't hurt that a friend was filling my head with tales of his successful trek to Denali at the same time I was reading this either. It is a great book, much more like being there than the many others I have read.
Rating:
Summary: Well written, tragic and humourous
Review: I enjoyed this book. Jim Curran is a gifted writer, well able to maintain the reader's interest with his fluent, eloquent style and, in turns, he is humourous and tragic. As pointed out in other reviews, he does spend much of his time in and round Base Camp, only venturing as far as Camp II, which some people seem to find makes him boring and/or unable to give the "full story". Personally, this is the first mountaineering book I have read which is delivered by a non-climbing member of an expedition - in many respects, it makes for more gripping and tense reading as you are led through various moments in the climbing season where nobody at Base Camp has the foggiest clue about what is happening up on the hill. The tension, and sadness, on occasions is tremendous. My one complaint about this book is that, having finished it, you do not feel as if you have a good idea of what many of Curran's team were like as people (as opposed to climbers), with the exception of Curran's good friend, Al Rouse. In particular, I was eager to be told more about the Burgess twins, who seemed to be intriguing (and it was hinted at, possibly mischievous), as well as excellent mountaineers. However, all in all, a good book which conveys well the highs and lows, the humour and the tragedy of climbing at the most extreme edge of the sport.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting perspective
Review: I got this book after I married the son of one of the climbers killed on K2 in 1986 because I was interested and curious about his father. This was a waste of my money. Eiger Dreams was much more informative.
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