Rating: 
Summary: Worth the money
Review: A must own! But how much better it could have been if Messner was as capable a writer as a climber. Without a doubt Messner is one of the best Mountaineer's of all times, I just wish he would have had someone articulate this book for him. He took some of the most exhilarating experiences anyone has ever known and made them almost sound just a little more exciting then a walk to the corner store. At any rate it is most certainly worth the money and no Mountaineering Library would be complete without it. I wonder if we could convince him to try this one again!
Rating:
Summary: Worth the money
Review: A must own! But how much better it could have been if Messner was as capable a writer as a climber. Without a doubt Messner is one of the best Mountaineer's of all times, I just wish he would have had someone articulate this book for him. He took some of the most exhilarating experiences anyone has ever known and made them almost sound just a little more exciting then a walk to the corner store. At any rate it is most certainly worth the money and no Mountaineering Library would be complete without it. I wonder if we could convince him to try this one again!
Rating: 
Summary: Incredible achievement
Review: Back in the '70's and early '80's, I eagerly awaited each issue of Mountain Magazine. It was my link to the climbing world. Time after time, a small paragraph or two would appear about another 8,000 meter peak that Messner had summited - all without bottled oxygen, all in exemplary style. The editor of Mountain was no fan of Messners, so the write-ups were overly brief. Still, I knew I was witnessing the work of a master. This book compiles Reinhold's views on his biggest alpine climbs and still, we are sandbagged. What this man and his partners achieved is difficult to fathom two decades later because his impact has been absorbed into the whole. Before Messner, oxygenless attempts on the big mountains had fallen out of style but now, few world class mountaineers would dare consider it's use. Before Messner, huge seige expeditions were the norm but today, many emulate Reinhold's gutty, stripped down approach and the environment has benefitted. Reinhold is the man !
Rating:
Summary: Incredible achievement
Review: Back in the '70's and early '80's, I eagerly awaited each issue of Mountain Magazine. It was my link to the climbing world. Time after time, a small paragraph or two would appear about another 8,000 meter peak that Messner had summited - all without bottled oxygen, all in exemplary style. The editor of Mountain was no fan of Messners, so the write-ups were overly brief. Still, I knew I was witnessing the work of a master. This book compiles Reinhold's views on his biggest alpine climbs and still, we are sandbagged. What this man and his partners achieved is difficult to fathom two decades later because his impact has been absorbed into the whole. Before Messner, oxygenless attempts on the big mountains had fallen out of style but now, few world class mountaineers would dare consider it's use. Before Messner, huge seige expeditions were the norm but today, many emulate Reinhold's gutty, stripped down approach and the environment has benefitted. Reinhold is the man !
Rating:
Summary: the wisdom of Mt. Analogue--but clearer
Review: I strongly disagree with comments about the writing of this unsurpassed mountaineer. His writing is clear. Someone expecting a minute-to-minute account of each climb will be disappointed, but Messner conveys a remarkable amount of emotion and wisdom in each short chapter. He inspires with the bare truth. Soloing Everest without oxygen: "My tempo had become so slow that I despaired of ever making it. I could not manage the last few metres--I crawled on hands and knees." In the chapter on Manaslu (two expedition members died): "After this experience on Manaslu, I decided not to go on expeditions with other people again. If I wanted to go, I told myself six months after I had recovered to some extent, then I must go alone." This is one of my favorite books, perhaps my favorite mountaineering book--and replete with insights into Reinhold Messner by people who know him well. I thank him for following his dreams and writing about his insights, which enrich us all.
Rating: 
Summary: It's a yes
Review: If you are curious about what real high-altitude climbing can be all about, you should buy this book. For an arm-chair mountaineer, it has all the ingredients!
More pictures would be nice.
Rating: 
Summary: Author was the first to climb the world's 14 highest peaks.
Review: The author has written more than twenty books, but this is his all-time best-seller. He devotes an entire chapter to telling the climbing history of each of the world's fourteen highest mountains; then describes his successful ascents. Each chapter contains a full page map/chart; showing exactly his summit route. He includes his solo ascent of Everest (the first ever), and his ascent of Everest without oxygen (another first). The book contains numerous color photographs of his and other's climbs; as well as listings of other ascents on the highest peaks
Rating:
Summary: Great climbs, so-so writing
Review: The climbs decribed in this book show why Messner is one of, if not THE, greatest climber of all time. The book also shows how that description will probably not be used to describe his writing skills. The writing is OK, but it is a little choppy, and the short chapters (one per mountain) sometimes leave the stories feeling a little condensed. It's almost like reading a Reader's Digest version. However, the climbs are spectacular, and in some cases the events do overcome the narrative and shine through.
Rating:
Summary: the achievement makes the book
Review: the sheer achievements of reinhold messner make this book too good to pass. considering the drama and spectacle of what he went through on these numerous himalayan expeditions, this book should be a six star book. alas, the writing is dry as toast. he misses numerous opportunities to put us on the edge of our seats, opting instead to recite a few dull facts associated with truly gripping incidents. too bad; if this guy could write like krakauer, this book would have been on the new york times bestseller's list. still, as a chronicle of this man's superhuman death defying achievements on the world's highest mountains, this is an excellent book. if he could only write like he climbs.
Rating:
Summary: well illustrated and documented
Review: This by far is the best compendium of eye-witness account, photographs, maps and statistics from the first climber who ever scaled all 14 highest mountains in the world. Maps, topography, geography and route descriptions are concise and up to the point. Messner is not at his best when he is trying to put a philosophical spin on things, but on the other hand, who is? In summary, a very good book.
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