«Mountain Madness» by Robert Birkby

A biography of the legendary mountain climber that “rounds out the portrait of Fischer sketched in Krakauer’s best-seller Into Thin Air” (The New York Times Book Review).Scott Fischer found in Mount Everest a perfect landscape for his fearless spirit. Scaling the world’s highest peak tested his skills, his courage, and his endurance. His legendary final expedition—and its tragic outcome—are portrayed in Everest, the 3-D movie adaptation starring Jake Gyllenhaal as Scott Fischer. Now Robert Birkby, renowned outdoor adventure writer and one of Fischer’s close friends, captures in this intimate and stirring portrait of the climber what led him to trek to the top of the world—before he left it altogether.Mountain Madness is “a vivid portrait of a superb athlete whose love of mountain climbing drove everything he did” (Ed Viesturs, author of No Shortcuts to the Top). Also included are a new introduction and updated epilogue, as well as new photos exclusive to the digital edition.“A much fuller picture of a climber widely critiqued in the high-profile coverage after the Everest tragedy.” —Seattle Post-Intelligencer“A fitting homage to one of the great outdoor extremists.” —Kirkus Reviews“Birkby succeeds in illuminating the power mountains can exert over the human soul.” —Publishers Weekly