One of the inspirations for the major motion picture Everest starring Jake Gyllenhaal & Keira Knightley Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air is the true story of a 24-hour period on Everest when members of three separate expeditions were caught in a storm & faced a battle against hurricane-force winds exposure & the effects of altitude which ended the worst single-season death toll in the peak's history In March 1996 Outside magazine sent veteran journalist & seasoned climber Jon Krakauer on an expedition led by celebrated Everest guide Rob Hall Despite the expertise of Hall & the other leaders by the end of summit day eight people were dead Krakauer's book is at once the story of the ill-fated adventure & an analysis of the factors leading up to its tragic end Written within months of the events it chronicles Into Thin Air clearly evokes the majestic Everest landscape As the journey up the mountain progresses Krakauer puts it in context by recalling the triumphs & perils of other Everest trips throughout history The author's own anguish over what happened on the mountain is palpable as he leads readers to ponder timeless questions