Book description
On the night of 10-11 May 1996, eight climbers perished in what
remains the worst disaster in Everest's history. Following the
tragedy, numerous accounts were published, with Jon Krakauer's Into
Thin Air becoming an international bestseller. But has the whole
story been told?
A Day to Die For reveals for the first time the full,
startling facts that led to the tragedy. Graham Ratcliffe, the first
British climber to reach the summit of Mount Everest twice, was a
first-hand witness, having spent the night on Everest's South Col at
26,000 ft, sheltering from the deadly storm. For years, he has
shouldered a burden of guilt, feeling that he and his teammates could
have saved lives that fateful night. His quest for answers has led to
discoveries so important to an understanding of the disaster that he
now questions why these facts were not made public sooner.
History is dotted with highprofile disasters that both horrify and
capture the attention of the public, but very rarely is our view of
them revised to such devastating effect.
Married with two daughters, Graham Ratcliffe now divides his time
between his homes in North Shields and the south-east of France. In
1998, he was awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.
