Jon Krakauer Anthologies#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Best American Essays of the Century |
2001 |
Buy |
Jon Krakauer Essays Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| After the Fall |
2018 |
Buy |
| Gates of the Arctic |
2018 |
Buy |
| Living Under The Volcano |
2018 |
Buy |
| Loving Them to Death |
2018 |
Buy |
| Mark Foo’s Last Ride |
2018 |
Buy |
Jon Krakauer Non-Fiction Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains |
1990 |
Buy |
| Into the Wild |
1996 |
Buy |
| Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster |
1997 |
Buy |
| Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith |
2003 |
Buy |
| Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman |
2008 |
Buy |
| Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way |
2011 |
Buy |
| Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town |
2015 |
Buy |
| Classic Krakauer: Essays on Wilderness and Risk |
2018 |
Buy |
Non-Fiction#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains |
1990 |
Buy |
| Into the Wild |
1996 |
Buy |
| Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster |
1997 |
Buy |
| Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith |
2003 |
Buy |
| Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman |
2008 |
Buy |
| Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way |
2011 |
Buy |
| Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town |
2015 |
Buy |
| Classic Krakauer: Essays on Wilderness and Risk |
2018 |
Buy |
Jon Krakauer is a journalist and mountaineer whose books focus on extreme experiences and the people drawn to them. His first book, Eiger Dreams (1990), collected his magazine pieces about climbing. Into the Wild (1996) told the story of Chris McCandless, a young man who walked into the Alaska backcountry and never came out, and it became one of the most discussed non-fiction books of the decade. Into Thin Air (1997), his firsthand account of the 1996 Everest disaster that killed eight climbers, cemented his reputation as a writer who could turn personal experience into gripping narrative.
Krakauer’s later work moved away from mountain adventures. Under the Banner of Heaven (2003) investigated a double murder committed by fundamentalist Mormons and examined the history of religious extremism. Where Men Win Glory (2008) traced the life and death of NFL player Pat Tillman, who was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan. Missoula (2015) examined how a Montana college town handled a series of sexual assault cases. Three Cups of Deceit (2011) exposed fraud by humanitarian Greg Mortenson. Across all his work, Krakauer returns to questions about what drives people to extreme actions and how institutions fail the people they are supposed to protect.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Jon Krakauer written?
Jon Krakauer has written 22 books across four series.
What was Jon Krakauer's first book?
Jon Krakauer’s first book is Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains, published in 1990.
What are Jon Krakauer's most famous books?
Into the Wild (1996), about Chris McCandless’s fatal journey into the Alaskan wilderness, and Into Thin Air (1997), Krakauer’s personal account of the deadly 1996 Mount Everest disaster, are his most widely read books. Both were adapted into films.