Into the Wild
Accessible introduction to Krakauer’s narrative nonfiction and investigative approach.
Author guide
Jon Krakauer Books in Order
Jon Krakauer is an American writer and mountaineer whose nonfiction combines meticulous reporting with narrative storytelling. Raised in Oregon and educated at Hampshire College, he worked as a carpenter and commercial salmon fisherman in Alaska before becoming a writer. His books examine mountaineering, wilderness, religion, war, sexual assault, and the people drawn to extreme environments. He has written for publications including Outside, National Geographic, Rolling Stone, Smithsonian, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and The New York Times, and received an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1999.
nonfictionmemoirinvestigative journalismadventure writingessays
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster
Definitive account of the 1996 Everest disaster and a central work in his career.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (5)
- Into the Wild
nonfiction · 1996
In April 1992 a twenty-four-year-old from the Washington, D.C., suburbs named Chris McCandless walked into the Alaska wilderness below Mt. McKinley with a small-caliber rifle and a ten-pound bag of rice. Four months later, his emaciated…
- Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith
nonfiction · 2003
"At the core of Krakauer’s book are brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a commandment from God to kill a blameless woman and her baby girl. Beginning with a meticulously researched account of this appalling double…
- Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman
nonfiction · 2009
The bestselling author of Into the Wild, Into Thin Air, and Under the Banner of Heaven delivers a stunning, eloquent account of a remarkable young man's haunting journey. Like the men whose epic stories Jon Krakauer has told in his…
- Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way
nonfiction · 2011
Argues that author and humanitarian Greg Mortenson, noted for his campaign to open schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan, has not been truthful about his past, his reasons for opening schools, or his abduction by the Taliban.
- Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town
nonfiction · 2015
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “A devastating exposé of colleges and local law enforcement.... A substantive deep dive into the morass of campus sex crimes, where the victim is too often treated like the accused.” —Entertainment Weekly Missoula,…
Nonfiction (1)
- Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster
memoir · 1997
When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10,1996, he hadn't slept in fifty-seven hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. As he turned to begin the perilous…
Essays and speeches (3)
- Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains
essay-collection · 1990
No one writes about mountaineering and its attendant victories and hardships more brilliantly than Jon Krakauer. In this collection of his finest essays and reporting, Krakauer writes of mountains from the memorable perspective of one who…
- A Clean, Well-Lighted Place
essay · 2018
Here is Jon Krakauer’s portrait of the iconoclastic architect Christopher Alexander, whose revolutionary human-centered approach has shaken the foundations of modern architecture. Krakauer delves into Alexander’s life and career, from his…
- Classic Krakauer: Essays on Wilderness and Risk
essay-collection · 2019
Collaborations (1)
- Iceland
co-authored book · 1990
Frequently asked questions about Jon Krakauer
Who is Jon Krakauer?
Jon Krakauer is a nonfiction author, investigative journalist, and mountaineer known for combining firsthand adventure experience with rigorous reporting.
Sources: jonkrakauer.com (opens in a new tab)businesswire.com (opens in a new tab)
What did Jon Krakauer do before becoming a writer?
Raised in Corvallis, Oregon, he graduated from Hampshire College in 1976 and worked as a carpenter and commercial salmon fisherman in Alaska before pursuing writing.
Sources: jonkrakauer.com (opens in a new tab)hampshire.edu (opens in a new tab)
How did mountaineering shape Jon Krakauer’s writing career?
Mountaineering gave Krakauer firsthand subject matter and a field-based reporting method. He has said that he records observations during assignments and analyzes them after returning home.
Sources: outsideonline.com (opens in a new tab)jonkrakauer.com (opens in a new tab)
What awards and honors has Jon Krakauer received?
He received an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1999. His Everest account was also a 1998 Pulitzer Prize finalist for General Nonfiction.
Sources: jonkrakauer.com (opens in a new tab)pulitzer.org (opens in a new tab)
What charitable work is Jon Krakauer associated with?
After the 1996 Everest disaster, Krakauer became involved with the American Himalayan Foundation to support Sherpas and other Himalayan communities. He was elected the foundation’s board chair in 2022.
Sources: jonkrakauer.com (opens in a new tab)businesswire.com (opens in a new tab)