Shattered Air

A True Account of Catastrophe and Courage on Yosemite's Half Dome

By: Bob Madgic, Adrian Esteban

Narrated by: Anthony Heald

Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

On the evening of July 27, 1985, five hikers made a fateful choice to climb Yosemite's fabled Half Dome, even as the sky darkened and thunder rolled. By night's end, two would be dead from a lightning strike, three gravely wounded, and desperate EMTs would be overseeing a harrowing midnight helicopter rescue.

Shattered Air is a haunting account of recklessness, tragedy, courage, and rescue, a book whose depiction of nature's power is tempered by unforgettable portraits of human courage and the will to survive.

©2005 Robert Madgic (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"[A] penetrating account of this tragedy." ( Booklist)
"If you've ever felt cavalier about dealing with mountain thunderstorms, this drama about lightning and death should fix it." ( San Francisco Chronicle)
"[A] well-written and thoroughly investigated account....Madgic's contribution to the adventure category is at once a terrifying story and an urgent cautionary tale." ( Publishers Weekly)

a cautionary and inspirational story

everyone that goes into the outdoors needs a plan and a plan requires an education, this book should be part of that education. be safe out there but also remember to enjoy our amazing world

Way too long of a book for a good story.

This is a great subject for a book. A great rescue and a great story about 1985. It was way too long and way too much extra stuff. We thought through it but I almost shut it off and didn’t finish it. But I listen to this book again...probably not.

Awesome

Couldn’t stop listening - the contents of the book is a pure journey into the park, the insatiable desire to hike and climb, and how Mother Nature can just overwhelm human beings.... This book is educational, sobering and sad. It does pay homage to the lost lives that July evening. If this book serves as a warning while in the wilderness for individuals to educate themselves prior to trekking out.

Sobering Account & Statistics on Lightning Strikes

This had my attention the whole time. I'm a huge Half Dome/Yosemite fan, the I've always been very careful when hiking, eating, etc. Very well written & narrated ! It's a shame that bad, horrific things have to happen to some people before they take things properly seriously. The statistics are mind boggling. The subject itself is very sobering. but I really enjoyed it. I could have been there during that time! I remember seeing helicopters flying, landing. A good cautionary tale.

A+ read, loved it ! Insightful.

Wonderful, engaging, fast paced, reader friendly. You’ll recommend it to others again and again ! A+ pus read.

Read it yourself.

Not that the narration was terrible. It was just . . . so. There was a lack of excitement that could have made the difference.

It Didn’t Keep My Interest

I was expecting a thriller, but it didn’t deliver. Others might enjoy this book. It was just not for me.

Good story, but excessive detail.

I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline of this book. Unfortunately, the story was overshadowed by an overwhelming amount of unnecessary detail that did not add anything to the understanding or enjoyability of the plot (ex. detailing the accounts of climbers that were never involved in the accident and never mentioned again after the initial introduction). I consistently found myself saying "Just get on with it already!" Good enough to read once but too aggrivating to read a second time.

Good narrative except for some language

Would you try another book from Bob Madgic and Adrian Esteban and/or Anthony Heald?

Maybe.

Would you be willing to try another book from Bob Madgic and Adrian Esteban ? Why or why not?

Maybe, if I knew there was less foul language

What about Anthony Heald’s performance did you like?

Clear and kept you engaged

Was Shattered Air worth the listening time?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Good book on famous event that occurred on Half-Dome. It also includes some excellent background information on lightning, a brief history of Yosemite and Half-Dome, and climbing.

While reading you can sense that disaster was coming even if it did not know the eventual outcome. You think, “How can people be this reckless?” Clearly in this case thrill-seeking and ego took over their better judgment, and it cost people their lives. The courage and quick action of the would-be rescuers in an overwhelming situation also helps you better understand the challenges these everyday heroes face and you are grateful for such people who overcome the odds to save others.

Overall I liked the storytelling and the background, and you develop empathy for everyone involved. My only negative was that it included significant foul language, and this distracted from the enjoyment of the narrative. It was the reason I gave it a lower rating.

Didn’t expect it to be so riveting!

Really harrowing true story read by an excellent narrator... I had never even heard of this tragic incident and didn’t really expect to be so interested. It was a great book and I learned a lot about natural phenomena and Yosemite.