Jon Krakauer

Jon Krakauer is a writer and adventurer, best known for non-fiction books involving exploring and mountain-climbing. His book Into the Wild has been adapted into a film by director Sean Penn.

Fast Facts

1. Born: April 12, 1954
2. Birthplace: Brookline, Massachusetts
3. Literary Genre: Non-fiction
4. Climbed Mt. Everest in 1996.
5. Sparked controversy with the Mormon Church with his book Under the Banner of Heaven

Career

His bestseller Into the Wild was published in 1996 and secured Krakauer's reputation as an outstanding adventure writer, spending more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list. In 1997, he expanded his September 1996 Outside article into his second novel Into Thin Air. The novel recounts Krakauer's experience as a member of one of the teams summiting Mt. Everest on May 11, 1996, when eight people died during summit attempts. In 2003, Under the Banner of Heaven became Krakauer's third non-fiction bestseller. The book examines extremes of religious belief, particularly fundamentalist offshoots of Mormonism.

Notable Works

• 1996: Into the Wild
• 1997: Into Thin Air
• 2003: Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith

Categories