Jon Krakauer

Jon Krakauer was born on April 12, 1954 in Corvallis, Oregon. On his eighth birthday, his father gave him an ice axe and shortly after him and his parents began climbing mountains. By the time Jon turned 18 climbing climbing had become the thing he cared for most. After attending Hampshire College, Jon spent is life traveling and climbing throughout the western states. to fund his adventures he made money by working as a carpenter and a fisherman, from Colorado up to Alaska. Jon sold his first article to a national magazine in 1981. In 1992 Jon published "Eiger Dreams", a collection od mountaineering essays. In 1996, Jon was sent as journalist to climb Mt. Everest with a group of people. His mission was to capture the journey. Jon wrote a analysis for Outside magazine, earning him the 1996 National Magazine Award for reporting. The book "Into Thin Air" written by Jon is the story of this expedition to the top of Everest. The book was translated into 24 languages, which gave Jon International recognition. Later that year, Jon followed the Virginia Native who gave up his belongings to explore around the West and into Alaska. Krakauer wrote a book about Chris McCandless titled "Into The Wild". Jon spent most of the late 1990's researching for his latest book, "Under the Banner of Heaven." This story about the religious beliefs of some murderers.