New York, Lyons Press, 2000. 285 pp. Used softcover uncorrected proof. Fine.
Kamler was one of the doctors on Everest in May 1996, and a player in the events described in Into Thin Air. He treated both Beck Weathers and Makalu Gau.
Leading up to the disastrous 1996 climb in which Dr. Kenneth Kamler played a crucial role aiding survivors, Doctor on Everest is the account of how lives are saved-or lost-in perilous conditions. Through this intimate, gripping, and often humorous account, Dr. Kamler describes what life was like on Everest - how he treated his fellow climbers for everything from altitude sickness to pulmonary edema; how he negotiated his dual role as doctor and climber; and how he reconciled is separation from home and family with pursuing his lifelong dream.
In 1996, the medical situation on Everest became desperate. Kamler was faced with dire cases that would have been difficult under the best of circumstances - including Makalu Gau, who was found barely alive in the snow, and Beck Weathers, who was pronounced dead but later stumbled into camp clinging to life. Throughout, Kamler draws vivid portraits of his companions, including Rob Hall, leader of the New Zealand summit team, who died just below the summit in '96. Doctor on Everest puts the reader in the place of a climbing doctor and reveals what it takes for the human body and mind to function at high altitudes.
Kenneth Kamler, M.D. is director of the Hand Treatment Center in New Hyde Park, New York; attending orthopedic surgeon at several major New York hospitals; and vice president of The Explorers Club. He has been a climber on many Everest expeditions, working with National Geographic to carry out research and mapping. He has been featured on Nightline, 48 Hours, and CNN, and profiled in The New York Times and USA Today.
