Should I Not Return is the story of a young east coast climber, who joins his brother in Alaska to climb Mount McKinley. What set their climb apart from those before it, and even those afterward, was a disaster of such magnitude that it became know as North America's worst mountaineering tragedy. Prior to July of 1967 only four men had ever perished on Denali, and then, in one fell swoop, Denali--like Melville s, Great White Whale, Moby Dick--indiscriminately took the lives of seven men. The brothers survive one danger after another: a terrible train accident, a near drowning in the McKinley River, an encounter with a large grizzly, a 60 foot plunge into a gaping crevasse, swept away by a massive avalanche, and finally a climactic escape from the terror of 100 mph winds while descending from the summit. Should I Not Return is a one of a kind cliffhanger packed with danger, survival under the worst conditions, and heroism on the Last Frontier s most treasured trophy--the icy slopes of Denali, North America s tallest mountain--Mount McKinley. "I saw the mountains where the unchanging sunrise lay." C.S. Lewis The Great Divorce [[ASIN:B00O17LDYU Death on Denali]] This is the first series of words of the paragraph: Death on Denali. This 'link' will bring readers to the companion product associated with my book SHOULD I NOT RETURN that Mr. Dart is referencing in his review, a product that Amazon already carries. This a fit and fine companion to Jeffrey Babcock’s charmer and suspense packed non-fiction novel, Should I Not Return (2012). In fact, the finely tuned and wisely orchestrated telling of the various Denali expeditions in Death on Denali (running time 106 minutes) elicits many a sit down and see as mountaineering tales unfold from multiple angles. There are many layers to ponder in this DVD. Those who are mountaineering history buffs (with an interest in the many attempts to summit Denali) are offered a generous and informed aerial overview of the many attempts, in the early decades of the 20th century, by the dishonest Dr. Cook, the Sourdough Expedition, Brown, Stuck and the formidable Bradford Washburn to summit Denali (some more successful than others). The different routes are highlighted and illustrated in precise detail. The DVD is worth the watching if for no other reason than the early attempts (some more tragic than others) to stand on the South Peak of Denali has its own magnetic attraction. There are others with an abiding interest in understanding why 7 of the 12 on the Wilcox climb died on Denali on July 1967. Jeffrey Babcock, to his meticulous credit, points the way to must read books to get a fix and feel for different interpretive approaches to the 1967 disaster: Snyder (1973), Wilcox (1981), Tabor (2007), Babcock (2012) and Hall (2014)—there is even Sheldon’s Wager in the Wind. The listed books are yet another convincing reason why Death on Denali is a keeper and must see DVD. Death on Denali integrates two successful summit climbs that Jeffrey has made to the roof of McKinley----1967 and 1977. The 1977 expedition (led by Jeffrey) had its own nail biter of a conclusion when, groping in whiteout conditions, Jeffrey managed to find an abandoned igloo high on Denali’s flanks in which the team could find a rest and reprieve from a flailing storm. There is also a more reflective and philosophical tone in the DVD, pointing and hinting towards a deeper spiritual aspect to Death on Denali. There are literal and spiritual mountains, there are literal and spiritual treks and climbs---none can avoid the latter pilgrimage through life. Some of the final reflections, including poignant and evocative insights from a sister of one of the dead climbers go deep and tender. These are but some of the reasons that Death on Denali is a must see and purchase. There are, though, other reasons to delight in the DVD—the visual mountain feast, from different angles, of Denali, bunched up glaciers and deep gorged crevasses, ant like climbers and surrounding mountains---also some of the tidbits and morsels of Alaskan history makes for a generous entrée to mountaineering lore and legend. There is no doubt that Should I Not Return and Death on Denali are hand in glove fits—they belong together and the one without the other is like a right without a left arm, a left without a right leg---in short, much is missing and unbalanced when only one or the other is read, watched and pondered. The creative genius and tale telling beauty of these mountaineering classics should be in the library of anyone minimally concerned with the often complicated yet tantalizing world of mountaineering culture of which Denali has many secrets revealed and yet to be revealed. Ron Dart, Professor / Dept. of Philosophy & Politics, University of Frazer Valley, Abbotsford,BC You could say that life is all about frontiers. We cross one coming in, another going out, and are shaped by those we cross in between. I crossed a few myself—willi