There is a huge hole in the story though, without firsthand accounts from the rest of the crew. The book didn't make it clear, to me anyway, if the other members had been contacted, and how hard the authors tried to get their thoughts.

It is a similar situation in Touching the Void - the film would never have been so good if Simon Yates hadn't at last felt he could contribute to the story. The psychological stress of leaving someone, even if you thought they were dead, must be enormous.