- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: Hutchinson; First Edition (Second Impression) edition (4 May 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0091801176
- ISBN-13: 978-0091801175
- Product Dimensions: 23.1 x 14.5 x 2.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 801,915 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
To his credit, Matt Dickinson's mountain-bound tomes need no dramatic embellishment. The inhospitable climes of Mount Everest, upon which he has nearly died twice, provide drama in abundance. Consequently, his claims of mere footsteps feeling like entire marathons are quite believable. Unlike The Death Zone, which recounted his own hazard-filled Everest experiences, High Risk is a fictional effort, but one which is imbued with a superior degree of tension and breathtaking excitement. When her tycoon husband perishes on Everest, headstrong TV presenter Josie Turner is determined to ascend the mountain to seek "closure"--egged on by her ratings-hungry bosses. Aided by veteran avalanche expert Hal Maher, who has his own reasons for confronting the ultimate peak, their heeding of the mountain's siren call soon leads to a desperate struggle for survival as they become enveloped in a vicious storm.
Dickinson's technical authority is flawless (the mechanics of avalanches is fascinating), yet his major success lies in his ability to portray Everest as a tangible, enigmatic enemy--as enticing as it is fearsome. The harsh environment with its relentless silence attacks the mind as well as the body:
To her, the cold was an assailant - an enemy intent on destroying her. Josie began to fear that the cold was now so deep inside her that she would never chase it out again.Dickinson successfully transfers first-hand experience to the fictional arena, providing a bona-fide page-turner. High Risk expertly portrays the magnetic and dangerous relationship between man and environment.--Danny Graydon
Review
Praise for "The Death Zone:
"Reads like a thriller--a real page-turner." - "Guardian
"Reads like a thriller--a real page-turner." - "Guardian
"Dickinson brings out splendidly the sheer terror at the heart of the whole mountain climbing project." - "Independent
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Paperback
What a find! My favourite read this year bymiles. This is a really gripping and involving story which had me gripped from start to awesome finish. A true epic...I was literally shivering with cold and fear as the story goes on. You can tell this authro has been there...and how! Superb.
Format:Paperback
I read "the Death Zone" by Matt Dickinson when it first came out and really enjoyed the personal detail of his account on Everest. Actually I bought this book for my husband but started to read it and literally stayed up all night to find out what happened. The story is about Josie who is a young fit ambitious tv presenter whose husband, Sebastian, who is a sort of Branson type tycoon who being obsessed with Everest tries to reach the summit. When he fails Josie is determined to see what the obsession is all about and goes there herself. It is also about the gorgeous Hal an avalanche expert caught up in events in both Alaska and the Himalaya. There is an Avalanche chapter that just takes your breath away it is truly awesome and the Everest summit day is just so real you feel you really have been up there with Josie and Hal. I don't want to spoil it for other readers but Matt's writing is evocative and gets the adrenaline really going. If you like a roller coaster read this is it. If you are travelling trans-atlantic this is the perfect book you will find time really flies as you get absorbed in the characters and events. I am sure if you pick it up you won't be able to put it down until the last word.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you are reading this it's because the ratings and the story outline grabbed you. I needn't go over the plot again. Here is how "I" found it.
When my husband and I were passed this book on, he read it first and couldn't put it down. He urged me to read it. Myself, not being particularly enthralled with (a) avalanches nor (b) mountaineering, as a woman whose feet are normally well on the ground I began to uninspiringly thumb the first couple of pages.
Those few pages resulted in my continuous reading until about 5 am (on a work night!) not even a tea break. The sense of danger, the car door slam (for those who have read it) and the inevitable torrent of disaster that was unleached, was like a natural amphetamine. The Everest scenes are amazing. In fact trying to sleep would have been impossible as my heart pounded pretty much non-stop. Many times I had to lie the book down and control my breathing as I found I would be holding my breath without realising it! Of course I cried in the end, DONT READ THE LAST PAGE. Unlike my husband I didn't see it coming. Terrific.
When I look at the structure of the story it reads like an ascent of Everest: in thrill factor. You think the Alaska scenes at the beginning are intense, well you only arrived at Base Camp. The middling scenes are the walk up the Khumbu Glacier and the Western Cwm and the last section is just solid +8000 m stuff. I can't recommend it highly enough. In fact, as a result of this book I read Matt's other book DEATH ZONE about his trip up Everest during the 1996 season up the North Route, then I read a singularly amazing account by Jon Krakauer INTO THIN AIR detailing his journey up the South Route, he was a member of Rob Hall's team who suffered the most losses that year due to the storm, then the THE ASCENT OF EVEREST by John Hunt publ. 1953.
So there you go.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Heart-pumpingly exhilarating.....YOU MUST READ IT!
If you are reading this it's because the ratings and the story outline grabbed you. I needn't go over the plot again. Here is how "I" found it. Read more
Published on 3 Sep 2000
High Altitude Claustrophobic Sensation
I got this book on the recommendation of a friend -and what a stunning find it is. When I started to read the book I was a bit worried that it would take ages to get going and that... Read more
Published on 2 Jun 2000
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