- Hardcover: 304 pages
- Publisher: Jonathan Cape Ltd; 1996 First Edition, 1st Printing edition (11 Jan 1996)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0224042165
- ISBN-13: 978-0224042161
- Product Dimensions: 24 x 16.4 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 657,828 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
" Excellent . . . Simpson is a born writer."
- "The Times"
- "The Times"
"From the Trade Paperback edition."
Product Description
A moving account of the author' s maverick life as a mountaineer. Behind the tales of adventure is a brooding disquiet as he struggles to come to terms with the grinding poverty and violence lurking so close to the surface of life.
Joe Simpson recalls the severe snowstorm that put an end to an attempt with four others on Gangchempo, and the infection that forced him to abandon the climb on Cho Oyu in Tibet. During that expedition he has a disturbing encounter with a party of political refugees and a 4-year-old boy fleeing across the Tibetan border. He becomes obsessed with stories of Chinese brutality in the old-world Tibet they overran by force 40 years ago.
He also begins to question the ethics of playing rich men' s games in Third World countries, contributing little to the local people who endure a fearful struggle to survive. Oppression abroad makes him see mindless violence in his hometown of Sheffield in a new light. The book ends with his first trip to the Andes in Peru since Touching the Void.
Joe Simpson recalls the severe snowstorm that put an end to an attempt with four others on Gangchempo, and the infection that forced him to abandon the climb on Cho Oyu in Tibet. During that expedition he has a disturbing encounter with a party of political refugees and a 4-year-old boy fleeing across the Tibetan border. He becomes obsessed with stories of Chinese brutality in the old-world Tibet they overran by force 40 years ago.
He also begins to question the ethics of playing rich men' s games in Third World countries, contributing little to the local people who endure a fearful struggle to survive. Oppression abroad makes him see mindless violence in his hometown of Sheffield in a new light. The book ends with his first trip to the Andes in Peru since Touching the Void.
"From the Trade Paperback edition."
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
46 of 46 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Simpson is consistently proving himself to be not only an able (and by his own admission, extremely lucky!) mountaineer, but a skilful and passionate storyteller. In this, his third book, he moves beyond the relatively narrow sphere of his own mountain climbing adventures, gripping though they are, to take a more philosophical look at why people are drawn to adventure, how it affects them, and how modern-day "credit card adventuring" impacts both the environment and people it comes into contact with.
The book is vaguley episodic, covering periods in Simpson's own life and career, from his recovery from the horrific accident he described so vividly in Touching The Void, to his Greenpeace activities, as well as a more general discussion on the appalling human cost of China's invasion of Tibet. Simpson's often acerbic humour shines throughout, as does his refusal to shy away from the difficult questions. His style has grown more confident, and the range of material he tackles is often exceptional. A wonderful book.
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The overwhelming rollercoaster of mixed emotional feelings that Joe recalls in following those two young girls down a mountain track is the most beautiful writing and honest emotional descriptions I have ever read. The laughter, the courage, the fear, the playfulness, the concern, hurt and laughter make such an enduring impact, you cannot fail to examine your own qualities as a human being. Read it and reappraise your own life values.
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is one of my very favourite books- dog eared and coffee-cup stained from all of the times I have dived back in. There is so much here to treasure: Joe's humor, which is both dry and wondefully silly, his knack for making tragic events somehow understandable, and his bravery: both the physical and the mental kind. He brings up his own trouble with moral principles and personal yearnings, and makes it accessible, sad, and inspiring. It is more than a book about climbing, and more than a book for boys who want to head out for the great outdoors. It is fascinating, amusing, sobering, and totally essential for every type of reader .
Highly, highly reccommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Good but negative.
I like Joe Simpsons books. I respect the man but there is a growing negative vibe that as someone who likes to dangle from a rope now and then puts me off a little. Read more
Published 19 months ago by A. S. Edwards
Excellent
I'm a Joe Simpson fan. If Joe does it - I like it and I'm inspired buy him. Joe is not everyones "cup of tea", but I 'get' him. Read more
Published on 24 April 2010 by Mr. S. C. Hamnett
More great writing from Joe Simpson
If you like his previous books you will also like this one. Classic Simpson with a twist of questions around the ethics of climbers supporting governments by showing up and playing... Read more
Published on 6 Jun 2009 by MC
an honest man
I was touched by his honesty, the explorations into his motivations for climbing, for pushing himself, and also the things that drive his companions. Read more
Published on 4 May 2008 by R. E. Russnak
Frightening
A good book that is heavier than Joe's previous exciting adventures. After outlining his life as a professional mountaineer in Sheffield he goes on to give an informative and... Read more
Published on 8 Sep 2000
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