Book Overview(From the publisher)
Joe Simpson and his climbing partner, Simon Yates, had just reached the top of a 21,000-foot peak in the Andes when disaster struck. Simpson plunged off the vertical face of an ice ledge, breaking his leg. In the hours that followed, darkness fell and a blizzard raged as Yates tried to lower his friend to safety. Finally, Yates was forced to cut the rope, moments before he would have been pulled to his own death.
The next three days were an impossibly grueling ordeal for both men. Yates, certain that Simpson was dead, returned to base camp consumed with grief and guilt over abandoning him. Miraculously, Simpson had survived the fall, but crippled, starving, and severely frostbitten was trapped in a deep crevasse. Summoning vast reserves of physical and spiritual strength, Simpson crawled over the cliffs and canyons of the Andes, reaching base camp hours before Yates had planned to leave.
How both men overcame the torments of those harrowing days is an epic tale of fear, suffering, and survival, and a poignant testament to unshakable courage and friendship.
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; Revised edition (January 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060730552
ISBN-13: 978-0060730550 Images |
Reviews
| lisae | Powerful | | 
Voted 5/5 | I read this book in one sitting and have re-read it several times over the years. Even though I knew Simpson survived, I still got caught up in the drama. I think this is the best of his books; well written and nothing extraneous. In his other books, it sometimes seems as if he is re-hashing the material this book. | | Posted Jan 26, 2007 8:48 pm |
| Koonsy | Incredible | | 
Voted 5/5 | I just got done reading this book a few days ago and loved it. I had seen the movie before hand but I loved the book and once I got done reading the book, I had to go out and get the movie again. It is a very powerful book and a great story of survival. I would highly recommend reading this book. Joe Simpson is also a very good writer. I am looking forward to reading some of his other books.
Matt
| | Posted Feb 7, 2007 5:25 pm |
| KirtDavis | Inspiring | | 
Voted 5/5 | I saw the movie first... Then I bought the book... What a great read! So well written, you are almost there. | | Posted Feb 20, 2007 4:44 pm |
| Alpinist | Amazing story | | 
Voted 5/5 | Amazing story of one person's will to survive, and how another copes with guilt and sadness. I love how the author captures what is going on through both of their minds as the story unfolds. It's riveting. I couldn't put the book down. | | Posted Mar 20, 2007 8:51 pm |
| rufus | An astonishing | | 
Hasn't voted | story on a man's will, persistence and mental strength. Regardless if one is otherwise interested in the world of mountains or not, I really recommend this book to everyone.
The movie - I know it's never the same, but in my opinion the movie was not so gripping as the book is. | | Posted May 2, 2007 12:42 pm |
|
