Touching The Void
Published on 11. December 2003
Book
Paperback/Softback
224 pages
978-0-09-945229-4 (ISBN)
Description
THE BOOK BEHIND THE AWARD-WINNING FILM
Joe Simpson, with just his partner Simon Yates, tackled the unclimbed West Face of the remote 21,000 foot Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in June 1995. But before they reached the summit, disaster struck.
A few days later, Simon staggered into Base Camp, exhausted and frostbitten, to tell their non-climbing companion that Joe was dead. For three days he wrestled with guilt as they prepared to return home. Then a cry in the night took them out with torches, where they found Joe, badly injured, crawling through the snowstorm in a delirium.
Far from causing Joe's death, Simon had paradoxically saved his friend's life. What happened, and how they dealt with the psychological traumas that resulted when Simon was forced into the appalling decision to cut the rope, makes not only an epic of survival but a compelling testament of friendship.
Joe Simpson, with just his partner Simon Yates, tackled the unclimbed West Face of the remote 21,000 foot Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in June 1995. But before they reached the summit, disaster struck.
A few days later, Simon staggered into Base Camp, exhausted and frostbitten, to tell their non-climbing companion that Joe was dead. For three days he wrestled with guilt as they prepared to return home. Then a cry in the night took them out with torches, where they found Joe, badly injured, crawling through the snowstorm in a delirium.
Far from causing Joe's death, Simon had paradoxically saved his friend's life. What happened, and how they dealt with the psychological traumas that resulted when Simon was forced into the appalling decision to cut the rope, makes not only an epic of survival but a compelling testament of friendship.
Reviews / Votes
"A brilliant, vivid, gripping, heart-stopping account of their terrifying adventure... Superbly written" * Sunday Express * "On every level it is an outstanding literary achievement" * Independent * "A quite extraordinary and moving book... Touching the Void touches the Great Questions in an understated yet utterly compelling way" * Guardian * "A truly astonishing account of suffering and fortitude...the narrative acquires an irresistible force, carrying all before it" * Sunday Times * "One of the great stories of survival eloquently described" -- Philip French * Observer *More details
Edition
Film Tie-In
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Vintage Publishing
Edition type
Media tie-in
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
16
Dimensions
Height: 199 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
180 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-09-945229-4 (9780099452294)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
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Person
Joe Simpson is the author of several bestselling books, of which the first,Touching the Void, won both the NCR award and the Boardman Tasker Award. His later books are This Game of Ghosts - the sequel to Touching the Void - Storms of Silence, Dark Shadows Falling, The Beckoning Silence and one previous novel, The Water People.