Even though this book has been making the rounds in the rock climbing/mountaineering scene for years now, everyone, regardless of their backgrounds should give this book a read. It is a testament to the human spirit, as well as a never give up attitude. At the end of the book, all youll be able to say is wow.

The movie and the DVD extras take the viewer on an emotional path where one at first dislikes the arrongant and impetuous Simpson, while his climbing pal Simon Yates seems more sympathetic. However, as the movie continues and especially if you watch the Return to Siula Grande DVD extra, it becomes hard not to empathize with Simpsons reaction to returning to the place where he had faced so much trauma and to, in contrast, find Yates cold and unfeeling, as if the experience they shared so many years before no longer affected him personally. The end of the movie leaves one with the impression that Simpson, although understanding at what Yates did, does not really like Yates and does certainly not consider him a friend.

The book, written several years earlier, certainly leaves a more positive impression of Yates. While Simpson admits to having written the book in part to clear Yatess name in the climbing communitry, his storytelling takes the reader beyond a defense of Yatess actions. In fact, Simpsons description of Yatess attempt to lower the injured Simpson down the mountain portrays an act that is nothing short of heroic. It is clear that his cutting the rope was a last, desperate resort to end a situation in which there was no way out.

While the book and the movie both tell very closely the same story, reading the book and seeing the movie is neither a redundant experience nor an exercise in detecting differences in the two plots. In fact, the one enriches the story in the other. The maps and the first-person telling in the book complement the documentary-style script and the sweeping vistas caught on film.

Like The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev, Simpson makes up for his sometimes clumsy writing style by dramatically portraying the emotions he felt during this ordeal. As a result, Simpsons story is a testament to the power of ingenuity and faith. After reading Touching The Void, it will be impossible not to have a greater appreciation for the inherent strength of the human character.

I think the third question was easiest for me. The will to live is just too great in most of us to give up. However, as we read of Joe Simpsons incredible climb out of an icy hell -- on a severely broken leg, each step one of excruciating pain, we can understand when he asks himself the same question.

On the first, no. I get all the tough mountain climbing thrills I need vicariously through Jon Krakauers books or ones like this. I understand that some are driven to assault the globes most difficult peaks, but I just dont see the point. Almost all of the wonderful mountaineering books of the last decade involve death and mayhem among people who knowingly chose to place themselves in positions where those outcomes were a high probability.

The second question is the most difficult and the one the reader will ask himself over and over during this very well written book.

Joe Simpson and Simon Yates climbed a forbidding peak in South America alone, with their only support a neophyte camped a few miles from the starting point in a camp itself a days mule ride away from civilization. The climb up went well enough, but on the way down the snow encrusted and storm tossed mount, Simpson broke his leg horribly in a fall. Improvising a plan for Yates to lower Simpson down a crevice riddled glacier one painful rope length at a time, the pair started their self-rescue at night. The first few hours went painfully slow, then Simpson reeled over a cliff into nothingness. Unable to see what had befallen Simpson, Yates hung on above -- the rope slowly but surely pulling Yates himself toward the abyss. Knowing (in both their minds at that time according to the book) that to hold on would kill them both, Yates made the supremely difficult decision to cut the rope -- condemning Simpson to a long fall and probable death -- to save himself.

The next morning after climbing down, Yates could only see a snow covered crevice which he assumed his friend had plummeted into from high above. Unknown to Yates, Simpson had miraculously landed on a snow ledge below the lip of the crevice -- mangled leg and all. The weak ice roof of the crevice had slowed his fall enough to permit survival. Yates went off to camp heavy with the knowledge he had killed his friend and sure the world would neither understand nor forgive.

Simpson, meanwhile, endured a 48 hour plus ordeal to drag his wrecked body 50 or so feet out of the crevice and then over miles over rough ground to camp. As you might imagine, the reuniting of Simpson and Yates was quite a scene.

This book is taught and well written. Although Simpsons book, Yates is given space to describe in his own words the story from his perspective from the point he thought his fateful decision had separated their paths.

This is a great survival story and leaves the reader asking: "Would I, could I, have cut the rope?"

If you want to read a great survival story I HIGHLY suggest Into Thin Air.
Stick to the documentary that is now on DVD and dont waste time with the book.

This is an intensely personal story, in which there is a strongly psychological aspect, both to Joe, trying to survive after falling into the crevasse, and to Simon, going over the guilt of having cut the rope. Joes ordeal is amazing, with a broken leg and left for dead; he makes it through miles of glaciers and rocks to make it back to camp.

Overall, it is a very well told story. My only comment is that the ending is a bit longer than it should be. The authors gets the reader very animated about his prospects of survival, then starts some long winded descriptions of a lake or of rock; i just had to skip a couple of the paragraphs to get to the punchline. I highly recommend it to someone who likes mountaineering or survival stories, this is one of the really good ones.

well, the story itself is riveting. LOTS of technical details, which is to be expected, but a bit difficult unless youve had Mountaineering 101! Familiarising yourself with basic mountain-climbling terms would be a help before you plunge into this incredible story.
I found myself asking these questions at the end of the story:
Joe, how was your vision?

did you have more surgery when you got home?

how was your recovery at home, physically and mentally?

have you climbed with Simon again?

why didnt Simon write so much as word one for your book? not even the briefest of comments in the intro?

why did you abruptly cut off the "epilogue"?
It leaves the reader wondering just what happened to you after you got home?

How was the journey home?

Why didnt we hear Simon speaking for himself?

How is it that you found the desire and strength..inner and outer..to go climbing again?

Im glad I didnt pay full price for this book, and I plan to give it away to a friend who is "into" climbing.
The story is interesting enough, but I was left at the end saying WHAT?! thats the END???? Not in a breathless way, but slightly disappointed.

Update: I saw the documentary that they made from this book. I am even more amazed after seeing the actual terrain that Joe is still with us.

Touching the Void is, simply put, the story of the human spirits ability for survival against all the odds. There are many occasions where both Joe and Simon could have given up; many moments when it could all have been for naught; but they kept going, and both lived to tell the tale. Simpsons writing is, as ever, vivid and visceral, putting you up on Siula Grande with him. We vicariously experience his time in the crevasse, his efforts on the glacier, and then his crawl back towards the camp, wondering if there will be anybody there even if he does make it. You know all along that he survives, but when he reaches safety you want to cry out because he describes it so painfully well. This is what the book is about.

With the impending release of the movie, and widespread radio coverage in the UK featuring interviews and editorials, a terrible misconception has crept in. Almost everyone who has come into the shop and asked me about the book has said, "I heard about this book on the radio. Its about a climber who cuts the rope on his friend. Do you have it?" By focussing on Simon Yates cutting of the rope, it seems that everyone is missing the point. Far from a cold-hearted act, everybody fails to acknowledge that had Yates not lowered Simpson down several thousand feet of the mountain, a non-stop feat of incredible courage and fortitude, Simpson would not have survived, period. Simpson himself does not blame Yates for his actions, and this is the lead we should be taking. All these people who have never been on a mountain in their lives saying, "Ooh, he broke the code, he shouldnt have done that," just have no idea.

Im glad the book is selling well, and deservedly so, but I wish it could sell for the right reasons and not because people want the inside story on The-Man-Who-Cut-The-Rope.

Its an uplifting, exciting and moving story of the robustness of the human spirit, but told in a candid and realistic way by both Simpson and Yates. How both reacted to incredibly harrowing circumstances and how they dealt with near impossible choices is astonishing. This is not a romanticised version of events - both men ran a full gamut of emotions, both noble and ignoble.

A truly great tale, one worthy of a read even if youre not interested in mountaneering.

G Rodgers

To me the climbing of the glacier is secondary to the main point of the book which is getting down alive.

Wonderful read.

Simpson takes the reader along practically step-by-step as he and partner Simon Yates make a difficult climb up the mountain Siula Grande. He falls and breaks his leg high on the mountain, takes a 100-foot fall while trying to descend, then crawls and hobbles for three days to camp after Yates leaves him for dead. He openly shares his emotions and pain as he repeatedly faces what seem to be certain-death situations.

Its an often gripping story. Even though its clear that Simpson ultimately survives (how else could he write the book?), I still read eagerly on to see exactly how he would do it. A nice addition to the tale are some small portions written from the perspective of Yates.

That said, I do have a few issues with the book. First, even though its only 172 pages, its too long. This really should be more of a long magazine article, rather than a short book. Most of the first third of the story -- the climb up to the summit, before Simpson breaks his leg -- is probably of interest only to serious climbers. Also, while it is nice to that Simpson shares his experience in so much detail, he overdoes it. As he struggles agonizingly toward camp, his descriptions of his pain, his doubts and his fear of death get repetitive -- I found myself skimming ahead to the next key event.

I was disappointed in the photos in the book, which are printed on plain stock, rather than glossy, paper. As a result, many of them are dark and murky.

Finally, the book comes to a strange and abrupt end. The brief postscript is too short and rather cryptic, and doesnt include any information on what ultimately happens to the other figures in the book, Simon Yates and their campmate Richard.

Still, if you like adventure stories, youll find a lot to like in this book.

But this is a true-adventure yarn of such compelling interest that even couch potatoes and non-readers should love it. It is unbelievable, an unbelievable tale of survival, and it is a first -hand account (he wrote his own story!).

What this book is really about is the human spirit, body, and mind for SURVIVAL.

It is a fantastic read.

This, gentle reader, is what touching the void is about. Its an absolutly compelling true story of survival in the Andes, and about a "routine" expedition that went horribly wrong. The story itself is riviting, and the book has some incredible photos. (the one of Simpson after the events described is amazing).

The book itself is short and pithy, most readers will finish it in less than a week. This is more from the compelling nature of the story, not from any thing else. Simpsons style of writing is short and direct, and refreshingly honest.

Recommended.

Grade: A-

If you like to climb or are just interested, this book will give you some perspective on the extreme edges of this great sport.

For those who havent guessed, this book is the real-life adventure of Joe Simpson as he and a friend climb an icy peak in South America. Even though both individuals have climbing experience, both acted wrecklessly (IMHO) whilst on the climb. Joe suffers a serious fall and, no doubt enduring pain that perhaps only a holocaust victim can relate to, manages to make it back on his own. Inspiring? No doubt for some, but not so for this reader.

Bottom line: the book delivers both "how not to climb mountains" and "never, EVER give up" messages. Unfortunately it is not well-written. Perhaps best left to climbers and, more so, wannable climbers.

Joe Simpson wrote this book to share with all readers his true account of a terrifying adventure and a miraculous ending. The strongest device used to bring the Peruvian Andes right to the living room of the reader is the diction. Simpsons word choice is what makes the book worth while reading. "As the hammer came out there was a sharp cracking sound and my right hand, gripping the axe, pulled down. The sudden jerk turned me outwards and instantly I was falling . . . the rushing speed of it confused me. . . then the pain flooded down my thigh- a fierce burning fire coming down the inside of my thigh, seeming to ball in my groin, building and building until I cried out at it, and my breathing came in ragged gasps. My leg! Oh Jesus. My leg! (P. 71-72)." These lines stand out because it brings the adventure right to the living room. This incredible sensation is all due to the excellent choice of diction. Simpson also added excerpts from Simons journal to add another perspective here and there. "Touching the Void" reaches the necessary literary level simply because of Simpsons word choice.

The thing I found strangest about this book was how movng it was - sure, there is all the tragedy of a terrible accident, and the uplifting epic of Simpsons crawl to safety, but the thing that makes it so sad and painful is the way it brings home the fragile, temporary and vulnerable nature of all our relationships with other people. At times we might find those relationships hanging by the thinnest of threads - and then, much to our surprise (and pain), even that is cut away.

Read it.

Simpson and a climbing partner in an excess of youthful bravado planned a new route up a monster Andean peak in Peru. The area was remote and civilization was somewhere else. After an arduous ascent, Simpson fell and broke his leg while descending. The reader gradually realizes what a chilling horror has befallen the pair. They have no possibility of rescue; the mountain was almost unclimbable for two superb athletes with two good legs. How can they possibly get down when one of them is unable to walk?

Partner, Simon Yates, ropes Simpson to himself and tries to guide Simpson down who is forced to crawl, slide, and inch himself forward. Then Simpson goes over the edge of a cornice and is dangling with only the rope holding him over the void. Yates heroically digs in, but gradually he himself is being inexorably drawn to the chasm. He finally, with shuddering reluctance, cuts the rope, and Simpson falls many feet into a crevasse.

The rest of the book is Simpsons six-day excruciating journey down the mountain: his thoughts, hallucinations and agony. Simpson is a powerful writer without a trace of self-pity. He doesnt try to impress us with his stoicism - far from it, at times he is almost mad with fright. There is nothing lurid here; the book is exhausting, but thought provoking. You wont forget it easily, and you cannot help but wonder what it is like beyond the edge and into the maelstrom.

This is a very short book and very quick read. I strongly recommend this book for an exciting read. My only complaint was that the technical mountaineering talk was over my head. Only later did I discover the glossary at the end that would have partially helped with this.

I bought this book for my mother in an attempt to explain to her why I climbed mountains. How foolish...

The author writes about his ordeal after his accident high in the Peruvian Andes. After his fall caused by his friend, he struggles to survive and to return to civilization. His lonely account of his survival is a testament of his determination and his will to survive.

This story is a must read. The pace and the plot is terribly engrossing and compelling.

Cliches such as "inspiring" and "harrowing" dont do this book justice. It is a one of a kind read. Into Thin Air is also a terrific climbing book, but for me, Simpsons story was more personal and in a way, almost spirutual.

Even though he comes across as an unbelievably brave hero, it is evident that he is not trying to, which makes him seem all the more heroic. I would recmmend this book for sportspeople and couch potatoes alike.

If you liked Krakauers Into Thin Air, you will like this. If you like this genre read Alfred Lansings book on the Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance.

(congratulations on a spectacular first ascent)