Touching The Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival

Joe Simpson

For fans of Into The Wild and Into Thin Air, Touching the Void : The True Story of One Man’s Miraculous Survival by Joe Simpson surpasses both in intensity and the ability to put you into the psychological fears and sufferings that take place on a high mountain in the Andes.

This is a true story of two men attempting the first ever west face ascent of a mountain in the Andes range. While near the summit the author breaks his leg (a virtual death sentence on such a high elevation). This leads to a moral dilemma for his partner that has been a matter of debate by many climbers since the publication of the book.

The book is filled with mounting climbing jargon that may be hard for the lay person to follow (there is a glossary in the back that does explain the terms) but this is a minor point of distraction, for once the reader gets to the point of the fall and the broken leg he or she will not want to put this book down. Even if you have never been above sea level, this book is a must read.

Review by Tony Kainauskas