Dark Shadows Falling by Joe Simpson Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Dark Shadows Falling
Book Review: Truly about ethics on the Mountain
Summary: 4 Stars
I truly enjoyed reading Joe Simpson's book. Finally..you read about what one really see's on Everest and no hold's barred! If you want to know what one has to "step over" on the mountain..read this book..if you want to read about what one see's on the south col..then read this book...a great read!Book Review: Well written, somewhat unfocused
Summary: 3 Stars
This is a well written book and can be recommended, although there is little here that will be unfamiliar to readers of John Krakauer's "Into Thin Air", or any of the other myriad of books on the 1996 Everest disaster.
Climbing at high altititude is an extremely dangerous pursuit. I don't think this is newsworthy. Simpson is appalled by the callousness of climbers that refuse even the slightest comfort for the dying at high altitude. Several gruesome examples are cited and certainly the lay person winces at the apparent disregard of life and human suffering. I am not a climber and others are better equipped to discuss the possiblities of rescue at these heights, but my guess is that the chances of rescue are very remote and pose distinct risk to the climber that tries (witness Robb Hall's death on Everest in support of a client that had no real chance of making his descent in the weather). At the risk of being cruel, I have to think that the individual takes these risks into account before going on the mountain and gets what they pay for. In any event, Joe Simpson is a avowed atheist so I really question what rational would motivate such a person to risk his life for another person. Since the author believes we have but one life, why risk it for another person that is very likely to die anyway? Simpson is absoulutely correct in asserting that there are a number of climbers on Everest and other high peaks that have no business being there and qualify only based on their fat wallets, but guess what, they assume the risk as well. The fact that their bodies litter Everest and K-2 is testament to the fact that this is a serious undertaking.
All this said, I really like Simpson as a writer. Most of this mountain literature is unreadable and he sets himself appart as an articulate and thoughtful person. I would probably suggest Into the Void over this book. It's also one hell of a movie
Book Review: dark shadows falling
Summary: 5 Stars
book in excellent condition
arrived really quick to the middle of the desert in australia
thanks heaps
Book Review: my favorite Joe Simpson book
Summary: 5 Stars
Let's face it, Touching The Void is such a fantastic story that it has to be Simpson's best book. It's certainly his most famous.But this one is my favorite, I think because it is more about "climbing" than about "Joe Simpson".
Simpson makes a compelling case for the idea that the ethics of mountaineering have been harmed by the commercialization of climbing.
I usually figure that any story about "the good old days" when people were noble is likely BS. But that's not really what Simpson is claiming here. Instead, he is really talking more about the differences between a small and self-selected community (like "climbing" 30 years ago) and a large and public activity (like "climbing" today).
I'm not sure if non-climbers would really appreciate this book, but as a climber I have found it invaluable for helping me to frame my own questions about what it means to be a climber, and ultimately a human being.
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