Customer Reviews

Alpine Circus: A Skier's Exotic Adventures at the Snowy Edge of the World

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A great collection of unforgettable skiing stories that takes you around the globe to some of the most remote areas of the world. After reading every authors stop, you feel as if you've been there also. Easy to read, funny, and worth reading again and again...

My wife got me this book for Christmas. I finished it the next morning! Wonderful stories about skiing in Iran, China, Bolivia etc. all told with verve and tremendous skill. I love skiing, but anyone who enjoys reading about adventure will love these stories. BUY THIS BOOK!

If you have a passion for skiing and traveling, this is the book for you! It's an easy read - several short stories about the author's ski adventures in the U.S. and abroad. A very enjoyable book that's hard to put down...you just want to keep reading on to his next adventure.

Three thumbs up. Now I don't have to launch myself off a 40 meter ski jump or attempt a 60-degree couloir . . . Mr. Finkel has done it for me. But skiing is just the thread that weaves this collection of diverse stories together as the book touches on Iranian politics, ski development in China (or lack thereof), the war in Sarajevo, pre-Salt Lake City Olympic bribery, and countless others. Having said that, there's also enough enjoyable virgin pistes and well-carved turns (on skis, telemarks, and snowboards) to satisfy the most selfish powder pig.

If you ski or snowboard, you must buy this book! If you don't ski, but enjoy great travel stories told with wit and humor, you should still buy this book. Finkel is one of the best and funniest travel writers around.

I've loved Finkel's columns in Skiing magazine and relived his many amazing experiences on skis through this book. He's a Hemingway on Skis - a great writer and adventurer. My ski trips should be only half as memorable.

Great, great book. In a time of over-hyped, over-blown, blown-dry pseudo-journalists and their so-called excellent adventures, Finkel has no fear and pulls no punches. It's an exotic blast (and at times erotic) through a wild, snowy world.

I'm only halfway through, and already this book is a favorite. Finkel expertly interweaves breathtaking ski adventures with fascinating glimpses into the local cultures these incredible journeys have taken him to. Highlights include his groundbreaking trek to Iran, a thrilling run in northern China, and a poignant discussion in the western U.S. involving a man with no arms and no legs. Highly recommended.

Most ski writers are middle-aged-plus travel hacks more interested in the hotel than the hill. Not Finkel. Almost uniquely among widely-published ski journalists, he's more interested in descents than dinner, and it's fun to travel vicariously through his work.

Alpine Circus is essentially a compendium of columns originally published in SKIING magazine. All are interesting. Most are funny. One -- the piece on Sarajevo -- is intensely moving.

Four stars out of five. While very enjoyable, the book doesn't fully display Finkel's remarkable talent as a writer. Hopefully, future collections will. You'll see a lot more of his work... he's still a mere sprat.

If you enjoy skiing, this is a must read. I love to ski, and this is the best book about skiing out there. It's been a while since a read this book, but it's still on my shelves. An essay I Particularly liked was the story about a visit to an Iranian ski area where the religious police segregate the slopes into his and her sides of the mountain. Another great story was of a hike up Kilamanjo and the ski back down. Great stuff.