Climb: Stories of Survival from Rock, Snow and Ice [Paperback]

Clint Willis (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Adrenaline | Publication Date: December 1999

Climb focuses on the most exciting descriptions of climbing in the world, from the cliffs of Yosemite to the windswept towers of Patagonia to the high peaks of Alaska and the Himalayas. Stories include Jon Krakauer's first-person look at the risks of climbing Mt. McKinley's West Buttress route, which has killed scores of climbers in recent years; Chris Bonington's classic account of the Annapurna expedition, which introduced technical rock climbing at high altitude; Tom Patey's hilarious profile of the great climber and even greater misanthrope Don Whilans, describing an attempt the two made on the Eiger North Face; and Rob Taylor's experience breaking a leg high on Africa's Mount Kenya.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

What do H.G. Wells and Evelyn Waugh know about mountain climbing? Listen to fine British stage actor Nick Sampson read Wells's gripping story "Little Mother Up the Morderberg" or an excerpt from Waugh's little-known but highly charged "Remote People," and be amazed. This latest offering in the zippy Adrenaline series should make readers' freeway-bound spirits soar, as a terrific team of professional readers brings to life some amazing true adventures of people going up against the highest and nastiest places on the planet. Editor Willis has chosen these selections for variety as well as excitement, and some of the top writing names in the climbing trade are represented: Galen Rowell (whose "High and Wild: A Mountaineer's World" is read with panache by Terence Aselford); John Long (two of his fine stories are well presented by Gary Telles); Pete Sinclair (his "We Aspired: The Last Innocent Americans" is treated respectfully by Aselford); and Maureen O'Neill (whose "Queen of All She Surveys" is given zesty life by Kimberly Schraf). Anyone in search of an escape will get real value for money and eartime with this impressive collection. Based on the Thunder's Mouth Press paperback.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

From Library Journal

Willis is the editor of the "Adrenaline" series of adventure and survival-story collections, with titles such as Epic, Ice, and Rough, which encompass actual accounts as well as some fictional representations. Climb features adventures from some of the world's best climbers, e.g., Scotsman Hamish MacInnes and American Jim Wickwire, and exotic locales from Alaska and Yosemite to the Himalayas and Patagonia. Two fictional works are included, one of which is the humorous short story "Little Mother Up the Morderberg" by H.G. Wells, about a mother and son trekking to the top of a mountain. An excerpt from Evelyn Waugh's Remote People rounds out the contributions by noted literary figures. The only entry by a woman is Maureen O'Neill's "Queen of All She Surveys," a moving account of the last climb, and death, of a female climber and friend of the author who died in the way she wanted to live, climbing a mountain. "We Aspired: The Last Innocent Americans" by Pete Sinclair is a harrowing account of a climb that goes wrong with tragic results and the impact this has on those who witnessed death and misadventure up close. This last is by far the strongest story in the collection and one that will haunt listeners long afterward. As compared with other titles in this series, Climb is one of the weakest entries. The fictional selections are not compelling, and some of the factual accounts are rather lackluster, despite the competent readings by Terence Aselford, Graeme Malcolm, Nick Sampson, and others. However, listeners who are drawn to stories about danger, death-defying mountain and rock climbs, and encounters with ice and snow will likely want to hear this. Recommended for larger public libraries. Gloria Maxwell, Penn Valley Community Coll., Kansas City, MO
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; First edition. edition (December 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560252502
• ISBN-13: 978-1560252504
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #971,338 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Climbing/Mountaineering compilation, November 28, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Climb: Stories of Survival from Rock, Snow and Ice (Paperback)

This is a great compilation of climbing stories. Some are inspiring while others will make you think about whether this is really something you want to be doing. Also highly recommended for those addicted to mountaineering literature is the editor's book "Epic" for more of the same...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another installment in Willis' anthology series, June 27, 2000

By 

K. Freeman (Apple Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Climb: Stories of Survival from Rock, Snow and Ice (Paperback)

Willis has a genius for searching climbing literature and coming up with gripping passages to incorporate into his anthologies. Some readers will find that they already own most of the original books, making the anthology unnecessary. However, for those who only like the exciting bits, or who don't want to collect dozens of volumes, Willis' works are perfect. The latest installment continues to incorporate writings on many different climbing styles and historical periods, both fiction and nonfiction.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exciting and inspiring read, May 8, 2000

By 

"nadir80" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Climb: Stories of Survival from Rock, Snow and Ice (Paperback)

As you can see from the table of contents and the editorial reviews, this book contains writings by lots of great mountaineers and climbers. Many of the authors discuss experiences when they have had to deal with fear, loss, and the difficult question of risk; they also share some of the lessons that they have learned from years of being challenged by nature and other people. Willis' compilation includes a selection of both fictional and true stories that I found to be a balanced combination of very funny, poignant, sad, and--best of all--inspiring. Reading this book really made me want to get outside! One of the convenient things about this book is that the stories are rather short, so it's easy to pick it up for a brief escape from the hustle and bustle of the city...There is also a bibliography so one can read further about any of the stories, if one chooses.