Dark Shadows Falling [Hardcover]

Joe Simpson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1997

First time in paperback!

On the heels of a swirl of controversy surrounding mountaineering, Joe Simpson wonders if the essence of the sport has been completely lost. From a gripping introduction detailing one climber's dying moments, witnessed by other climbers who offered no help, Simpson moves on to question the May 10, 1996, events on Everest, offering an objective, well-researched, and insightful analysis. Weaving the thread of the larger question through discussions of other issues, he also examines guided climbing, the media spin on climbing accidents, and incidents involving poor treatment of Sherpas. He takes as many risks in his writing as he does in climbing, and Simpson's latest work is certain to challenge readers and inspire debate.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The author of Touching the Void interweaves stories of his own mountaineering adventures with reflective consideration of recent tragedies on the world's loftiest peaks. As more people take to the mountains--many of them amateurs and dilettantes who can afford to hire guides of varying levels of expertise--the odds of disaster loom ever higher. Simpson weighs in on "summit fever," the treatment of local sherpas, and what he sees as unimaginative "yak routes" up the once-grand mountains.

About the Author

Joe Simpson's highly acclaimed Touching the Void won the Boardman Tasker Award in 1988 and the NCR Award. He also is the author of a memoir, This Game of Ghosts and, more recently, Storms of Silence. He lives in Sheffield, England. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books; 1st ed edition (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898865492
• ISBN-13: 978-0898865493
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,687,412 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What an experience to read joe's books., November 5, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Dark Shadows Falling (Hardcover)

Joe's style and sensitive nature keeps you looking for the next book. His wealth of real life experience together with his ability to write permeate thoughout his books. As a climber he makes me think of my own ethics and and morals when it comes to climbing and the people I do it with I too believe that Joe is right about the decaying ethics that have permeated the very fabric of our mountains and the culture of people that climb and live in these parts. I too can empathise with Joe to some extent of the lonileness of being lost or injured in these wild place. I now have read all of Joe's books some of them twice and eagley await the next instalment from a writer and climber that I would one day love to meet. Keep on writng Joe but more importantly keep the cimbing community honest with your stark revalations and blinding truths about what is going on in our mountains today.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The book will leave you thinking, December 17, 2000

By 

Daniel Gladis (Czech Republic) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Shadows Falling (Paperback)

The book is only remotedly about an attempt to climb a magnificent peak of Bumori. It is rather a philosophical debate over mountains and people climbing them.

Joe Simpson gives examples of climbers tragedies and shows how the others around react to them. Some people show remarkable effort to save their colleagues while others show no interest whatsoever. Simpson is wondering what motivates people do react the way they react and also tries to define some kind of a standard ethic that climbers should follow.

Simpson criticizes the commercialization of mountaineering. This is a point where you might disagree with him. It is understandable that the commercialization annoys the orthodox climbers since it brings devastation of mountains, garbage to what used to be a virgin land, unnecessary deaths, etc. On the oher hand, mountains do not belong exclusively to the real mountaineers and the trend would be almost impossible to stop.

In any case, the book should be on the shelf of every man or woman interesting in mountains. I would recommend to combine this book with Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you are a climber, you must read this Book!, June 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dark Shadows Falling (Hardcover)

I first cme into contact with Simpson when my father convinced me to read "Touching the Void." Although I haven't read all of them the ones I have read have been Unputdownble in every sense. If you have read into thin air by Jon Krakauer then this is an excellent follow up book. The harrowing first chapter introduced me to an element of climbing that I had never seen and do not want to ever see. Again, if you are a climber then you must read this book!