A Test of Will: One Man's Extraordinary Story of Survival [Paperback]

Warren MacDonald (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 3, 2004

On the night of April 9, 1997, Warren Macdonald, a fit and experienced bushwalker, set out to climb Mount Bowen on Hinchinbrook Island, an unspoiled tropical paradise off the Australian coast. These would be his last steps as a fully intact human being: a freak rock fall pinned him for two days alone under a one-ton boulder, resulting in a double leg amputation. A Test of Will is a story both tragic and inspiring, conveying the horror of what happened and the extraordinary spirit that helped Macdonald survive a seemingly impossible ordeal.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Macdonald's love of nature is so palpable it'll make readers want to head for the nearest national park. And even after losing both legs, the man still has no regrets. An Australian house painter, Macdonald set off in April 1997 to climb the isolated peak of Queensland's Mount Bowen. Along the way he met Geert van Keulen, who, although a much less experienced hiker, agreed to come along. One night when Macdonald crept out to relieve his bladder, the creek bed underneath gave way, and he found himself trapped under a massive boulder that, no matter how hard the panicked Geert pushed against it, would not budge. Geert left for help, leaving Macdonald in searing agony, worried the rushing water would rise and drown him. After a helicopter finally arrived and rescued him, Macdonald had both his gangrenous legs cut off above the knee, and his description of his harrowing rehabilitation is almost more painful than the depiction of what he went through under the boulder. Although this isn't the most artful of stories (Geert's additions add nothing), it's a powerful tale of nature's beauty and ferocity.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

In April 1997, Macdonald and a fellow climber and hiker decided to climb to the summit of Mount Bowen, on an island off the coast of Australia. One night, while his companion was asleep, Macdonald stepped out of the tent to heed a call of nature and wound up lying in a creek, his legs pinned under a massive rock. It was raining, too. Hard. He stayed there for nearly two days while his companion went for help, and the bulk of this book is taken up with recounting his efforts to stay warm, keep his spirits up, and avoid drowning (for a while it looked as though the creek might rise enough to submerge him). The postrescue section of the book, in which he's faced with the amputation of both his legs, is alternately inspiring and moving. Interestingly, some parts of the story are told from the point of view of the author's companion, who describes his own ordeal trying to get help. Fascinating reading for the Jon Krakauer crowd. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Greystone Books (August 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1553650646
• ISBN-13: 978-1553650645
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #551,260 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Warren Macdonald's life's boundaries were redefined in April 1997 with his accident on North Queensland's (Australia) Hinchinbrook Island. Climbing to the Island's tallest peak, he became trapped beneath a one-ton slab boulder in a freak rock fall. Two days later he was rescued, only to undergo the amputation of both legs at mid thigh.

Just ten months later, he climbed Tasmania's Cradle Mountain using a modified wheelchair and the seat of his pants.

His first book "A Test of Will" chronicles both the accident and subsequent return to the mountains.

In February 2003, he became the first double above-knee amputee to reach the summit of Africa's tallest peak, Mt Kilimanjaro (19,222ft), and more recently, in a spectacular effort requiring more than 2,800 pull-ups over 4 days, created history once again in an ascent of America's tallest cliff face, El Capitan. He is also the only above knee amputee to make an ascent of Canada's landmark frozen waterfall, the 600 ft "Weeping Wall" in Alberta.

"A Test of Will" is an Australian bestseller and the subject of the "Trapped under a Boulder" episode of the Discovery Channel series "I Shouldn't Be Alive". His film documenting the epic four-week journey to Federation Peak, Australia most challenging mountain summit, "The Second Step", has been acclaimed worldwide, screening on National Geographic Television and winning eight international awards including Grand Prize at the prestigious "Banff Mountain Film Festival".

Warren has appeared on numerous news and current affairs programs, including "Larry King Live", "The Oprah Winfrey Show", and "The Hour" with George Stroumboulopoulos. He has written articles for "CNN World Edition" (WWW), "Australian Geographic", "Speaking of Impact" and "Professional Speaker".

He lives in Winlaw, British Columbia with his partner Margo Talbot.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent autobiography, February 4, 2007

By 

Dave (Great Lake State) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Test of Will: One Man's Extraordinary Story of Survival (Paperback)

I approached this book with some trepidation. Having just read two similar accounts of persons severely injured in the wilderness, I was in no mood to endure yet another awfully written book.

Apparently, Warren MacDonald has some writing experience or perhaps a very good editor. In either case, readers are treated to an exceptionally interesting book chronically the course of Warren's maverick life.

As expected, Warren first immerses his readers in the gripping tale of his entrapment beneath a one-ton rock as fellow hiker Geert van Keulen frantically goes for help. An added feature of the book are the Geert van Keulen written sections covering his side of the experience.

In interspersed chapters, reader's learn of Warren's introduction to the wilderness, his doomed efforts to save a portion of it, and his eventual and emotional efforts with friends and family to overcome the loss of his legs. Showing his maturity, Warren is wise enough to thank all those folks responsible for his rescue and long recovery.

This is truly a well written and inspiring take on the age old ideal of never giving up.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Inspirational Story I Have Ever Read!!!, December 11, 2006

By 

Vaishali "Author of "You Are What You Lov... (Naples, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Test of Will: One Man's Extraordinary Story of Survival (Paperback)

After you read this book, everything in your life will be measured by the BEFORE Warren, or the AFTER Warren Macdonald experience. Because one thing is certain, you will NEVER see the world in the same way, AFTER
reading Warren's book. There are some books that change your life, your heart, your mind and your perspective forever.... and then there is Warren's book, that is far greater than that! Warren will change how you value life itself. Warren will change how you feel inside your own skin! Warren will transform your
relationship with the Earth; and he will do it with an honesty, a directness and a sincerity that you will never forget.

There are some stories that forever change who YOU are by reading them. There are some people whose courage and strength, redefine what it means to be alive and successful. I am a better person for having read
Warren's book; how many authors can say that about their literary contributions?

Vaishali

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Warren MacDonald's Book, October 24, 2008

By 

Diana Hanks (Winooski Vermont) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Test of Will: One Man's Extraordinary Story of Survival (Paperback)

I had the opportunity to meet Warren at an open house for a climbing facility in our area. After listening to him speak, I just had to have his book! Warren MacDonald's "A Test Of Will" is one of those rare books that was difficult for me to put down. One day, I was almost late to work, because I became so immersed in it, and lost track of time! I 'm left wanting to read more of his stories. Warren's "can do" attitude is one that we all should strive for. It's his attitude, not his body, that enables him to do what ever he pleases. He may have no legs, but there is no "dis" in his ability. This book is a must read for anyone working with ,and helping people whose bodies fit different molds .

Diana Hanks, Volunteer for Vermont Adaptive Sports