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Touching the Void
- Narrated by: Andrew Wincott, Daniel Weyman
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Sports & Outdoors, Outdoors & Nature
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Publisher's Summary
Joe Simpson, with just his partner, Simon Yates, tackled the unclimbed West Face of the remote 21,000-foot Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in June of 1995. But before they reached the summit, disaster struck.
A few days later, Simon staggered into Base Camp, exhausted and frostbitten, to tell their non-climbing companion that Joe was dead. For three days he wrestled with guilt as they prepared to return home. Then a cry in the night took them out with torches, where they found Joe, badly injured, crawling through the snowstorm in a delirium.
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What listeners say about Touching the Void
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Amazon Customer
- 2018-07-24
Amazing, wish I knew more.
I think this is a very well written account of what happened and I couldn't stop listening to it.
2 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 2022-03-17
Riveting
An exquisite exemplar of life's perennial and perplexing wonder: the individual's part in the to and fro tussle between the lover and the beloved.
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- Jody
- 2021-07-24
I’m not a climber
I couldn’t follow some of the technical descriptions of the climbing/descending process, or some of the descriptions of locations on the mountain, so I had to overlook them which I felt took away from the story. I am very happy for both climbers that they dug up the mental and physical strength to get out of their predicaments rather than give up and die when so close to death. Incredible.
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- Greg
- 2021-06-08
gripping
An absolutely amazing recount of alpine survival. it was riviting. great performance and superbly written.
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- David Shear
- 2014-01-17
Wonderfully told true story
Too often, books written based on a true story include too much hyperbole in turning the main character into a hero that did nothing wrong. This story is raw, and honest, and believable, and really well told.
The best part about this story is that it's true. No really, it's true. As you join Simpson in this tale, you'll find yourself saying "no way," but wow, it really happened.
The end of this story wrapped it up so well for me. I won't spoil anything in case you don't already know what happens, but I'll say, that any questions I had were answered by the end.
Whether you are a skier, a hiker, a mountaineer, or just love a great story about human strength and endurance, you'll love this story.
10 people found this helpful
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- Kathy in CA
- 2014-04-14
Frightening, emotional & heart-warming true story!
I saw the movie and have never been able to get the story out of my mind. Touching the Void is a true story, a miracle of sorts--a mountaineer left for dead by his climbing partner and his incredible struggle to live. I have always wondered how this could have happened and more particularly, how Joe and Simon felt about what happened. Specifically, how did Joe Simpson feel about his climbing partner after the ordeal? How did Simon Yates react when he learned Joe was still alive when he abandoned him. You can't rely on a movie to tell the real story but you can rely on this book's narrative. It includes segments also by Joe's climbing partner, Simon Yates.
This is an incredible story, beautifully written and very moving. The narration was excellent and I highly recommend this book.
7 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 2020-06-28
Better than the Movie
I first saw touching the void during physics class in high school of all places. I was immediately inspired by it and it’s stuck with me throughout the years (I’m 26 now).
When I was looking for audiobooks to listen to on my long runs during my marathon training, I was surprised and pleased to see this one pop up as a suggestion. I am so glad I decided to purchase it! It’s been the best audiobook I’ve listened to so far (admittedly I’ve only gotten in to audiobooks lately so it’s basically 1 out of 10, but still).
I got so in to the story and narration that I couldn’t stop listening long after my run and found myself lying in bed still listening at 1am because I couldn’t go to sleep without hearing how it ended even though I already knew from the film!
It threw me off the first time the narration switched because I wasn’t expecting it, but it actually made the story a lot easier to follow and made it easier to understand the psyche of Simon and Joe by having their perspectives read by different voices.
3 people found this helpful
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- Heather Straub
- 2019-05-28
Is he a climber who writes or a writer who climbed?
Beautifully done. I love this author’s way with words. There is a section about 3/4 of the way through (sorry I didn’t bookmark it but it’s near where he recites Shakespeare) where he speaks of the moraines and the malevolent, menacing mountain that gave me deep chills. I’ve been alone in the mountains many times and in physically demanding situations. His descriptions of the patterns you get into when you have to keep going are spot on. Although I thankfully have been through nothing even a fraction as arduous as Joe (I suppose I feel like we are almost friends now after hearing about his ordeal), I recognize many of the sentiments. While many in outdoorsy circles have read this book in the US, I don’t think it’s as widely known here as in Great Britain. Maybe we should make it part of US students’ required reading too - so much more relatable (not to mention enjoyable) than the Last of the Mohicans! If you’re thinking of reading this, stop thinking and do it. It’s not too long and not one word was wasted— my measure of great literature.
3 people found this helpful
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- Mark L. Berry
- 2016-05-12
Captivating Story
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Given to me by a climber friend. Awesome insight into that extreme sport.
Any additional comments?
Captivating story told in alternating first person. I want to see the documentary next.
3 people found this helpful
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- PoorMannsRose
- 2013-10-18
Amazing
Any additional comments?
For the non climbers, unfamiliar Mountaineering terminology can leave comprehension gaps in the audio version ( whereas easy to look up if reading ) but still a great story
3 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 2021-06-21
Inspirational and moving
Amazing story I listened to this with our 4 boys, and we loved every second of this book.
2 people found this helpful
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- Rob
- 2021-04-30
Could Not Stop Listening
This has got to be one of the most intense stories of survival ever told. I've never been so glued to an audio book. I've seen the documentary and it was also intense but there is more detail in the writing of this story. I'm glad Joe was a good writer... and that he survived of course, which is nothing short of a miracle.
2 people found this helpful
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- My Opinion Only
- 2021-04-17
Love the movie, the book is better
This is a book that I have listened to on multiple occasions. Being a true story drew me in to my initial purchase of the book and I have certainly gotten my monies worth out of it. The movie of the same name is also worth a watch and gives the visual of what it was like. Beautiful but deadly. I'll be listening again some time soon.
2 people found this helpful
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- Bones
- 2022-02-13
Harrowing story of survival
Joe Simpson's grit and determination to get off the mountain, Simon Yate's impossible decision that saved them both - it's one of the greatest alpine survival stories ever experienced and told.
1 person found this helpful