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Touching the Void

By: Joe Simpson
Narrated by: Andrew Wincott, Daniel Weyman
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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 1985. 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.

Far from causing Joe's death, Simon had paradoxically saved his friend's life. What happened, and how they dealt with the psychological traumas that resulted when Simon was forced into the appalling decision to cut the rope, makes not only an epic of survival but a compelling testament of friendship.

©1988 Joe Simpson (P)2012 Random House Audiobooks
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What listeners say about Touching the Void

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Awe inspiring

I read this a long time ago....and like Apollo 13 it is no less thrilling when you know the outcome. I listened until 1.30 am...and still feel a chill at the though that Joe only just made it back in time.

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immersive and gripping narrative

A powerful narrative of how quickly things can go wrong, but also of how one can pull through and survive.

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Excellent

Really enjoyed the story of such a testing ordeal. Brilliantly read. Brought the listener into the mountain

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Great story of survival

Great listen. The narrators did a great job in conveying such a gripping story.

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You need to read this book!

Awesome
What a story of resolve and true grit, they are all absolute legends.
A great book, one of the best.
Who said miracles don’t happen...

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Well written and read Audiobook

As I listened to this book at work to relieve the monotony that can come with working on my own, it teaches me one important lesson......watch your bloody step!

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riveting

impressive bravery. such moral. dilemmas. it is hard to withhold judgement. in the same league as Scott and Amundsen. post script and epilogue very interesting especially for anyone who read the book before the film. well done and highly recommended .

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  • Overall
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grim but good

it's bleak, but that shouldn't be a shock. I do feel like knowing Joe was going to survive well enough to write a book took the suspense out of it. I don't know how you would solve that, but it's a genuine feeling I had. I also didn't notice the book was narrated by two different voices for an embarrassing length of time. Simon and Joe sound so similar to me. Only minor niggles at best tho. if you want to listen to two young men getting traumatised this is the book for you.

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Heartbreaking

The last few chapters just left me speechless. I might need a cup of tea and some staring at the wall to recover. Written & performed... Amazingly.

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incredible

this is the second client but I've watched After into thin air and I found out to Littley gripping and probably well told story with a fantastic narrator

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