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Joe Simpson
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This Game of Ghosts Kindle Edition

by Joe Simpson (Author), Tony Colwell (Editor) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 354 ratings
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When Simon Yates cut the rope and sent his friend plummeting to an ordeal few mountaineers can have contemplated, the outcome was totally unpredictable. That Joe Simpson survived is a revelation of the power of the human spirit to overcome fear, pain and deprivation of almost unimaginable intensity. He did not expect to live it all over again - more than once.

The first test was to write his award-winning account of the ordeal in Touching the Void. That meant dragging the terrifying experience out of the deeper shadows of his memory. Next another fall in the Himalayas crippled and almost broke him. He felt forced to test his nerve again and struggled on crutches to 20,000 feet on Pumori, near Everest. On his descent he heart that a young first-time climber had been killed by a chance rockfall. What sense could he make now of this game of ghosts that had claimed the lives of so many of his friends.

In an attempt to find catharsis for his confused emotions he wrote this extraordinary memoir, in which he recalls the signposts directing him since childhood to measure fear and embrace the unknown.
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  1. Print length
    481 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    April 18, 2013
  5. File size
    3199 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
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  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In his second memoir, climber Joe Simpson reveals a lifetime of flirtation with danger, from risky childhood stunts to an astonishing number of near-death climbing accidents. Simpson revisits his many brushes with death while climbing: a 2,000-foot fall in the Courtes, the collapse of a bivy ledge on the Dru, a 150-foot fall on Nepal's Pachermo, and his nearly fatal climb in the Andes, covered in his Boardman Tasker Award-winner, Touching the Void.

Simpson writes in an effort to understand his own reasons for taking such risks. He describes what it is like to face death, and works through the guilt of being spared so many times when other climbing friends and mentors were not. Simpson also copes with the frustration of having his climbing ambitions cut short by injury and the resultant feelings of uncertainty. Complete with photo documentation of key events in the author's life, This Game of Ghosts is a gripping account of honesty and fortitude that will keep both mountaineers and outdoor enthusiasts in suspense.

About the Author

Joe Simpson is the author of several best-selling books, of which the first, Touching the Void, won both the NCR Award and the Boardman Tasker Award. Since its first publication in 1988, Touching the Void has become a classic and an international bestseller, translated into fourteen languages and made into an award-winning feature-length documentary film (winner of the Outstanding British Film of the Year BAFTA 2004). Joe currently lives in Sheffield.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00CFXKPU0
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ DirectAuthors.com Ltd.; 2nd edition (April 18, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 18, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3199 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 481 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 354 ratings

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Joe Simpson

Joe Simpson

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
354 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amy
5.0 out of 5 stars Vivid, well-balanced autobiography
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2016
Verified Purchase
Joe Simpson is one of the few mountaineering authors who writes in a way that can be equally appealing to audiences of climbers and non-climbers. His accounts of his climbs are packed with vivid imagery, and he doesn't get bogged down in the mundane technical details (ie he explains the specifics of a piece of equipment or a belay system only when it's pertinent to the story).
'This Game of Ghosts' is an account of various climbs and other experiences throughout Simpson's life and how they shaped his view of the sport and the world. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone into mountaineering or any other "adventure sport."
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Denhugh
4.0 out of 5 stars A great follow up!
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2014
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I didn't rate this as high as 'Touching The Void' although it is an exceptionally good read and one can't help but like the young Joe. It is an honest read but one can't help but wonder at the risks these guys take. I am into extreme snowboarding and understand how lonely, harsh and cold mountains can be and I have never stepped up into the places these guys tread. They are pushing the envelope just by being there just once what to speak of going again and again into the dragons den.
One person found this helpful
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Rebecca Strauss
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2020
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This book is a must read for anyone who is in awe of the mountains and the people who choose to adventure in them. It relates, as well, to leading our lives on the flat ground. You will enjoy Joe Simpson's book.
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Linda K. Pierce
5.0 out of 5 stars Deeper insight into the mind of mountain climbers
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2018
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This is a great sequel to Touching the Void. It answered many questions which had come to my mind when reading Joe’s first book. It, also, helped me to appreciate why mountain climbers are willing to take the extreme risks of their life style.
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Char Tucker
3.0 out of 5 stars otherwise I am satisfied.
Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2014
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Delivery was slow, otherwise I am satisfied.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Another good Joe Simpson book.
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2013
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I enjoyed this sequel to Touching the Void. Joe Simpson may be the unluckiest climber or possibly the luckiest but in any event, he is an extraordinarily honest writer. He writes from the heart about his life and his climbs up mountains, or in many cases, falling off them.

Recommended.
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Malee L Holt
5.0 out of 5 stars Born to write.
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2013
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I love the way Joe writes. He tells it like it is not how he might like others to see how he feels a bought a situation . Joe was born to write! The truth!
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beachgirl
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Read
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2014
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After reading Touching the Void by Joe Simpson, I read this book, Game of Ghosts and Breaking the Silence. I like the way Joe writes.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Giorgio Scappini
5.0 out of 5 stars Grande scrittore
Reviewed in Italy on November 16, 2017
Verified Purchase
Penso che conosciate Joe Simpson se siete arrivati qui. A me piace come scrive, la scorrevolezza della sua narrativa oltre a ciò che racconta.
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Siobhan
5.0 out of 5 stars If you're ever tempted to climb mountains, read this first!
Reviewed in Australia on May 21, 2022
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Joe Simpson can write!! His story is remarkable, fast paced and fascinating even for people who never get anywhere near a local hillock, let alone an 8000 metre mountain.
I learned a lot from this book.
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Mrs. K. A. Wheatley
5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 14, 2007
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I came to this book after reading Touching the Void and seeing Simpson in the film of the same name. He struck me as such an odd character, a literary man and an adventurer, quietly spoken but a thrill seeker. I was curious to know more. What fascinated me about this book was the fact that the majority of the stories he recounts are about his climbing experiences after the trauma of the episodes in Touching The Void. I remember thinking: 'surely he won't climb again'. How little I knew! Not only did he climb again, but managed to get himself into some comparatively horrible situations. This book doesn't have the narrative sweep of Touching the Void, being episodic in nature. It is however, a fascinating insight into the compulsion to climb and the psyche of the climber. Simpson is a good writer, which makes it all the more memorable and worthwhile a read.
3 people found this helpful
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Jonas S. Hoeggstroem
4.0 out of 5 stars great book. real experiences told from a real climber.
Reviewed in Germany on March 31, 2013
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Another peak into the life of an adrenalin junkie. I reckommend readers who like this book to also read Psycho Vertical by Kirkpatrick
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Sarugumo
4.0 out of 5 stars This Game of Ghosts
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 7, 2009
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`This Game of Ghosts' is Simpson's sequel to `Touching The Void' and is more autobiographical. In fact part one leads up to the accident in Peru and part two takes over from when he was in the hospital afterward, so with the two books you get the complete narrative of his life up until the point this book was written. His childhood in various countries around the world sounds great and his various climbing adventures make for gripping and sometimes cringe making reading. The section when he is driven in a dilapidated van along the Kakakoram Highway in Pakistan, with a heavily laden vehicle, a group of terrified climbing buddies and a tired and stoned maniac driver makes for hilarious and unnerving reading. It is hard to believe one man has had so many accidents and survived relatively unscathed and the amount of near misses and minor injuries (compared to death!) are staggering. Simpson comes across as quite arrogant in his youth and put his climbing partners at risk because of it, but at least he is honest about writing about that aspect of his character, which he often does in a self deprecating way. He comes across as a lot more level headed in books I've read of his since ,`The Beckoning Silence' for example, which is recommended. There are 3 photo plates in this book which show various climbs and injuries and illustrate the various stories well. His style of writing is much the same as in `Touching The Void' (which he explains how he wrote and published) and if you enjoyed that book then it is a safe bet you'll enjoy this one. Overall another good climbing book from Simpson, it makes for entertaining reading even if you wouldn't want to emulate some of his more outlandish exploits.

Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.
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