Over the Edge (book)

For the anthology of horror stories, see Over the Edge (anthology).

Over the Edge

Author	Greg Child
Cover artist	Barbara M. Bachman
Language	English
Genre	non-fiction
Publisher	Villard Books/Random House, Inc.
Publication date	2002
Publication place	United States
Pages	284
ISBN	0-375-50609-8
OCLC	49390841
Dewey Decimal	958.43/082/0922 21
LC Class	HV6604.K97 C55 2002

Over the Edge (2002) is a non-fiction book by American author Greg Child, chronicling the 2000 kidnapping of mountain climbers Beth Rodden, Tommy Caldwell, Jason "Singer" Smith, and John Dickey by Islamic guerrilla fighters in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. ^{[1] [2]}

Publishers Weekly critiqued the book for its "flat" storytelling, noting that despite Child's access to the climbers and his own regional experience, the narrative lacked the engaging qualities of other adventure writers like Jon Krakauer. The review highlighted issues with "wooden" dialogue and over-explanation of characters' motivations, suggesting that the book's pacing suffered as a result. ^[3] In American Alpine Journal , David Hale wrote "it is an incredible story, and Child does justice to the cool-headed heroism of all four Americans." ^[4] A review in the Washington Post is critical of Child's financial agreement with the climbers — which it calls "checkbook journalism" — and his treatment of rival journalist John Bouchard. ^[5]

References

1. Kidnapped mountain climbers recount dramatic escape, CNN, 25-08-2000, accessed 10-04-2007
2. On WorldCat
3. "OVER THE EDGE: The True Story of Four American Climbers' Kidnap and Escape in the Mountains of Central Asia". Publishers Weekly. 2002-04-08. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
4. Hale, David (2003). "Over the Edge: The True Story of Four American Climbers' Kidnap and Escape in the Mountains of Central Asia". American Alpine Journal. pp. 453–454. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
5. Mazmanian, Adam (2002-06-10). "Climbs and Misdemeanors". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2021-09-21.