Over the Edge: The True Story of the Kidnap and Escape of Four Climbers in Central Asia

by Greg Child

Before dawn on August 12, 2000, four of America's best young rock climbers; the oldest of them only 25 were asleep in their portaledges high on the Yellow Wall in the Pamir-Alai mountain range of Kyrgyzstan. At daybreak, they would be kidnapped at gunpoint by fanatical militants of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), which operates out of secret bases in Tajikistan and Afghanistan and is linked to Al Qaeda. The kidnappers, themselves barely out of their teens, intended to use their hostages as human shields and for ransom money as they moved across Kyrgyzstan. They hid the climbers by day and marched them by night through freezing, treacherous mountain terrain, with little food, no clean water, and the constant threat of execution. The four climbers, Tommy Caldwell, Beth Rodden, Jason "Singer" Smith, and John Dickey, would see a fellow hostage, a Kyrgyz soldier, executed before their eyes. And in a remarkable life-and-death crucible over six terrifying days, they would be forced

Genres: Nonfiction, Adventure, Climbing, Travel, Survival, History, Asia

328 pages, Paperback

First published March 18, 2002

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not finish. As many Amazon reviews will point out, this book is almost police blotter-like in its excruciating detail. The tiniest facts around the incident are never overlooked: flight numbers, exact place and time for events, background story upon background story to provide context. It was all rather mind-numbing and I didn't get through it.

Tommy Caldwell's own "Push" is not only a better description of the kidnapping (and escape) of the climbers in the Karakoram, but it is a rather excellent biography of the climber's life and professional pursuits to date. Save yourself the trouble: skip "Over The Edge" and read "Push".

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Child puts a ton of backstories regarding "politics" and his life experiences in this book. I found it to be awkwardly organized and confusing at times. So many names and hard to keep track of who was who. I fully admit that I spaced out when he talked about the backstories or politics as it was boring to read. Attention spans, man. It was definitely written in a manner to state what happened, and not necessarily in a manner showing a super descriptive story designed to keep the reader engaged. Overall an interesting read due to the story of what actually happened, but I wouldn't pick it up again for a round two as it was sometimes a struggle to make it through.

[Roberta Westwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpected Drama

Four mountain climbers plan a trip to far-off lands, to climb rock faces new to them. It's a place where others have been, but not many. It's away from everything, a quiet escape, to challenge themselves, to do what they love. Aside of a missing bag of gear, all is going well until, when sleeping in tents up a cliff face, someone starts shooting at them.

If you wonder how people get kidnapped abroad, it can happen like this.

The story of their kidnapping, their dramatic escape, and the fallout that left them estranged from each other are story enough. But there's more, when one of their captors, presumed dead, unbelievably turns up alive. It's a stunning turn of events that's hard for anyone to understand. A true story with an ending that changed while the book was being written. Definitely lots of unexpected drama.

I enjoyed the book, and Greg Child's approach. The only problem I had was keeping the three male climbers separate in my mind.... I find that happens with non-fiction books where everyone is referred to by their last name.

Overall, Arnold Schultz's narration was good, but sadly he just couldn't pull off the Australian woman's voice... perhaps he overplayed it, and it may have been ok if he just toned it down a bit.

I'm not a mountain climber, but suggest that anyone who is would find this book very compelling.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like how it shows the many different perspectives of what happened. Didn't like how it jumps around chronologically regarding the history of the terrorist factions, Kyrgyzstani governments, each climbing team, etc. The book kind of alternates chapters between rock climbers' history, geopolitical history of Kyrgyzstan, and the actual occurrence which the book is about. While this is an effective way to show all the historical variables leading up to an event, by jumping back and forth Child only makes the book more muddled and the event in question more difficult to follow (in terms of storyline).

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a fast read. The story cuts in out a lot. My library book was overdue so I skimmed many pages and paragraphs. I just wanted their story not so much the history of the area and the different groups, even though that is important to the story. If you like survival stories this is good.

[Missyohara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. It was a little hard to follow at times with all the names both foreign, alias, and the climbers. But a map is included at the front of the book which helps. It's also a nice political overview of the time in that area which I don't feel like I learned enough about from the news. It was insightful to see how targeted one can become in an area simply because you have food and gear. It was no surprise foreign folks were targeted for random.

[Aly Schissel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible story of endurance and survival! I gave it 4 stars just because there were a couple sections of long history that was tedious to get through. But overall I was enthralled and inspired to conquer any challenge that comes my way!

[Jeff Jellets · Rating 4 out of 5]

The four Americans came to Kyrgyzstan looking for adventure, but they did not hope to find it at the point of a gun.

With Over the Edge, author Greg Child tells the harrowing tale of the kidnapping of four American mountain climbers by Islamic extremists in the remote Kara Su valley of southern Kyrgyzstan in August 2000. The tale is riveting, tense, dramatic and a page-turning thriller. The book is also a great little military history of the petite guerre waged between Kyrgyzstan commandos and the insurgent Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) which sought to destabilize the neighboring states of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan during two border incursions in 1999 and 2000.

To his credit, Child delivers a full picture of the dramatic few weeks, capturing the viewpoint not just of the American climbers, but of the Kyrgyz of soldiers; the German, Ukrainian, and Australian climbers who were also in the region at the time of the battles (some of whom were also taken hostage); and even a few members of the Islamic terrorist faction who perpetrated the attacks. Child deserves particular credit for the detail he gives to the lives and sacrifices of the common Kyrgyzstan soldiers – such as Turat Osmanov and Ruslan Samsakov. While the story of the American climbers is undoubtably compelling (and the selling point of the book to an American audience), Child is careful to balance the plight of the climbers alongside the tragic deaths of dozens of Kyrgyz soldiers, who were killed defending their country and who had been friends to the foreigners in the region.

Over the Edge is strong 4-star read, of interest not just to outdoor adventure enthusiasts but also to military history buffs. The only soft spot in the book is where Child must make a spirited defense against the scree of a few pre-social media trolls who seem headscratchingly determined to characterize the climbers travails as a flight of fantasy, but the dénouement where two of former hostages are able to come face-to-face with the surviving (now jailed) terrorists is worth reading to the final page.

A solid read from cover to cover!

[Lisa Elkins]

I found it to be a very interesting read. I remember when this event occurred & the controversy over there story. What a terrible ordeal. I also think it points out how naive Americans are when it comes to the world. We take our freedoms for granted & don't even appreciate what we have. In traveling you have to be very careful & fully research your destination. You need to be prepared for the conditions & possibilities that exist in different countries.

[Paul & Cindy Koprowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

The level of detail that Child was able to collect about this unfortunate event is astounding. Going to great lengths to debunk those saying it was a hoax was exemplary. It's sad these four had to endure this at such a young age and then have media and others suggest they were lying about it. Learning something about these Muslim groups and how they operate was appreciated. The four couldn't have made a better choice that to pick Greg Child to tell their story.

[Grazyna Nawrocka · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems to be quite a common experience to get this rush to get to the mountains that prevents us from checking for the details, and can turn out deadly. I do believe in the story young people told the author. Reading the book was fun, and I got hooked. The writer presented many interpretations of the situation, and I think he is objective.

[Max McKinnon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. I enjoyed the political commentary and examples of what a garbage show the media is.

I also found the rock climbing aspect interesting.

[David Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

As is often the case in movies, the action in this book starts at a place that is not the beginning. We get action right away, before we know anything about the climbers, the locale, or the bad guys. Then we back up to something more like a beginning. Eventually, we get the background on the captors.

Finally, (and I really shouldn't say "finally"), about three-quarters of the way through the text we get to a conclusion of sorts. At that point, I really did wonder how I had another 70 pages to go before I got to the end. By now, we know how our climbers got to where they were, how they were taken hostage, how they regained their freedom, and what happened to some of the other people involved. What more, then, is there to say?

At first, I was thinking perhaps there was 70 pages about the after-effects of the ordeal on the climbers. But no: the last bit is mostly about skepticism, misinformation, and disinformation. I'm sure this sort of thing is amplified now, twenty years further into the internet age, where people who weren't involved in some event think they know all about what happened, and their view of things doesn't match the story of those who were actually there.

I found the story compelling and well-written. I'm not a climber or a mountaineer, but I enjoy hiking and backpacking. I've daydreamed about trekking in some of the rugged mountains in countries that aren't safe places to trek. Not that I have ever seriously planned a trek in any of the former Soviet Republics, or Iran, or India, or Pakistan. A quick internet search tells me I can arrange a 7-day or 9-day or 11-day trek through the valleys where this story takes place. Although I think it would be a wonderful place to visit, I'm not a dare-taker, whether that's climbing or visiting dangerous places.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I searched through a used book shelf to find a interesting book to read. After reading the first chapter, I could not put it down. It's a 20y old, true story now, But what happen to them, can happen again anytime to someone.
Been a bit of a climber myself, but not extreme like these guys, and been a traveler, I could relate to their situation, and picture myself in their shoes in every moment they were in, while been kidnapped.

They were lucky that they were worth a ransom alive, otherwise the kidnappers could have just killed the guys to taken their belongs, and kept the girl as a sex slave. I feel she was very lucky not to have to endure multiple rape sessions.

If you are a single traveler, going to out of the way places, this is a good book to read and learn from.

[A Cesspool · Rating 1 out of 5]

non-author Greg Child is a buffoon with no scruples [see: "Greg Child+checkbook journalism"] who couldn't narrate an adventure-book [category] to save his terminal freelancing career writing for outdoors'zine(s).
And You Know This

Do yourself a favor and pick up Tommy Caldwell's essential, coherent version of events (that doesn't stink of bottom-shelf clown booze): The Push: A Climber's Journey of Endurance, Risk, and Going Beyond Limits

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story. Sort of weird to read something written from a pre-9/11 point of view about Islamic extremist terrorist groups. I thought the book was balanced pretty well with enough set up, action, and follow up to the experience, especially in covering the controversies afterward. Some of the language felt a bit dated. I'm not sure what this would look like, but I'd be interested in a book that was written by one (or all) of the four climbers. Child's attempt at neutrality means that the reader isn't really allowed into the minds of the climbers, which would be an interesting addition to this story.

[Amy Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went down a research rabbit hole after watching Free Solo, and this book came up. First of all, these climbers did not read the safety warnings when heading into Kyrgyzstan to climb (although pre-911, there was a rebel war going on!)—and they climbed right into terrorist territory. I wished more personal testimony was included, rather than the complete timeline of events. I found the whole situation interesting and frustrating. There is kind of a twist to the story at the end, which kept me reading.

[Veli-Pekka Suuronen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story in itself is interesting, but I felt the book was written like a very long news report with a lot of background information around the whole story. In a sense I see that it is good, if you want knowledge of what happened and some insight on why. I feel, though, I would have enjoyed the book more, if it was more focused on the personal stories of the protagonists and less weight on politics and terrorist organisations. All of it is of course part of the story, but I was left feeling like reading a report.

[Tim Gillen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. I stumbled on this, reading about Caldwell, who was one of the character’s in Alex Honnold’s Free Solo. I found the book to be almost too fantastic in the core story, but as this was a revised edition published in 2012, there was far more analysis of how this story developed, and the backlash that formed as peopled doubted the veracity of the details. I appreciated Child’s analysis and reasoning, and found his conclusions to be sound.

[Jan Tisdale · Rating 2 out of 5]

Story of kidnap and escape of 4 climbers in Central Asia. Oldest was 25. They were kidnapped by men linked to Al Qaeda.

“ after they escaped and were rescued, a few tried to prove it never happened, I believe it did.
Parts of book was excellent and would of given it a 5 star, it was hard reading for me, that’s why I gave it a 2 1/2 star. Anyone who likes to read about politics in a book will love this book”.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable-enough read. For the most part, Child pulls off the coloring in and fluffing up of what is ultimately not a very long story.

The last quarter leaves a bitter taste; while the updates and details on the longer-lasting effects of the experience on the climbers was appreciated, the self-congratulatory and often defensive writing from Child was not.

[Camille · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard the short version of this story watching “the Dawn Wall” a few years back. It is horrifying and amazing they all survived. Nowadays I think it would be a lot easier to research if the country you are climbing in has political unrest going on, but they just went in blind. In the years since I hope they have gotten help for the trauma they underwent.

[Tristin Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done! I expected the book to be more about the perilous situation of the climbers, that I was I to learn so much about the region in which the situation occurred. The political climate made for a scary backdrop and I'm amazed at the passion it takes for these climbers and others to put themselves at such a great risk.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

The nonfiction story of four climbers’ kidnapping while on a climb in Kyrgyzstan and subsequent escape during the early 2000s. Although the journey was interesting, I thought the book was slowly paced and could be been relayed more efficiently.

[John Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine. Incredible story told in a serviceable fashion. I enjoyed the dissection of conspiracy theories at end of book. There's a lot in this book that was a precursor to today in terms of terrorism and conspiracy theory.

[Pj Anderer · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 3.5. Fascinating story of climbers kidnapped in Kyrgyzstan, and the continuing saga if they made up some of the details.

[timo h · Rating 5 out of 5]

Risky truth achieved

Great story of perseverance and survival. Also some truths about corrupt gov't supported by the USA. Too many lives lost and forgotten for nothing.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting.

[JV · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story itself was good but the author decided to saddle the reader with a LOT more information than necessary which made parts of the book very tedious.

[Chris Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bonkers story