Overview

Shortlisted for Biography of the Year at the Telegraph Sports Book Awards 2020 Shortlisted for Adventure Travel Book of the Year at the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards 2020 On June 3rd 2017, professional climber Mark Synnott was in Yosemite to witness something that only a handful of people knew was about to occur: his friend, Alex Honnold, was going to attempt to summit one of the world's most challenging ascents, a route called Freerider on the notorious rock formation El Capitan. It is an extraordinarily dangerous and difficult climb, and yet Alex was going to do it 'free solo'. Meaning no help. No partner. No equipment. No rope. Where a single small mistake would mean certain death. Indeed, to summit El Cap free solo was a feat likened to Neil Armstrong first walking on the moon. As Alex plots, rehearses and ultimately attempts his heart-stopping ascent, Mark also shares his own personal history of climbing, filled with triumphs, defeats and dilemmas, in this deeply reported, inspiring exhortation to live life to the fullest.

Full Product Details

Author:   Mark Synnott
Publisher:   Allen & Unwin
Imprint:   Allen & Unwin
Edition:   Main
Dimensions:   Width: 13.00cm , Height: 3.00cm , Length: 20.00cm
Weight:   0.410kg
ISBN:  

9781760632731

ISBN 10:   1760632732
Pages:   416
Publication Date:   05 March 2020
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Chapter 1: The Toolbox - Understanding Media History; First Mass Media Revolutions; Chapter 2: Impact of the Printing Revolution on Religious and Political Thought; Chapter 3: The Industrial Revolution and the Rise of Partisan Mass Media; Chapter 4: The Independent Commercial Media Revolution; The Visual Revolution; Chapter 5: Photography: Visualizing Social Revolution; Chapter 6: Motion Pictures: Dream Factories and Pleasure Palaces; Chapter 7: Advertising, Public Relations and the Crafted Image; The Electronic Revolution; Chapter 8: Radio: Crystal Set Hams and the National Hearth; Chapter 9: Television: the Wars in your Living Room; Chapter 10: Satellites: First Paths through the Global Village; The Digital Revolution; Chapter 11: Computers as Accidental Empires; Chapter 12: Networks become Personal; Chapter 13: Web2 and Gnu: Free Global Culture; The Future of the Massed Personal Media; Chapter 14: Disorganized Intelligence and Organized Chaos; Bibliography; Index.

Reviews

Synott, with the skill of a master craftsman, weaves into this text stories about Alex's climbing. . . . fascinating reading. . . . Synott uses his experience both as a climber and as a writer to paint an incredible canvas. The Impossible Climb is not to be missed. -- Keith Sharples * Climber * Fast paced and enjoyable. * Wall Street Journal * An accomplished portrait of two remarkable lives * New York Times Book Review * Yes, The Impossible Climb is the gripping story of the most perilous rock ascent of all time - but it's much more than that. In seamlessly fusing memoir, reporting, social history, climbing lore, technical expertise and intimate glimpses of his tribe, Mark Synnott has given us a kind of epic of life on the edge. Even readers who have never set toe to rock are going to find themselves glued to this insanely brilliant account of extreme athletic ambition and endurance. -- David Laskin, author of THE CHILDREN'S BLIZZARD Mark Synnott's The Impossible Climb is to climbing what William Finnegan's Barbarian Days is to surfing. -- John Long, writer, producer, and pioneer of 'free solo' rock climbing Immensely enjoyable. Tapping his own impressive mountaineering resume, Mark Synnott dives deep into the rebellious counterculture of extreme climbing to get inside the head of Alex Honnold, the planet's foremost rock climber. What motivated Honnold to free climb El Capitan without a rope? Because it's there doesn't come close to explaining it. Synnott's The Impossible Climb does. -- Andy Hall, author of DENALI'S HOWL With the possible exception of the lunar landings, free-soloing El Capitan may rank as one of the most audacious--and terrifying--things a human being has ever done. Synnott's narrative plasters you to a 3,000-foot granite cliff and doesn't let you go until the climb is done. It is one of the most compelling accounts of a climb and the climbing ethos that I've ever read. -- Sebastian Junger, author of THE PERFECT STORM An enthralling new book. Few sports have as rich and varied a literature as climbing...and this gripping work from the vastly experienced mountaineer and adventurer Mark Synnott is a magnificent addition to the canon...This compelling book reads like a thriller as it ranges over the rarefied world of extreme climbing. * Daily Mail *

Synnott, with the skill of a master craftsman, weaves into this text stories about Alex's climbing. . . . fascinating reading. . . . Synnott uses his experience both as a climber and as a writer to paint an incredible canvas. The Impossible Climb is not to be missed. -- Keith Sharples * Climber * Fast paced and enjoyable. * Wall Street Journal * An accomplished portrait of two remarkable lives * New York Times Book Review * Yes, The Impossible Climb is the gripping story of the most perilous rock ascent of all time - but it's much more than that. In seamlessly fusing memoir, reporting, social history, climbing lore, technical expertise and intimate glimpses of his tribe, Mark Synnott has given us a kind of epic of life on the edge. Even readers who have never set toe to rock are going to find themselves glued to this insanely brilliant account of extreme athletic ambition and endurance. -- David Laskin, author of THE CHILDREN'S BLIZZARD Mark Synnott's The Impossible Climb is to climbing what William Finnegan's Barbarian Days is to surfing. -- John Long, writer, producer, and pioneer of 'free solo' rock climbing Immensely enjoyable. Tapping his own impressive mountaineering resume, Mark Synnott dives deep into the rebellious counterculture of extreme climbing to get inside the head of Alex Honnold, the planet's foremost rock climber. What motivated Honnold to free climb El Capitan without a rope? Because it's there doesn't come close to explaining it. Synnott's The Impossible Climb does. -- Andy Hall, author of DENALI'S HOWL With the possible exception of the lunar landings, free-soloing El Capitan may rank as one of the most audacious--and terrifying--things a human being has ever done. Synnott's narrative plasters you to a 3,000-foot granite cliff and doesn't let you go until the climb is done. It is one of the most compelling accounts of a climb and the climbing ethos that I've ever read. -- Sebastian Junger, author of THE PERFECT STORM An enthralling new book. Few sports have as rich and varied a literature as climbing...and this gripping work from the vastly experienced mountaineer and adventurer Mark Synnott is a magnificent addition to the canon...This compelling book reads like a thriller as it ranges over the rarefied world of extreme climbing. * Daily Mail *

An enthralling new book. Few sports have as rich and varied a literature as climbing...and this gripping work from the vastly experienced mountaineer and adventurer Mark Synnott is a magnificent addition to the canon...This compelling book reads like a thriller as it ranges over the rarefied world of extreme climbing. * Daily Mail * With the possible exception of the lunar landings, free-soloing El Capitan may rank as one of the most audacious--and terrifying--things a human being has ever done. Synnott's narrative plasters you to a 3,000-foot granite cliff and doesn't let you go until the climb is done. It is one of the most compelling accounts of a climb and the climbing ethos that I've ever read. -- Sebastian Junger, author of THE PERFECT STORM Immensely enjoyable. Tapping his own impressive mountaineering resume, Mark Synnott dives deep into the rebellious counterculture of extreme climbing to get inside the head of Alex Honnold, the planet's foremost rock climber. What motivated Honnold to free climb El Capitan without a rope? Because it's there doesn't come close to explaining it. Synnott's The Impossible Climb does. -- Andy Hall, author of DENALI'S HOWL Mark Synnott's The Impossible Climb is to climbing what William Finnegan's Barbarian Days is to surfing. -- John Long, writer, producer, and pioneer of 'free solo' rock climbing Yes, The Impossible Climb is the gripping story of the most perilous rock ascent of all time - but it's much more than that. In seamlessly fusing memoir, reporting, social history, climbing lore, technical expertise and intimate glimpses of his tribe, Mark Synnott has given us a kind of epic of life on the edge. Even readers who have never set toe to rock are going to find themselves glued to this insanely brilliant account of extreme athletic ambition and endurance. -- David Laskin, author of THE CHILDREN'S BLIZZARD An accomplished portrait of two remarkable lives * New York Times Book Review * Fast paced and enjoyable. * Wall Street Journal * Synnott, with the skill of a master craftsman, weaves into this text stories about Alex's climbing. . . . fascinating reading. . . . Synnott uses his experience both as a climber and as a writer to paint an incredible canvas. The Impossible Climb is not to be missed. -- Keith Sharples * Climber *

Author Information

Mark Synnott is widely regarded as one of the most prolific adventurers of his generation. He has written for publications including Outside, Men's Journal, New York, Skiing, Climbing Magazine, Rock and Ice and Ascent among others. Today he works almost exclusively for National Geographic Magazine. He lives in New Hampshire.

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