Rating: 
Summary: Spirit of the Age
Review: I was the original publisher of Spirit of the Age--Pat Ament working with us as the author. Despite our past, business-oriented differences, I find Pat to consistently write with incredible creativity and accuracy, especially in the case of "Spirit of the Age."As his publisher through a number of projects, I can categorically say that Pat Ament is one of the most creative talents I have ever encountered across ALL genre of writing. His ability to put the reader "within the story" and to express the "spirit" of his story sets Ament apart from most writers, especially moutain-genre authors. Thanks for a chance to comment. Sincerely,
Gary Gabelhouse, CEO
Fairfield Communications, Inc.
Rating: 
Summary: Royal's "true nature"
Review: I've been thinking some more about that "reviewer" from Spring House, PA, who said that Steve Roper, Warren Harding, and Chris Jones in their books got closer to describing Royal Robbins' "true nature" than did I in Spirit of the Age. In fact, Roper has passionately resented Robbins over the years and makes snide remarks about Royal. Roper makes a point to leave Royal out when listing Yosemite's best free climbers of the golden age (the 1960's). Harding simply creates a mean-spirited caricature of Royal and presents it in under the guise of humor. You learn very little about Royal in Harding's book. Jones had no clue whatsoever who Royal was as a person or a spiritual being and simply fabricated stories one after the other to suit his whims. For example, Jones makes up a story about Royal having a pushup contest with the Vulgarians. Royal will tell you it never happened. Royal probably knows his own true nature better than anyone, and he felt what I wrote about him was the most accurate of anyone. So the "reviewer" from Spring House reveals his own ability to judge and to judge good writing.
Rating:
Summary: An answer to those who say I can't write
Review: It seems that my writing at times arouses the ire of jealous rivals, or those who present themselves as critics and wish to speak negatively. It was written in a review not long ago that I couldn't pass a Freshman English class. Well I got straight-A's in English and Creative Writing at the University of Colorado and earned a degree. I studied graduate poetry, earning all grades of A, and I have had numerous poems published in respected literary journals. I've had some hundred magazine articles published and some 25 books. I studied with some of the best writers in the country--who actually know something about writing, as opposed to those who say such evil stuff about me. Jim Perrin, a Ph.D. in English, who won the Tasker/Boardman Literary Award in England, introduced me at a talk I gave in England as, "America's most creative climbing pen." He wrote in High Magazine that I was the best climbing writer in America. I don't advertise myself as such, but I mention it to show that I am not viewed as stupid by smart people. David Craig, also a Ph.D. English professor and climber has praised my writing, and I have quite a long resume of statements published about my writing that say I have the ability to touch people's heart and really genuinely move people. Are all the people who publish my work ignorant of what good writing is? Yet I am controversial, and there will be the mean-spirited remarks about how I write poorly or couldn't pass a highschool class. Those are cheap remarks made by people who reveal their own level of spirit and understanding. My book Spirit of the Age was one of the three finalists in the Tasker/Boardman award, the year the book came out, and beat out any number of other books by authors holding Ph.D.s in English. So I take with a grain of salt these cheap remarks that people post in such a cowardly way, without a name or any real basis in reality. Some letter writers in climbing magazines actually use false names, because in truth they don't believe what they say and d! on't want anyone to know what it is they are saying. I have noticed a lot of movie reviewers who speak ill of and feel they must completely denegrate some film that is actually quite excellent. Recently I saw the Horse Whisperer and found it to be very beautiful and inspiring, a film about healing--everyone in the storm was healed, not just the horse. But reviewers have called the movie "One lame pony," and "Very slow...giddyup." These people are really second rate thinkers themselves and just don't get it. They are just not the measure of the art. I have my following of such people too, and that is an interesting point. If they so hate my work, why is it that they never fail to read it? Hmmm. Makes you wonder. What is it that they are really wanting to say? That they wish I would write a book about them? That they wish I wouldn't speak the truth? That they wish my writing wouldn't make theirs look so bad? I must be more humble, perhaps. I am trying to learn how to be. But if it's worth anything to anyone, I get a lot of very positive feedback from a whole lot of very intelligent people. No one who has any respect in the climbing or literary world has ever been critical of my work, apart from some little factual point here or there, and never in any mean-spirited way. I wish my critics well, that they may grow and progress spiritually and get a life.
Rating: 
Summary: C-
Review: This is written a lot like a high school essay, and I wouldn't give it a high grade. The writing doesn't flow very well. However, the sheer number of pictures makes up somewhat for poor writing. It is interesting to find out what Robbins was doing outside of Yosemite and in later days. However, the biography doesn't really seem to touch on Robbins's true nature. It came across as not completely honest in that regard. It does touch on what other people thought of him, but we never really find out what he thought of himself. I think in Roper's 'Camp 4,' and Warren Harding's 'Downward Bound,' you get a better feeling of what the man was about. Chris Jones's 'Climbing in North America' also gives some insight into Robbins's character, but Royal himself discounts most of what Jones says about him. Overall, a decent account if you're interested in climbing history, but not one of the better ones.
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