Rating: 
Summary: NOT the next, "Into Thin Air"
Review: "Over The Edge" is the story of a kidnapping of four American rock climbers in August 2000, in a remote valley of Kyrgyzstan. The terrified young climbers were held hostage for six days by Islamic militants of the Islamic Movement Uzbekistan (IMU).Greg Childs is one of mountaineering literature's best authors. But he is neither an expert on terrorism or georegional politics of Central Asia. In "Over The Edge", his first attempt outside the realm of pure mountaineering literature, Childs falls flat. The book fails when Childs tries too hard to defend himself and his version (according to the climbers) of the adventure story. Throughout the book, he subsequently bashes any inquiry or criticism about the controversial 'truth' of the kidnapping. Childs actually had exclusive access to all the climbers, guaranteed by a healthy monetary advance. He could have used this unique privilege to evolve and focus on the harrowing adventure the climbers endured. Instead, he often choses to focus on himself and his relationship to the story. Childs seems to beg the reader not to ask questions, shut up, and accept his version of the tale as the finite truth. For a good writer, this is an elementary mistake. "Over the Edge" certainly is an 'over the edge' tale of the ego-centric "Ugly-American" at his/her finest. But it is certainly not the next "Into Thin Air".
Rating:
Summary: NOT the next, "Into Thin Air"
Review: "Over The Edge" is the story of a kidnapping of four American rock climbers in August 2000, in a remote valley of Kyrgyzstan. The terrified young climbers were held hostage for six days by Islamic militants of the Islamic Movement Uzbekistan (IMU). Greg Childs is one of mountaineering literature's best authors. But he is neither an expert on terrorism or georegional politics of Central Asia. In "Over The Edge", his first attempt outside the realm of pure mountaineering literature, Childs falls flat. The book fails when Childs tries too hard to defend himself and his version (according to the climbers) of the adventure story. Throughout the book, he subsequently bashes any inquiry or criticism about the controversial 'truth' of the kidnapping. Childs actually had exclusive access to all the climbers, guaranteed by a healthy monetary advance. He could have used this unique privilege to evolve and focus on the harrowing adventure the climbers endured. Instead, he often choses to focus on himself and his relationship to the story. Childs seems to beg the reader not to ask questions, shut up, and accept his version of the tale as the finite truth. For a good writer, this is an elementary mistake. "Over the Edge" certainly is an 'over the edge' tale of the ego-centric "Ugly-American" at his/her finest. But it is certainly not the next "Into Thin Air".
Rating: 
Summary: Adventure, and Context
Review: A thoughtful,gripping adventure story, that resonates in this new age of terrorism. More than just a saga, it's an informative story of how the "media" addressed the experience underwent by the four youngsters, and a lucid picture of the complex political environment into which they innocently (and naively)put themselves.
Rating:
Summary: Enthralling and academic
Review: Child's book is riveting, detailed, and useful to some extent for studying IMU operational tactics for the summer 1999, and especially 2000, invasions of Kyrgyzstan. The author also really brings out the personal struggle the climbers endured, both during and after their ordeal. Some use of profain language, doubtless direct quotes, seemed gratuitous, but other than that, I have no complaints. Updates on the climbers' lives afterwards were also interesting
Rating:
Summary: Hour By Hour Drama
Review: Fanatical rebels of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) of Central Asia snatch four young American wall climbers for a six-day ordeal through the wilds of remote Kyrgyzstan in the summer of 2000. The area, formerly part of the USSR, is bordered by Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and Iran. There are only a few areas of the world that meet the geologic criteria of having Great Walls and Kyrgyzstan is one of them, along with the U.S.'s Yosemite National Park. These kids were great climbers, but their awareness of world affairs was zero to none. True, State Department advisories were vague, and the fact they were not warned or stopped by either their on-site travel agency or the military is unbelievable. The quartet, three boys and one girl, had a terrifying experience being under fire, under constant threat of execution, seeing a soldier executed before their eyes, and had almost no food or water during the nightmare ordeal. They finally escaped by one of them shoving their guard over a cliff, presumably to his death. I was struck again and again by the almost total helplessness of these young people, particularly Beth Rodden. She is a very nice, well brought up young lady, but seemed to revert to a sobbing childlike state of overwhelming terror. The boys were very protective, but unable to plan coherently and missed many opportunities to escape. Two of the boys were full of braggadocio and talk, but ultimately were incapable of action. The other was almost catatonic, but at least had a very real awareness of the danger and when it counted, acted. The terrorists did not physically harm them. They were ready to execute the hostages at any moment, but never assaulted or beat them. Greg Child is uniquely qualified to tell this white-knuckle tale. He is an experienced mountaineer, familiar with Kyrgyzstan having climbed there in '95, and is the author of some well-received mountaineering books. I have read two of his books and enjoyed his easy going style, his expertise, and his factual integrity. Their return prompted a media frenzy that quickly turned into a firestorm. First because Mr. Child obtained exclusive rights to the hostage's story causing much hostility from other members of the press and secondly, the guard who the hostages pushed off the cliff turned up very much alive and not much worse for wear. The guard's accounts of the escape sometimes did and sometimes did not agree with the hostages' account. There were cries of "hoax!" and bitterness over the large monetary advance Mr. Child and the hostages received. I believe the story and am not much troubled by the fact the hostages' assumption they had killed the guard. It was dark, they saw him cartwheel in space, and thought he had fallen a great distance. (He did not.) I once saw a convertible on a switchback mountain road sail over a guardrail and tumble into space. I was positive and would have sworn that all the occupants had to be dead from the fall. It turned out the worst injury was a broken arm and the other two only had scratches and bruises. And this was in broad daylight!
I agree with other reviewers that noted all the controversy about the kidnapping did not belong in the book proper. He badly needed endnotes and should have uses appendices to set forth conflicting views. Nevertheless, it is a riveting story and a great read. The best way to judge the veracity is to read the book and form your own opinion.
Rating: 
Summary: Very good, incredibly well researched book
Review: I have no doubt the story is precisely true as related. The one thing I found myself frustrated with in this book was how these kids just didn't "get it" about the situation they were in. As someone who has spent a lot of time in Russia, I found their and the author's blithe acceptance of the murder of the Russian soldier and these muscley kids refusal to lift a goddam finger to help him after he had told them clearly their captors were about to kill him, well, rather repulsive. Their stated denial in the book that he would be fine was so offensive to me. What planet do these kids inhabit? I have traveled extensively in places where I had 24 hour security, including recently into the region on the border with Chechnya, which is massively beautiful country. God help me, but if I were taken captive with such a crew of "Valley Guy/Valley Girl" morons, I swear I would have told them if they didn't fight I'd kill them myself for being such a bunch of twits. I could see in my mind's eye them jumping on me if I tried to attack one of the captors, all with the best of intentions, and my killing them or being killed. Gad. Is this what America is raising? But, hey. I guess that's what they were. The book could be titled: "Clueless left coast twits with big muscles and no sense, on a mission to turn the world into their personal Disneyland, find out reality bites". Kind of looks like that's what these kids still are. And it is rather clear that the rest of the "developed world" is pretty much the same. Maybe there isn't any other way for them to go. One could title this coming decade perhaps, the "Wakeup Call Decade" in which the developed world finds out a great deal. But, great book, incredibly honest and very well written.
Rating:
Summary: Very good, incredibly well researched book
Review: I have no doubt the story is precisely true as related. The one thing I found myself frustrated with in this book was how these kids just didn't "get it" about the situation they were in. As someone who has spent a lot of time in Russia, I found their and the author's blithe acceptance of the murder of the Russian soldier and these muscley kids refusal to lift a goddam finger to help him after he had told them clearly their captors were about to kill him, well, rather repulsive. Their stated denial in the book that he would be fine was so offensive to me. What planet do these kids inhabit? I have traveled extensively in places where I had 24 hour security, including recently into the region on the border with Chechnya, which is massively beautiful country. God help me, but if I were taken captive with such a crew of "Valley Guy/Valley Girl" morons, I swear I would have told them if they didn't fight I'd kill them myself for being such a bunch of twits. I could see in my mind's eye them jumping on me if I tried to attack one of the captors, all with the best of intentions, and my killing them or being killed. Gad. Is this what America is raising? But, hey. I guess that's what they were. The book could be titled: "Clueless left coast twits with big muscles and no sense, on a mission to turn the world into their personal Disneyland, find out reality bites". Kind of looks like that's what these kids still are. And it is rather clear that the rest of the "developed world" is pretty much the same. Maybe there isn't any other way for them to go. One could title this coming decade perhaps, the "Wakeup Call Decade" in which the developed world finds out a great deal. But, great book, incredibly honest and very well written.
Rating: 
Summary: INNOCENCE REVEALED
Review: I know nothing about rock climbing and this is the first book I have ever read about the subject. I read the book for the kidnap and escape adventure...and was quite disappointed. The American's experience though unfortunate, I was never a "grabbed" reader as the writing did not do anything for me. As it was divulged, the "good guys" knew where the kidnappers were and they were tightening the noose ... slowly. The Americans' lives were in jeapordy at all times, yet when the opportunity arose to escape it took the guts of one man to pull it off, but he was in a personal dilemma because he had to "kill" the guard (he thought)and he then couldn't live with himself even though he did save himself and 3 others. His attitude sure seemed dumb to me. All Americans were very young and they ignored the warnings given by the U.S. Gov't. and over the internet....a typical youthful attitude of "nothing can happen to me."
Rating:
Summary: gripping
Review: I thought this book was an excellent read. I had a hard time putting the book down. My only negative, was for two chapters in the book that divulged into the history of the islamic movement and past conlficts. I just thought they were unnecessary, (I actually skipped them). But the rest was very well written. I very much recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Pre 9/11 insights
Review: I'm on a "True Escape Stories" kick right now. In my opinion, the more realistic and the least fantastic the stories are, the better. And that's precisely what you get with "Over the Edge". It's a story about how four American climbers escaped from their Muslim terrorist kidnappers. The fact that this all happened prior to 9/11 gave this reader an entirely different insight into what's going on in Iraq today.
One strange thing about the book is that the author often refers to himself throughout the book. This made absolutely no sense to me until the later chapters where he actually became an active character in the story. At first I thought he was on some kind of ego trip, but I later realized that the last part of the book would have made no sense at all without his personal information.
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