- Paperback: 208 pages
- Publisher: Greystone Books (July 26 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1553650646
- ISBN-13: 978-1553650645
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 14.2 x 1.4 cm
- Shipping Weight: 249 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#204,815 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #48 in Books > Travel > Australia & South Pacific > Australia
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Macdonald's love of nature is so palpable it'll make readers want to head for the nearest national park. And even after losing both legs, the man still has no regrets. An Australian house painter, Macdonald set off in April 1997 to climb the isolated peak of Queensland's Mount Bowen. Along the way he met Geert van Keulen, who, although a much less experienced hiker, agreed to come along. One night when Macdonald crept out to relieve his bladder, the creek bed underneath gave way, and he found himself trapped under a massive boulder that, no matter how hard the panicked Geert pushed against it, would not budge. Geert left for help, leaving Macdonald in searing agony, worried the rushing water would rise and drown him. After a helicopter finally arrived and rescued him, Macdonald had both his gangrenous legs cut off above the knee, and his description of his harrowing rehabilitation is almost more painful than the depiction of what he went through under the boulder. Although this isn't the most artful of stories (Geert's additions add nothing), it's a powerful tale of nature's beauty and ferocity.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
In April 1997, Macdonald and a fellow climber and hiker decided to climb to the summit of Mount Bowen, on an island off the coast of Australia. One night, while his companion was asleep, Macdonald stepped out of the tent to heed a call of nature and wound up lying in a creek, his legs pinned under a massive rock. It was raining, too. Hard. He stayed there for nearly two days while his companion went for help, and the bulk of this book is taken up with recounting his efforts to stay warm, keep his spirits up, and avoid drowning (for a while it looked as though the creek might rise enough to submerge him). The postrescue section of the book, in which he's faced with the amputation of both his legs, is alternately inspiring and moving. Interestingly, some parts of the story are told from the point of view of the author's companion, who describes his own ordeal trying to get help. Fascinating reading for the Jon Krakauer crowd. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
Stepping ever so carefully, edging forward in the dark, I make my way across the narrow creek bed. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Stepping ever so carefully, edging forward in the dark, I make my way across the narrow creek bed. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
"I WAS AWARE THAT WE ARE ALL STRONGER THAN WE CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE",
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Test Of Will (Paperback)
Warren Macdonald was an avid outdoorsman, experienced Mountaineer and environmentalist when he set out for what was supposed to be a two day (there-and-back) climb up Mount Bowen on Hinchinbrook Island in Australia. Little did he know these would be his last steps he would ever take as a "complete" human being. His little jaunt up the mountain turns suddenly into a nightmare when a massive 1 ton slab of rock breaks free and in a "wrong place, wrong time" moment traps Warren beneath it.Along with flashbacks into Warren's life the majority of this memoir alternates POV's between Warren's 48 hour struggle for survival beneath the rock and his hiking companion Geert van Keulen's harrowing 11hour race back down the mountain to find help. With a broken pelvis and barely able to move Warren manages to fight off drowning (as the creek bed he's lying in fills with water) the elements, pain, fear, insanity and even death. And just when you think it can't possibly get any worse, as Warren puts it "A bad movie gets worse" Near the end of his ordeal Warren ends up using a stick to fight off yabbies (Australian crayfish) that have started eating his dying legs and feet. Not long after he feels a stinging sensation in his groin and chest area, and realizes a colony of ants has found a new and delicious home, "one with a steady food supply...him." At this point I don't know how Warren maintained his sanity, it was hard enough to read. I should add that his companion Geert's journey back down the mountain is equally gripping and added a great perspective to the story. I won't be spoiling anything (he lets you know on the very first page ) by telling you that Warren is rescued yet ultimately looses both his legs. A large part of this read also deals with his time in hospital, rehab and learning to deal with his new reality. Which I might add he exceeds. Warren's road to recovery was equally as motivating and uplifting as his survival story. I'm always amazed at what the human spirit is capable of enduring when it comes right down to it and this is a fascinating example of courage, strength of spirit and sheer determination. Now a motivational speaker Warren has since become the first above knee amputee to reach the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro. He also swims, surfs and has learned to walk again. The writing and editing here is good unlike a lot of survival memoirs I've read although towards the end we do get a ton of name dropping which I suppose is great for Warren's friends but not so interesting for the reader. Also contains 4 pages of photographs and a map of Australia showing Hinchinbrook Island and Mt Bowen.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews) 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent autobiography,
By Dave - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A Test Of Will (Paperback)
I approached this book with some trepidation. Having just read two similar accounts of persons severely injured in the wilderness, I was in no mood to endure yet another awfully written book.Apparently, Warren MacDonald has some writing experience or perhaps a very good editor. In either case, readers are treated to an exceptionally interesting book chronically the course of Warren's maverick life. As expected, Warren first immerses his readers in the gripping tale of his entrapment beneath a one-ton rock as fellow hiker Geert van Keulen frantically goes for help. An added feature of the book are the Geert van Keulen written sections covering his side of the experience. In interspersed chapters, reader's learn of Warren's introduction to the wilderness, his doomed efforts to save a portion of it, and his eventual and emotional efforts with friends and family to overcome the loss of his legs. Showing his maturity, Warren is wise enough to thank all those folks responsible for his rescue and long recovery. This is truly a well written and inspiring take on the age old ideal of never giving up. 8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Most Inspirational Story I Have Ever Read!!!,
By Vaishali "Author of "You Are What You Lov... - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A Test Of Will (Paperback)
After you read this book, everything in your life will be measured by the BEFORE Warren, or the AFTER Warren Macdonald experience. Because one thing is certain, you will NEVER see the world in the same way, AFTERreading Warren's book. There are some books that change your life, your heart, your mind and your perspective forever.... and then there is Warren's book, that is far greater than that! Warren will change how you value life itself. Warren will change how you feel inside your own skin! Warren will transform your relationship with the Earth; and he will do it with an honesty, a directness and a sincerity that you will never forget. There are some stories that forever change who YOU are by reading them. There are some people whose courage and strength, redefine what it means to be alive and successful. I am a better person for having read Warren's book; how many authors can say that about their literary contributions? Vaishali 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Warren MacDonald's Book,
By Diana Hanks - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A Test Of Will (Paperback)
I had the opportunity to meet Warren at an open house for a climbing facility in our area. After listening to him speak, I just had to have his book! Warren MacDonald's "A Test Of Will" is one of those rare books that was difficult for me to put down. One day, I was almost late to work, because I became so immersed in it, and lost track of time! I 'm left wanting to read more of his stories. Warren's "can do" attitude is one that we all should strive for. It's his attitude, not his body, that enables him to do what ever he pleases. He may have no legs, but there is no "dis" in his ability. This book is a must read for anyone working with ,and helping people whose bodies fit different molds .Diana Hanks, Volunteer for Vermont Adaptive Sports |
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