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Over The Edge: Death in Grand Canyon, Newly Expanded 10th Anniversary Edition Paperback – May 1, 2012
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Editorial Reviews
Review
If you believe that everything interesting about Grand Canyon has already been written, you're dead wrong. Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon belongs not only in the libraries of Canyon lovers, but in those of everyone interested in Western Americana. --Tony Hillerman This book is an absolute masterpiece. --Martin Litton, legendary founder of Grand Canyon Dories and pivotal Grand Canyon advocate. --Martin Litton
This book is an absolute masterpiece. --Martin Litton
This book is an absolute masterpiece. --Martin Litton
About the Author
Auther Ghiglieri earned his Ph.D. in ecology from the University of California at Davis and has worked as professional wilderness river guide for 39 years on 40 rivers around the world, including 162, 2-week rowing trips through Grand Canyon for a total of well over 2,300 days within the Canyon and about 4,700 miles hiked. Ghiglieri also has been a wilderness EMT for 30 years on many ermergencies and worked as a River Ranger and is a member of the Coconino County Sheriff's Department Search and Rescue teams. Author of 7 books, Ghiglieri also wrote CANYON and FIRST THROUGH GRAND CANYON: THE SECRET JOURNALS AND LETTERS OF THE 1869 CREW WHO EXPLORED THE GREEN AND COLORADO RIVERS. Author Thomas M. Myers earned his M.D. at the University of Arizona and has worked for more than two decades at the Grand Canyon Clinic, responding to, treating, and trying to untangle the ontogenies of all too many Canyon accidents. Myers is also the Medical Director for Grand Canyon National Park. Myers began exploring the Canyon around age 10 and never stopped. He also works as a professional hiking and river guide. Myer co-authored the definitve "FATEFUL JOURNEY: INJURY AND DEATH OF RECREATIONAL RIVER TRIPS IN GRAND CANYON and GRAND OBSESSION: HARVEY BUTCHART AND THE EXPLORATION OF GRAND CANYON.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 33 people found the following review helpful
By
David M. England
on October 15, 2012
Format: Paperback
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A man is with his family on the rim of the Grand Canyon, he turns with his back to the canyon to take a photo of the lodge they are staying at. Not getting everything in the picture, he takes a step backwards and plummets to his death hundreds of feet down. This is one example of the many deaths that have been recorded here in the book. Pack mules falling to their deaths tied together taking one after the other with them not being able to pass another team of mules on the narrow slippery trail. Seasoned hikers slipping and falling to their deaths on the slippery trails. Hundreds have died at the Grand Canyon from falls, suicides, murders, rock falls, drowning in the Colorado River, exposure, air accidents, lightning, flash floods, doing a Thelma and Louise in a car shot over the rim (13 since the movie came out in 1993) etc. I won't take a helicopter or plane ride over the Grand Canyon after reading this book and the number that have been killed in these crashes, and you won't either when you find out the numbers of fatal air crashes here and the poor safety record of these companies (many have only just got their license). It's amazing some of the stories and how they keep repeating themselves as time goes on in spite of warnings of the dangers of the canyon. I found it to be a great read. It is sectioned off as to each type of death category such as flight accidents, suicides, etc.; so that you can put it down and pick it up and read a section as you have time. This book is the definitive book on this subject and in fact several more recent victims of the canyon deaths have even been found to have this book on them when they died. So I guess these victims would highly recommend the book as well!
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25 of 28 people found the following review helpful
By
Martha E. Pollack
on December 30, 2012
Format: Paperback
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OK, I'll admit it: I bought this book in a bookshop in Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim, which I'd stopped into to warm up for a moment, when the proprietor told me that it was their best seller. It's a 550 page chronicle of all (literally all) the known deaths that have occurred in the Grand Canyon National Park, from causes ranging from falls from the rim, to dehydration on the hiking trails, to accidents while rafting the Colorado River, to mid-air collisions of planes. My "favorite" is the tourist who wanted to get a photo of his hotel, which overlooked the canyon, and so walked backwards while taking pictures, right over the edge into the canyon!
The book tries to justify itself by drawing conclusions that will lead to fewer deaths in the park. One example: it's very risky to hike alone. Well, duh! And another: the major risk factor for death in the Grand Canyon is being male and between the ages of 20 and 30. But really all that is beside the point. You read this book, especially while you're actually at the Grand Canyon, for the same reason that you watch detective shows on television: to get a glimpse of the really awful things that you've managed to avoid.
(Aside: I have the "Newly Expanded 10th Anniversary Edition," which was written because, in the decade since the original writing" about 100 more people have perished within Grand Canyon, some of them in ways new and unique, others in ways old but still tragic.")
The book tries to justify itself by drawing conclusions that will lead to fewer deaths in the park. One example: it's very risky to hike alone. Well, duh! And another: the major risk factor for death in the Grand Canyon is being male and between the ages of 20 and 30. But really all that is beside the point. You read this book, especially while you're actually at the Grand Canyon, for the same reason that you watch detective shows on television: to get a glimpse of the really awful things that you've managed to avoid.
(Aside: I have the "Newly Expanded 10th Anniversary Edition," which was written because, in the decade since the original writing" about 100 more people have perished within Grand Canyon, some of them in ways new and unique, others in ways old but still tragic.")
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By
Doug Erlandson
TOP 500 REVIEWER on September 16, 2013
Format: Paperback
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My wife picked up a copy of this book in June (2013) when we were visiting Grand Canyon. This was our second visit in less than three years and my third lifetime visit. Although by the end of this third visit I had become fairly well acquainted with the South Rim, I was still ignorant of the details of the canyon itself as well as the nature and extent of its dangers. Ghigliere and Myers' "Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon" has done much to fill in the knowledge gap.
Well written and gripping in its presentation of specific cases, the book not only provides a detailed description of many of the topographical features of the canyon, but it also gives a complete account of the deaths that have occurred in the canyon and on the rim since the early explorations in the middle of the nineteenth century. The book is divided into the following chapters: Falls from the rim, falls within the canyon, environmental deaths within the "inverted mountain" (dehydration, heat stroke, hypothermia, etc.), flash flood fatalities, deaths in the Colorado River, airplane and helicopter crashes, freak errors and accidents, fatal encounters with animals and plants, suicide, and murder. At the end of each chapter is a list of all those who have died a particular death over the years along with a brief description of the circumstances surrounding the death. This forms a supplement to the deaths described in the body of the text itself.
Thankfully, the authors do not just talk about the tragedies. They also have stories about people who were rescued from dangerous situations, some of whom found themselves in these situations through little or no fault of their own but many of whom had gotten into their predicament because of their own stupidity, lack of caution, or inadequate preparation.Read more ›
Well written and gripping in its presentation of specific cases, the book not only provides a detailed description of many of the topographical features of the canyon, but it also gives a complete account of the deaths that have occurred in the canyon and on the rim since the early explorations in the middle of the nineteenth century. The book is divided into the following chapters: Falls from the rim, falls within the canyon, environmental deaths within the "inverted mountain" (dehydration, heat stroke, hypothermia, etc.), flash flood fatalities, deaths in the Colorado River, airplane and helicopter crashes, freak errors and accidents, fatal encounters with animals and plants, suicide, and murder. At the end of each chapter is a list of all those who have died a particular death over the years along with a brief description of the circumstances surrounding the death. This forms a supplement to the deaths described in the body of the text itself.
Thankfully, the authors do not just talk about the tragedies. They also have stories about people who were rescued from dangerous situations, some of whom found themselves in these situations through little or no fault of their own but many of whom had gotten into their predicament because of their own stupidity, lack of caution, or inadequate preparation.Read more ›
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By
Frank White
on August 22, 2013
Format: Paperback
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I bough this book while at the canyon because my 9 year old son was very interested in the topic. Here we were on a family vacation and the place we choose to visit is filled with stories about other vacationers who died. Thread lightly if you decide to read with a child. The writer handles death in a clinical sense and is sure to point out the science behind the deaths which for me is needed in raising a child especially a boy. Through these tales of horror for some, he is reading from an authority about the Grand Canyon and the limitations of the human body. My son enjoys the way the writer describes the elements in the Grand Canyon and simply illustrates how some people do not consider our physiological make up in relation to temperature, hydration, elevation, along with understanding the power of nature. We took a very short hike down Bright Angel Trail and he pointed out the lack of preparation of the hikers. Families walked past us with very little water and terrible footwear. He and I both had salty snacks and 32 ounces of water for a an extremely short almost laughable walk. We just wanted to get a taste of the trail so he could understand the terrain and how temperature affected his body in this environment. We were sweating like crazy. My son is beginning to understand how difficult life can be without modern comforts and to be mindful of the elements when camping outside the city limits ie. pavement, running toilets etc. I love the way the writer points out the sheer lack of planning in most deaths and the blatant disregard for the possibility of not making it out alive. This is an awesome teaching moment for me to explain planning and respect for Mother Nature from a scientific point of view. Now he is interested in science and the outdoors. I thank the authors for making it easy for me to teach respect and a healthy dose of caution when in the outdoors without sounding like a wimp to a growing boy. This book is great read and well written.
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