With Bare Hands
Encyclopedia
With Bare Hands is Alain Robert
's autobiography
, published in English in 2008. Thanks to a career of high-risk urban ascents, the French climber has gained the nicknames The French Spiderman and The Human Spider. The title With Bare Hands refers to his practice of climbing without the use of any safety equipment. The book follows Robert's achievements, from his childhood climbing cliffs in the gorges of southwestern France, to travelling the world looking for new skyscrapers to climb. The book offers insights into the mentality and motives of the world's most famous urban climber. It was first published by Blacksmith Books in Hong Kong and was edited and adapted by John Chan. The book was also published by Maverick House Publishers in the English language across Europe and in Australia and New Zealand.
Rock climber Alain Robert is asked by a film director to climb a tower in Chicago
. It has never before been done. Chaos reigns as a reluctant Alain risks life and limb to scale his first building.
Suddenly struck by the possibility of climbing buildings, Alain climbs skyscrapers in Paris
and New York
– experiencing arrest, media exposure and courtroom drama.
Alain is in demand by the media and teams up with a major magazine to scale famous landmarks in Paris in a series of bizarre escapades.
Emerging from a coma after a fall from a cliff, Alain looks back over his life – his colourful childhood, his wild adolescence and two terrible falls which left him partially disabled.
Alain gains fame in France
and is set an assignment by a magazine editor. He has 12 days to travel across Europe and make three daring climbs.
Alain completes a perilous climb of the Golden Gate Bridge
. He compares his experience in a tough US jail with prisons around the world, most notably his abuse in a dungeon in Asia.
Alain is invited to Brazil
where he is greeted as a superstar. His new fame does not go to his head as he befriends three impoverished children and visits them in their favela.
In Philadelphia by accident, Alain grows obsessed with climbing a seemingly impossible tower. After exhaustive attempts he cracks it but ends up in court – this time facing two years in jail.
After failing to climb the world’s tallest building Alain finds himself in a nightmarish Malaysian jail. A minister intervenes and he is suddenly thrown into the high life, enjoying dinner with the King of Malaysia.
Alain risks a caning in Singapore
, performs an outrageous rock climb and makes his first ascents in Venezuela
and London
dressed as Spider-Man.
The toughest assignments Alain has ever taken on – a deadly rock climb and the sheer glass walls of the Sears Tower
almost kill him and force him to confront his deepest fears.
Alain scales Taipei 101
, the world’s tallest tower – and does it injured after falling off a traffic light. He dodges security to climb the Jin Mao Tower, China’s tallest building and is beaten up by police in Tokyo.
Alain rubs shoulders with the elite of the Arab world, and then climbs before an audience of 100,000. He looks to the future, considers his ageing body, and concedes that climbing may well kill him.
Alain Robert
Alain Robert , is a French rock and urban climber, from Digoin, Saône-et-Loire, Bourgogne, France...
's autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, published in English in 2008. Thanks to a career of high-risk urban ascents, the French climber has gained the nicknames The French Spiderman and The Human Spider. The title With Bare Hands refers to his practice of climbing without the use of any safety equipment. The book follows Robert's achievements, from his childhood climbing cliffs in the gorges of southwestern France, to travelling the world looking for new skyscrapers to climb. The book offers insights into the mentality and motives of the world's most famous urban climber. It was first published by Blacksmith Books in Hong Kong and was edited and adapted by John Chan. The book was also published by Maverick House Publishers in the English language across Europe and in Australia and New Zealand.
Contents
- Prologue
Rock climber Alain Robert is asked by a film director to climb a tower in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. It has never before been done. Chaos reigns as a reluctant Alain risks life and limb to scale his first building.
- Chapter 1: A Newly Discovered Mountain Range
Suddenly struck by the possibility of climbing buildings, Alain climbs skyscrapers in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
– experiencing arrest, media exposure and courtroom drama.
- Chapter 2: Le Tour de Paris
Alain is in demand by the media and teams up with a major magazine to scale famous landmarks in Paris in a series of bizarre escapades.
- Chapter 3: The Hatchling
Emerging from a coma after a fall from a cliff, Alain looks back over his life – his colourful childhood, his wild adolescence and two terrible falls which left him partially disabled.
- Chapter 4: European Trilogy
Alain gains fame in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and is set an assignment by a magazine editor. He has 12 days to travel across Europe and make three daring climbs.
- Chapter 5: Jailhouse Rock
Alain completes a perilous climb of the Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to...
. He compares his experience in a tough US jail with prisons around the world, most notably his abuse in a dungeon in Asia.
- Chapter 6: Fantastico!
Alain is invited to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
where he is greeted as a superstar. His new fame does not go to his head as he befriends three impoverished children and visits them in their favela.
- Chapter 7: Liberty Bell
In Philadelphia by accident, Alain grows obsessed with climbing a seemingly impossible tower. After exhaustive attempts he cracks it but ends up in court – this time facing two years in jail.
- Chapter 8: Alain and the King
After failing to climb the world’s tallest building Alain finds himself in a nightmarish Malaysian jail. A minister intervenes and he is suddenly thrown into the high life, enjoying dinner with the King of Malaysia.
- Chapter 9: Spider-Man
Alain risks a caning in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, performs an outrageous rock climb and makes his first ascents in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
dressed as Spider-Man.
- Chapter 10: Fears and the Sears
The toughest assignments Alain has ever taken on – a deadly rock climb and the sheer glass walls of the Sears Tower
Sears Tower
Sears' optimistic growth projections were not met. Competition from its traditional rivals continued, with new competition by retailing giants such as Kmart, Kohl's, and Wal-Mart. The fortunes of Sears & Roebuck declined in the 1970s as the company lost market share; its management grew more...
almost kill him and force him to confront his deepest fears.
- Chapter 11: Asia Rising
Alain scales Taipei 101
Taipei 101
Taipei 101 , formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010...
, the world’s tallest tower – and does it injured after falling off a traffic light. He dodges security to climb the Jin Mao Tower, China’s tallest building and is beaten up by police in Tokyo.
- Chapter 12: The Sands of Time
Alain rubs shoulders with the elite of the Arab world, and then climbs before an audience of 100,000. He looks to the future, considers his ageing body, and concedes that climbing may well kill him.
External links
- With Bare Hands: The Story of the Human Spider — publisher's site (Maverick House Publishers)
- Alain Robert — official website of Alain Robert