In reply to UKC Gear:
i like andys writing, even when hes contrived it still sounds raw and you can see the struggle he has for writing which i find more humbling than his climbing - which i also admire.
i do find his format boring tho, and hope Cold Wars isnt more of the same.
in psychovertical i found the reticent wall chapters go dull fast. endless repeats of 'fcuk im going to die, just have to go for it, fcuk it up, survive & have another go'. by the 3rd chapter of that i was skimming to get to the alternating chapters about him and his early years.
his descriptions of climbing i felt were limited - as they always are (tho must say he did better than most at expanding the descriptive palette). whereas his descriptions of estate life and shoestring trips to the alps were refreshing. in many ways he still sounds like a messed up kid.
i will still read it tho, cos i like the guy a lot, and no doubt he has many more books in him to work on his style. i just hope the rawness doesnt give way to too literate a product because his flawed-from-the-start climbs go perfectly with it.