Touching the Void takes to the water as two rivals fight to the end Published to great interest and praise A surfing classic

'A classic tale of sporting rivalry' Observer 'The tales are gripping, Foo's vainglorious final expedition among them. Surfing emerges as a dangerous, solitary and potential fatal obsession' Daily Telegraph 'Martin brilliantly utilises the conflict between an old-school Texan and a cocky young Chinese-American to explore everything from the commercialisation of pro-surfing to a foolproof strategy for seducing Brazilian women' Arena 'Martin's fluid prose perfectly befits his subject ... sweeps the reader along like one of the awesome incoming walls of water at Waimea Bay ... a fascinating glimpse into obsession' Independent

Andy Martin was born in London and teaches in Cambridge and New York. He learned to surf on the west coast of Australia. He is the author of Walking on Water, and has written about God, Napoleon and Brigitte Bardot and reported on surfing for the Independent and The Times.