With Bare Hands

Overcoming vertigo - and countless injuries which have left him officially disabled - the 'Human Spider' has scaled nearly 100 skyscrapers worldwide: from Chicago's Sears Tower to Taipei 101, from the Petronas Towers to the Golden Gate Bridge. Reward and punishment have been received in equal measure - the flamboyant Frenchman has gained international fame and raised thousands of dollars for charity, but has also been arrested, beaten and prosecuted. Many people ask whether it is madness to undertake such perilous ascents without the use of safety equipment. But in Alain's view, it is madness not to follow your dreams This is the inspiring story of a man who has conquered fear and exceeded his own limits: the world's greatest urban climber. "For Robert, tall buildings are his mountains. He eulogises the views from their summits and (police permitting) revels in the freedom." -"The Guardian"