To Reach the Clouds: A Towering Feat of intrigue and determination. Philippe Petit's "Mission Impossible"

Well before 9/11 and even before the Twin Towers were in complete occupancy the World Trade Center made the news! A devilish character made a clandestine trip up to the top of the towers, shot a line across via a bown and arrow and then moved on to cable setting up a line that was his platform for a tightrope walk in the clouds. It was amazing and I'll never forget that day and his feat. He does have a book and it's worth a read.

On Wednesday night November 6th my wife and I had tickets to see Rigoletto in the New York City Opera at Lincoln Center. We arrived early, had a quick dinner two blocks from the center and then went into Barns & Noble for a cup of coffee.

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER

As luck would have it my wife saw a sign on the way up the escalator. Philippe Petit was having a book signing in five minutes. My wife and I went to the assigned area. We saw available seats but opted to stand to the side.

We saw him as he was waiting to be introduced. He had the same face of determination and focus now as he had years ago. Though his face has deeper lines of thought and experience he remained the same as I remembered him to be with a slight body that was firm and trim. He happened to walk right over to my wife and me and asked if we were there to hear his talk.

WHAT HE DID

Back in 1974 Philippe Petit made history, quite a show, and headline pictures around the world on newspapers and magazines by walking a cable strung between the two towers of the World Trade Center. This was an illegal stunt without authorization or knowledge of authorities. I was about twenty five years old at the time and it made quite an impression on me. Through the years I have thought about what he did. How did he do it? Were others involved? What kind of planning was necessary? Why did he do it? What did he feel when the towers came down?

Well here he was now standing right in front of me. All my questions were aching to come out. We told him we were in the neighborhood to see a show and saw the advertisement. We advised him that our show started in just twenty five minutes and we didn't sit in the designated area because we did not feel it proper to "walk out on his talk". He assured us he understood and asked us to come closer to listen.

HE READS PART OF THE BOOK

He was introduced. He then took a piece of cable out of his bag and laid it on a table. He said "Please touch" in his French accent. He then started reading directly from his book. I was at once captured. His book had history, insight, humor, and a detailed story on what made him "tic". It describes the roadblocks that would be thrown his way and how through planning, determination, genius, and just plain luck he made the dream come true.

We did have to leave as he was still talking. We went to Lincoln Center just across the street. I saw the first act of the show and then quickly excused myself, left the theatre, ran across the street, double stepped up the moving escalator and found him signing his last books. How fortunate was I? I spoke with him a few minutes, apologized for not being able to hear his talk,(I was much more upset than he was), and asked him to sign my book. I thanked him and went back to the theatre just as the curtain was going up for the second act.

That night I started reading. The book is about 11"x14" in size. Large enough to display some excellent photographs. This includes pictures he and a close friend took of him "casing" the roof tops. The pictures are in black and white. Some are sharp and others are not. This is not a factor in that they do catalog enough of the feeling and adventure of his planning. Pictures of previous feats he made are also inside. Of course there are many pictures of the cable across the towers and Philippe on it. There is also artwork and sketches of his planning throughout the book. The book is primarily an autobiographical description of Philippe and his planning his attempt To Reach the Clouds.

Philippe Petit, we learn, is one of those persons who goes after what interests him with all that is in his soul. We learn that he is an artist. As I stated there is some of his artwork in the book. He is also tells us he is a poet. I believe this colour comes to life in the way he writes. Here is a paragraph written by him as he arrives at the top of one of the towers.

My tiny staircase pierces the roof near it's center. I stay a moment sheltered below the penultimate step, halfway through the trapdoor, lost in contemplation. There is a huge red crane by my side, and behind me an enormous rusty I-beam contraption to support an antenna. Around me spreads the naked platform, a mistake amid the clouds. I step out onto the rooftop. No railing--if I run, I'll finish my course in thin air, changed into a bird.

WHO IS PHILIPPE

The book starts with him as a youngster. He tells of his dreams and the dreams others have for him that he would never conform to. We learn his parents legally disown him at age seventeen. This all suits a man who continues to grow up always doing things "his way". The book continues telling us of his days as a street entertainer. He does magic, juggles, studies lock picking and pick pocketing, and finally tells himself that he will be the worlds "Greatest Tight walker". He does this in countries throughout the world and is constantly being arrested for his deeds.

PLANNING TO REACH THE CLOUDS

As he builds up confidence for the ultimate walk he does other stunts. We learn how he and a friend cabled the spires of Notre-Dame and he did a walk there. He also takes a flight to Australia where he sets up a cable on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and "Wows" the people of that nation and the world with his stunts.

As Philippe prepares his dream he meets different people who help him and those who promise to help and fall short of their promises. Philippe is not bashful in telling of his feelings of all these people throughout the book, both positive and negative.

We see Philippe working as an undercover man. He sneaks into the World Trade Center hundreds of times to study the movement of office workers, construction workers, and most of all security. The building at the time was occupied by office workers on lower floors while it was still under construction on the upper floors. He learns the patterns and schedules of all the workers. He sees how they are dressed and what posts and security desks they sign in and out of. Philippe also checks out how deliveries are handled in the building by sending packages and following their routes so he can be prepared for a delivery himself.

This man has a devious, conniving, and sly mind. It's a good thing he is on our side of the law.

At one point when he has a hurt foot he learns how crutches can become an ally helping him in and out of circumstances.

We get to see some pictures of him getting to build confidence over the great heights and possible winds. We see him on a thin rail on roof top balancing a broom on his head.

In another chapter we take a helicopter ride with Philippe as continues his plans and tries to learn more of his adversary.

There is a point in the book where the words Impossible come to his mind. He fights it and overcomes it.

HE DOES IT!!

I am one who does not like to give too much detail as to what is in the book. We do know the ending. He did walk between the towers. Few people realize that he actually went across the cable not just once but a total of eight times!! He had all the world holding it's breath for over an hour as he did stunts over the abyss between the towers.

When he is doing his stunt he gives us with poetic flair of his feelings and thoughts of the moment.

You have graced me with a new set of ears and eyes; I can hear what my spectators in the street shout and whisper....I can see the traffic made of automobiles with passengers, made of ants scurrying about.
Under my influence, the ants are no longer able to escape,
they slow to a halt, they look at me as in submission.
You have heightened my senses.
You have empowered me.
I am grateful.

Phillipe finishes this part of the book with a poem about the gods. He asks about his walk "Will there be a next time?"

There is also a picture of Philippe atop a tower with pen in hand and signature in site. Under it are the words.

Oh! Did I forget to mention?
Following my performance between the towers, I am invited to sign the beam on the rooftop of the south tower, the place where the wire and I departed.
I sign in indelible ink, so that the inscription may remain indefinitely.

He is also given a VIP pass from Guy Tozzoli who was responsible for planning, building, and operating the WTC.
The pass is "Valid Forever."
A picture of it is in the book.

In the book we learn more about his arrest and the time after the walk. There are also a page with headlines printed from major Newspapers featured in the book. We learn a bit of his reaction and feelings to the collapse of the towers too. This something that is still very difficult for me.

As a young man I remember watching the towers being built. As the years went on I was there quite often. My business brought me there for events I would do both for the restaurants and for different corporations that occupied the building.

My wife and I went there regularly too. In the plaza area they had the Tickets booth. We would take a train downtown and depart directly under the towers. We would go to the booth, see what tickets were discounted for a Broadway show that night and purchase them. Afterward, we would go up to the restaurant and have some lunch while admiring the beautiful and unmatched views through the huge windows. Other times we went up with our family to the other tower and saw the views from the observation deck.

Philippe's book brought to me wonderful memories and a devastating one. It was his determination that got him to the top and across the towers. I believe it is that same determination that will have the American people build a new complex and memorial that will be a tribute to our fallen heroes and friends from the USA and all those freedom loving people from abroad.

Read To reach the Clouds. It was an inspiring book to read. I could not put it down. Philippe's sense of timing, thought processes, and poetic input made this book fascinating. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Update 2008

Just recently I found out a documentary, Man On A Wire, was released at the Sundance Film Fewstival earlier this year winning Grand Jury prize and the Audience Choice award in the World Documentary category. I just found it at the local Blockbuster and will give a review very soon.

Here's the review

http://www0.epinions.com/review/Man_on_Wire_James_Marsh/content_455735611012