The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
| Company type | Picture book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Children's literature, Illustration |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Mordicai Gerstein |
| Products | Children's picture book |
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers is a 2003 American picture book for children, authored by Mordicai Gerstein. It recounts the daring high-wire walk performed by French artist Philippe Petit between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in August 1974. Gerstein earned the 2004 Caldecott Medal for his artwork in this book. The story has since been transformed into both a film and a ballet.
Synopsis
This narrative centers on Philippe Petit, a French street performer who evolves into a high-wire artist, as he devises and carries out what he terms "the coup of the century." After conceiving the plan to traverse a tightrope stretched between the Twin Towers, Petit becomes deeply committed to realizing his vision. Prior to this event, he had successfully walked a tightrope across Paris’s Notre-Dame Cathedral.
While the towers were still under construction, Petit and an accomplice disguised themselves as construction workers to gain entry to the south tower. They transported approximately 440 pounds of cable via elevator to the upper floors and then climbed 180 stairs to reach the rooftop. At midnight, two additional friends arrived to assist.
Using an arrow tied to a fishing line, they attempted to shoot the line across 140 feet to the north tower but were thwarted by wind; the arrow landed on a ledge. Petit retrieved it by descending along the tower’s edge. This fishing line was then used to pull across a sturdier cable (5/8 inch diameter), which took three hours to fasten securely between the two towers.
At dawn on August 7, 1974, with all ropes taut, Petit donned his specially designed black shirt and tights, took hold of his 28-foot balancing pole, and commenced his walk. He described his experience as feeling "alone and absolutely free." Spectators alerted police who arrived on the roof and ordered his arrest. For nearly an hour, Petit walked, danced, leapt, and even rested on the wire before surrendering voluntarily.
In court, he was sentenced to perform for children in city parks—a role he embraced despite an incident where children shaking his wire caused him to fall but successfully regain balance.
Adaptations
The book was turned into a 2005 animated short film by Michael Sporn for Weston Woods Studios, Inc, narrated by Jake Gyllenhaal. It received the Audience Choice Award at the 2005 Heartland Film Festival and won Best Short Animation for Children at the 2006 Ottawa International Animation Festival. This film is also featured as a bonus on the DVD of the Oscar-winning documentary Man on Wire (2008).
Additionally, it was adapted into a two-act ballet at Rowan University in New Jersey. Choreographed and directed by Paule Turner, it premiered in December 2008 to favorable reviews. The production integrated dance with puppetry, especially during scenes depicting wirewalking.
The Walk, a biographical drama directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Philippe Petit, was released in September 2015 by TriStar Pictures.
Critical reception
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers earned widespread acclaim for its narrative and Gerstein’s illustrations. Kirkus Reviews noted its cross-generational appeal as an adventure story and tribute to iconic architecture. Publishers Weekly praised Gerstein’s dramatic artwork for its stunning perspectives. The School Library Journal regarded it as an inspiring and distinctive portrayal of an extraordinary figure as well as a tribute to the Twin Towers.
See also
- Man on Wire (2008) – documentary film portraying the high-wire crossing
- The Walk (2015) – biographical drama centered on the crossing