Alive by Piers Paul Read Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Alive
Book Review: I GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS...
Summary: 5 Stars
Time has not diminished the drama of the tale of the Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes Mountains. Of the forty five people on the plane at the time of the crash, sixteen came down from the mountain about seventy days later with a saga of survival not easily forgotten.
Theirs is a journey born of tragedy and human endurance. The author unfolds a tale that is gripping in the telling, as enthralling as it is almost unbelievable. It is investigative reporting at its best, because it does not fail to convey the human drama and pathos behind the story of this remarkable struggle for survival high up in the Andes Mountains. Masterfully written, it is a well balanced narrative that takes great pains to ground the experience of the survivors in the context out of which it arose.
The plane had crashed in the Andes Mountains on Argentinian territory. It was an exercise in terror for those on the plane, as it barreled down the mountain, before finally coming to rest in a valley of snow high up in the Andes. Of the forty five persons on board, thirty two had initially survived the crash. Some, however, had sustained serious injuries. Time would not be their friend. Moreover, with little warm clothing (keep in mind that October is springtime in South America), the survivors were exposed to the extreme cold of the night air, high up in the Andes. Though spring, this still meant temperatures well below freezing. Damp, cold, and hungry, amid the anguished cries of the injured, thus began the first of many such nights.
By their tenth day in the Andes, the limited food supplies, which they had rationed with all the care of a miser, had virtually run out. Starving and ravenously hungry, they voiced what they all knew to be true, but had not dared to voice before. They must eat, or they would die. The only thing left for them to eat, however, was abhorrent and deeply repugnant to them. Digging deep into their conservative, religious souls, they found a way to justify actions that would have them transcend a new reality. Their fallen comrades would now provide the means of their sustenance. All eventually succumbed to this only means of survival.
This, while one of the most dramatic parts of their story, is just that, a part. Their survival entailed much more. They had to endure other deprivations. They had to survive the elements. They had to overcome a profound despair over being seemingly forgotten by the outside world. Ultimately, only sixteen were able to do so. How they did so will fascinate all readers of adventure literature. The means that they took to let the world know that they were still alive will astound even the most jaded of readers. It is an account of human endurance that is thought provoking and compelling, a quest to reconcile physical needs with the spiritual. It is, above all, a riveting testament to life.
Book Review: One of my favorites!
Summary: 5 Stars
For non-fiction readers this is a very interesting choice. Many of us have seen the movie or know something about the story. Well, if u never read the book, you don't know much. Very well written, with extensive detail, this book will transport you to the mountain, to feel anxious, desperate, angry, sad, abandoned, and finally joyfull and blessed after being rescued. At some moments you will laugh and at others cry. Of course it will keep you wandering: what if I was the one there? what would I have done? how would I have felt? would I have been able to resist?. An accident like this one would not probably repeat with same circumstances. But difficult situations that shake the human spirit due happen, and they happen daily. Is only when resilience of human spirit is revealed as it is extensively demonstrated in this great book.Book Review: One of the best books I have ever read
Summary: 5 Stars
I won't go into a synopsis since there are already plenty, but I have to say this is one of the most compelling books I have ever read, and I have read thousands of books of all genres. I read it in one sitting. For years, whenever anyone has asked me about a good book to read, I always recommend this one-even people who don't read can't put this book down. Detailed but readable for anyone. The fact that the survivors collaborated with the author makes it really come to life. The human spirit in this book is amazing. And the group dynamics are fascinating. Any cultural anthropologist major could appreciate this story.Book Review: One of the greatest survival stories ever told
Summary: 5 Stars
Wow. Everytime I thought that this story could not get any more incredible, it did. Everytime I thought that the harshness of their plight couldn't get worse, it did. I couldn't put this book down. Then I talked to all my friends about it. It was that good.Book Review: Phenomenal story of survival
Summary: 5 Stars
If you enjoy stories of survival, you'll certainly enjoy this one. The details of what the crash survivors did is no secret, but reading the intimate details about their challenges was at times, gut wrenching.
Definitely not a page turner, in my opinion. But a fantastic read that will keep your interest throughout.