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Piers Paul Read
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Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors Mass Market Paperback – Unabridged, December 3, 2002

by Piers Paul Read (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 4,071 ratings
See all formats and editions
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“A classic in the literature of survival.” —Newsweek

On October 12, 1972, a Uruguayan Air Force plane carrying a team of rugby players crashed in the remote, snow-peaked Andes Mountains. Ten weeks later, only 16 of the 45 passengers were found alive. This is the story of those ten weeks spent in the shelter of the plane’s fuselage without food and scarcely any hope of a rescue. They survived by protecting and helping one another, and coming to the difficult conclusion that to live meant doing the unimaginable. Confronting nature at its most furious, two brave young men risked their lives to hike through the mountains looking for help—and ultimately found it.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    318 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    William Morrow Paperbacks
  4. Publication date
    December 3, 2002
  5. Dimensions
    4.19 x 1.08 x 6.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    038000321X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0380003211
  8. Lexile measure
    1160L
  9. See all details
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Popular Highlights in this book
What are popular highlights?
Previous page
  1. ‘It’s like Holy Communion. When Christ died he gave his body to us so that we could have spiritual life. My friend has given us his body so that we can have physical life.’
    Highlighted by 261 Kindle readers
  2. He felt triumphant. His conscience had overcome a primitive, irrational taboo. He was going to survive.
    Highlighted by 247 Kindle readers
  3. Aconcagua, which lies between Mendoza and Santiago, rises to 22,834 feet, the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere and only about 6,000 feet short of Mount Everest.
    Highlighted by 217 Kindle readers
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A classic in the literature of survival.” — Newsweek

“A great book . . . . an incredible saga. Read’s accomplishment in recording a struggle both physical and spiritual is superb.” — Philadelphia Inquirer

“A chilling tale…. Will involve the reader as thoroughly as the best adventure novel. A book of real and lasting value.” — Rolling Stone

“Superb…flawless…. A testimonial to the durability and determination of young men who might have chosen to die and simply would not.” — Detroit Free Press

“A masterpiece...It is inconceivable to me that this story could have been better told.” — Graham Greene

“No one will come away unmoved by the book, and no one will be able to put it down…. There is no way of reading Alive without a heightened sense of one’s own life and its value.” — New Republic

“Thunderous entertainment...A classic human adventure...A narrative of terrific and enduring significance.” — New York Times

“Tragic, heartwarming, inspiring, shocking, terrifying, and true.” — Columbus Dispatch

“An adventure story to rival those of Hillary and Tensing, Thor Heyerdahl, or Jacques Cousteau.” — Chicago Tribune

“A book you won’t soon forget.” — Cleveland Press

“An adventure both physical and spiritual...Mr. Read was chosen by the survivors to write a full and balanced account of their ordeal, and he has done so with conspicuous success.” — The New Yorker

From the Back Cover

On October 12, 1972, a plane carrying a team of young rugby players crashed into the remote, snow-peaked Andes. Out of the forty-five original passengers and crew, only sixteen made it off the mountain alive. For ten excruciating weeks they suffered deprivations beyond imagining, confronting nature head-on at its most furious and inhospitable. And to survive, they were forced to do what would have once been unthinkable ...

This is their story -- one of the most astonishing true adventures of the twentieth century.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow Paperbacks; Reissue edition (December 3, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 318 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 038000321X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0380003211
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1160L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 0.017 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.19 x 1.08 x 6.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 4,071 ratings

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Piers Paul Read

Piers Paul Read

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

Wiggins1
5.0 out of 5 stars Moving
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2024
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I had vaguely been aware of this story since the movie premiered in 1993 (which I have never seen) but had never read any accounts of the tragedy or what really happened on the mountain. This was clearly detailed, often hard to process (as, I am sure, it has been for many); but, so moving in the accounts provided by the survivors and their families. The research was obviously well done and the story complete. I know that the remaining survivors are now older men and I would be interested to know how their lives progressed in the succeeding years of their lives.
3 people found this helpful
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John McAlexander III
4.0 out of 5 stars Not my kind of book .. But a Challenging read !
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2024
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I know, because I had previously had heard About this event, that this book was based upon a true story. Eventhough that being the case, I could never find myself in any type of cannibal-type setting. I have read other books that contain cannibalism, and I understand how such methods-of-madness
people can be drawn into. SAD ! This book is not for the 'faint at heart'. If you do not have a strong moral disposition before reading this book... Do Not Read this book !!! The subject matter is interesting, but the actions Taken Within the book are very CHALLENGING!!! RECOMMENDED to the Morally Strong !! Not recommended to a novice reader. Many quite graphic depictions are described within this book ! !
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jhbandcats
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrifying and compelling
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2024
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This is the second time I’ve read this and I’m still in awe of the story and the fact it was written so cogently within a year of the plane crash. It has a rather harsh, abrupt feel to it. The author describes some of the young men as, variously, violent, immature, and arrogant, and he goes into detail about the strife and bitter arguments amongst the survivors. In agonizing pain, increasingly weak from starvation, tempers frayed and insults flew.

At the same time, what the survivors remember is their camaraderie and love, their team spirit. In later interviews, the disagreements have been forgotten but at the time, they were all-encompassing. It’s difficult to reconcile the two outlooks. It almost seems like this author goes out of his way to be as harsh and cruel as possible. In other books, the authors bend over backwards to be more understanding and philosophical about the situation.

In any case, this is an amazing tale of extraordinary survival. It’s a riveting story. I found myself thinking of it whenever I wasn’t actively reading. It may not be the most well-written nonfiction book I’ve read but it’s certainly one of the more compelling.
10 people found this helpful
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Angie
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2024
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This book jumped right into the story without all the nonsense that many books start with. I felt it told the story incredibly well and although the author stated at the end that the survivors didn't feel he wrote enough about the bond they felt, I feel that he did. However, I am not one of them. I did think it was written exceptionally well and I felt every emotion that the pages presented. Highly recommend this book and this author.
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Sarah
5.0 out of 5 stars A Testament to the Will to Survive
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2024
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Rich in detail about an experience that, thankfully, so few of us will ever know. Fraught will terror, horror, astonishment, sadness, triumph, happiness and wonder. You cannot help but imagine what you yourself would have done if faced with the same decisions of the crash survivors and to be thankful that you most likely never will be.
One person found this helpful
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Vanessa Candelaria
4.0 out of 5 stars unexpected tears
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2024
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The book was not well translated but it got the story across. I was shocked when certain passages brought tears flowing down my face. Great story of friendship, survival, and struggles.
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Ahnya
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational but gruesome tail of survival.
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2024
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This is an incredible read. This story has everything, detailed moments that inform the reader of each boy’s character and motivations, the highs and lows of survival in an unpredictable unsurvivable environment, and yes, every gruesome detail of their diet. It’s absolutely riveting, but not for the faint of heart. The works best moments come in the story of the survivors relationships with one another. You come away with this incredible understanding that sometimes mediocre people become truly great from the community that surrounds them and uplifts them.
3 people found this helpful
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RC
3.0 out of 5 stars Great Story - Boring Presentation
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2022
Verified Purchase
I first started reading this book at the age of 17. I never finished it, so I decided after all these decades to pick it up again. It didn't get any better, but I did manage to finish it.

The story itself is immensely compelling, but the author's presentation of it is dry, often repetitive, and difficult to follow. On top of it all, there are just too many names to remember, and the author has the irritating habit of oscillating back and forth between first and last names--sometimes in the same paragraph. He should have presented a list of names and descriptions as a reference to keep them straight.

I think a firsthand account from one of the survivors would be better.
10 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Gary Barbero
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book. A must read
Reviewed in Canada on September 27, 2023
Verified Purchase
Well r
Written, keeps the reader involved, perhaps a little too much when the truth of the survival, rests on the shoulders of those who did not survive the crash, but I am sure, would have done the same if they did. Thank you Piers Paul….
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Jaime Marcos
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book!
Reviewed in Mexico on October 19, 2021
Verified Purchase
Very well described, fast and easy to read!
Great story and excellent way of telling it.
When you are having a hard time to get sleep, read this book and imagine the conditions in which they were sleeping, you can rapidly fall asleep.
I strongly recommend it.
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NP
5.0 out of 5 stars Histoire vraie
Reviewed in France on January 23, 2024
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Captivant pour les lecteurs pas trop sensibles.
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Amazon Kunde
5.0 out of 5 stars Schreibstil: na ja.....
Reviewed in Germany on April 13, 2023
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Abwicklung perfekt...!
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John Hopper
5.0 out of 5 stars moving, gripping and matter of fact account
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 17, 2022
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This is the gripping, dramatic, grim and thought-provoking account of a group of young Uruguayan rugby players and their family and friends stranded in the snow capped Andes after their plane crashed when the pilot misjudged his location and wrecked his aircraft one day in October 1972. A number of passengers and crew perished in the crash itself or died of their injuries shortly thereafter. Even so there were some 29 survivors at this point of the original 45 passengers and crew. The survivors had very little food to share among them while waiting to be rescued, and soon they faced the inevitability of death .....until they took the shocking but necessarily life-saving step of eating the bodies of their dead friends and fellow passengers and crew. The account of these events is very detailed and entirely matter of fact and unsensationalised. It would be easy to be appalled and disgusted by this, but without this recourse, there have been no eventual survivors at all. In the end, after the deaths of 8 in an avalanche, and a further few from a combination of injuries and malnutrition, 16 of the boys eventually made it, after two of them managed to find a way out of the barren area where they were stranded by scaling a mountain, and raised the alarm. This is a great and almost spiritual account of reportage, written only two years after the events from the accounts of the survivors.
2 people found this helpful
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