|
| Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home | 
| Authors: Nando Parrado, Vince Rause
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Category: Book
List Price: $13.95
Buy Used: $2.87
You Save: $11.08 (79%)
New (34) Collectible (1) from $4.22
Avg. Customer Rating:  100 reviews
Sales Rank: 13660
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.9
ISBN: 140009769X
Dewey Decimal Number: 982.6
EAN: 9781400097692
ASIN: 140009769X
Publication Date: May 15, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
In the first hours there was nothing, no fear or sadness, just a black and perfect silence.
Nando Parrado was unconscious for three days before he woke to discover that the plane carrying his rugby team, as well as their family members and supporters, to an exhibition game in Chile had crashed somewhere deep in the Andes. He soon learned that many were dead or dying—among them his own mother and sister. Those who remained were stranded on a lifeless glacier at nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, with no supplies and no means of summoning help. They struggled to endure freezing temperatures, deadly avalanches, and then the devastating news that the search for them had been called off.
As time passed and Nando’s thoughts turned increasingly to his father, who he knew must be consumed with grief, Nando resolved that he must get home or die trying. He would challenge the Andes, even though he was certain the effort would kill him, telling himself that even if he failed he would die that much closer to his father. It was a desperate decision, but it was also his only chance. So Nando, an ordinary young man with no disposition for leadership or heroism, led an expedition up the treacherous slopes of a snow-capped mountain and across forty-five miles of frozen wilderness in an attempt to find help.
Thirty years after the disaster Nando tells his story with remarkable candor and depth of feeling. Miracle in the Andes—a first person account of the crash and its aftermath—is more than a riveting tale of true-life adventure: it is a revealing look at life at the edge of death and a meditation on the limitless redemptive power of love.
From the Hardcover edition.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 95 more reviews...
Simply inspiring September 9, 2008
If you think you have it tough, pick up Miracles in the Andes. It is simply one of the most inspiring books you will ever read. It moves along very quickly. And as good as Alive is, Miracle in the Andes is even more enjoyable and enlightening because it reaches into one man's mind and heart in exploring those hard-to-define characteristics that some people have in survival situations. That said, you don't have to be a fan of the survivor-story genre to enjoy this book -- just a fan of life itself.
A Five Star Book September 7, 2008
If you like survivor stories, this is one of the best ever written. Even though I read "Alive" many years ago, this book brought new and detailed descriptions from, in my opinion, the person who practically single-handedly saved the rest of the team who hadn't perished after two-plus months on the mountain. Parrado's writing is superb. Since the plane crash happened over 30 years ago, he brings great insight and introspection and detailed updates on his fellow teammates and their accomplishments in the intervening years.
 "Miracle" in the Andes August 30, 2008
I just finished reading Piers Paul Read's Alive (1974) a few days ago, and so fresh with names, maps and time lines, I had high hopes `Miracles in the Andes` would add a new dimension to this amazing story. Unfortunately I was somewhat disappointed, all the more so given the generally good reviews `Miracle` has been getting. It is perhaps inevitable in the shadow of Read's classic masterpiece that anything else will pale in comparison. The re-telling of events from Parrado's perspective is interesting but misses a lot - for example he was in a coma the first three days of the accident - and he doesn't seem to add much that is new to Read's version - which almost without exception is better told.
Beyond a retelling of the events, I had hoped Parrado would reveal something new about himself and the other survivors, but instead if often read like hagiography, glossing over the differences among the group to show them as united friends, discounting and minimizing character defects. It reminds me of how the Catholic Church writes history of saints, and it is probably no coincidence that the survivors were from Catholic backgrounds, and saints in the minds of true believers who saw the hand of God at work in this "Miracle in the Andres". I was hoping for a more in depth psychological examination of the survivors, a sort of personality x-ray to bring them to life, to intimately know them as friend or brother. Instead there is a polite respectful distance, which is frustrating, given the intimate nature of the experience.
Despite these sentiments I still recommend the book to anyone who has read `Alive`. Parrado's inner struggle with life and death - while not exactly original or new - is profound and worth the reminder of what is important. There are also new pictures, and an Epilogue with brief bio's of what happened to the survivors after the rescue to the present day. Whatever the faults, as the men age, and the myth grows, more books and films will appear to hopefully peel back more layers behind the "Miracle" in the Andres.
Inspiring Read August 29, 2008
I finished this book last night and was touched many times by the insight and humility of the author's story. This book contains sobering lessons of how powerless we are against the forces of nature, as well as the honest questioning of a God who would allow these things to happen. The conclusions the author comes to, after 30 years of soul-searching, are courageous and down-to-earth.
The author's loyalty to his friends and fellow survivors is also admirable, as well as his loyalty to the memory of the ones who didn't survive. He seems to have taken away big lessons from his ordeal, which is all we can ask of ourselves when something of this tragic magnitude happens.
NANDO IS AN EXTRAORDINARY PERSON. July 17, 2008
When I first read this book it took me back to Alive by Piers Paul Read & I remembered how special Nando was in the story. I was madly in love with Nando for his common sense and bravery. I still have that original book. Finding Miracle in the Andes was a special surprise because it's HIS story of it all. It is such a good book that I know I'll keep this one forever too, and read it over and over. I read Alive several times and I intend to go back and read it all over again too now. It touches your heart. I was so sad about Susie. Nando's mom too of course, but Susie seemed special to me. It's not surprising that Nando has become a huge success. His wife and daughters are beautiful, as he is. His life has shown that he's an extraordinary person.
Barbara,
Ukiah, CA
|
|
|
Wildlife, nature and the Environment
Sponsored Links
Learn how to get your own Amazon Book shop | |
