Customer Reviews

Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home (Random House Large Print)

5 star:		(129)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Piers Paul Read wrote the great book Alive and after an excellent movie it could be thought there was little more left to the actual story. Wrong. Nando Parrado adds much much more to this survival story and doesn't re-tell like Read but lets you know what happened to him and his emotions on the mountain. This is a great companion to the classic book. Most (myself included) wanted to be Nando - he was strong, and saved his friends through unreal internal fortitude - he's a genuine hero. His is one of the most compelling survival stories in recorded history and this is a worthy memoir.

Where Read lets you know what happened Parrado lets you know the why's and how's they survived - the real heart of this story. He let's the reader know in more detail the miserable existence on the mountain. When you read his thought "tears waste salt" it might sound cold hearted but it was the RIGHT thought and you begin to understand his inner strength. His thoughts about his family are touching, his feelings about his great father are insightful - what a fortunate son, what a fortunate father. Without his father the disappearance of the plane would remain a mystery.

In an interview Roberto Canessa once said the survivors know each other better than anyone. I really didn't understand that until reading this book. Parrado also sheds light on some negative depictions of survivors in Read's book and it helps the reader understand their actions. I also enjoyed reading what happened to Parrado after the incident and how the words and behavior of his friends who died on the mountain has influenced him. It took Parrado a long time to realize how inspirational his story is and it's great he's written his story. Make no mistake; this story is not about cannibalism, it is about love, survival and determination. I'm a better person for having read this book.

This is one of the most remarkable books I've ever read - just an incredible story and told with perfect pacing. I started reading the book on a plane of all places and then finished it the first night at 4:00 in the morning. You won't be able to put it down - even though you'll know the ending.

The story truly puts our small problems in perspective and gives the reader an apprecition for the human spirit at it's most tested.

Now I just want to find someway to hear Nando Parrado speak in person.

As a youngster, I heard bits and pieces of this story--an Andes plane crash; a rugby team; cannibalism; heroism and terror. When I saw that a new, more personal account was being released, I knew I would have to read it, to experience the horror and amazement that my own father felt in the generation before me.

"Miracle in the Andes" is a superbly written book. A prologue hints at much greater trouble to come with a brief description of the plane crash's aftermath. Then, with building, unrelenting drama, the story follows the chronological path of the ordeal. As a reader, I was awed by the grandeur and beauty of the Andes, then frightened by their rapid weather changes and malevolent moods. I related to different individuals' reactions--and lack thereof--to the trials they endured. At certain points, I laughed. Or shook my head. Or took a deep breath and moved on. By the end, I was moved to tears by Nando's final poignancies and his reunion with his father.

Like "Into Thin Air" and "Endurance," this book has all the qualities of fantastic non-fiction, mixing detail and human drama without melodrama. It provides tasteful photos and clear maps for clarity. Going beyond even the soul-searching of "Touching the Void," "Miracle in the Andes" moves forward with unflinching honesty and believable introspection. It's an account of challenge and encouragement to each of us as we go through trials that life throws our way. With his talented co-writer, Nando peels back the layers of his memory and emotion to glean from his experience and then to pass on that learning to others. The passage of time not only lends weight to his words, it lends a humility and grace.

I read the book "Alive" years ago and also saw the movie. In all the years hence, though I have read many books on survival and inspiration, nothing resonates like this story. For me, it is the most incredible tale of a terrifying journey through the worst human misery, death and despair to the ultimate in courage, friendship and sheer determination to reclaim life. And Mr. Parrado has to me always been at the center of the story; to my family he is so inspiring that "NANDO" is our code word for never giving up and having courage when faced with the worst you can imagine.
I was delighted to see that Nando Parrado wrote this book and reading it only confirmed to me how extraordinary a spirit he is - and how heartrending the ordeal all the souls on that plane endured. This book offers a deeper picture of the tragedy, giving an unvarnished look at the suffering and emotions of the people involved in the crash, as well as a firsthand account of the "miracle" of how they rescued themselves.
You can view this book as an incredible story of survival, a true guide for facing adversity with bravery and will, or an inspiring revelation on living life to the fullest - it is all of these. Nando Parrado says he is not a hero, but his spirit and story are transcendant, compelling, wonderful. Don't miss it.

Although the stories of the rugby players who crash landed in the Andes and survived there for months is well known, especially as told by Alive. In this book, a survivor tells the story from his perspective. This book makes you really believe the saying that truth is stranger than fiction. I would find it hard to believe that a charter plain could crash land in the Andes (after coming apart in mid-air), have over half those on board survive (but not the plane's crew), that these remaining mostly young men could survive for 72 days in the freezing temperatures with just snow to drink and flesh to eat, and that two men could attempt a ten-day journey through the Andes. But it happened, and this is the story as told by one of the two men who went in search of rescue.

Quote: "Nando, I want you to remember, even in this place, our lives have meaning. Our suffering is not for nothing. Even if we are trapped here forever, we can love our families, and God, and each other as long as we live. Even in this place, our lives are worth living."

I thought this book was amazing- sad, though-provoking, suspenseful, I couldn't put it down. The author makes it clear that he is telling his own story, not just the facts of what happened, but also his feelings and internal conflict during that time. He does not sensationalize the story (which he felt the media did)- instead of dwelling on grisly facts for shock value, he mentions them, that the survivors did what they had to do, and moves on. what the media considers most important in the story and what he believes people should take from it are very different things.

Piers Paul Read's classic, Alive, introduced the world to the tragedy that befell the Old Christians rugby team when their chartered plane crashed in the Andes Mountains. Nando Parrado follows up, over 20 years later, with what should be another classic. Miracle in the Andes is Parrado's first-hand account of what happened, how he and his teammates survived while waiting for help that would never come, how he and Roberto Canessa struggled mightily over mountain passes in subzero weather to find help, and how the experience has affected every moment of his life for the better.

While Read's account is in no way diminished and remains a classic, Parrado adds a depth to the story that only an actual survivor can provide. Only he can fully convey the emotions of knowing his mother and sister were killed in the crash, and that his father back home didn't know that he was struggling to survive. Only he can convey the emotions and the difficult choices the survivors faced. Only he can convey how his life was changed. Parrado succeeds on all levels.

This is not simply a rehash of Read's book. It comes from a unique point of view that is compelling and inspirational. It adds a new dimension to the story and addresses many issues that Read did not and could not. This is a story written by a true hero. It is timeless, and that is why, almost 25 years after the tragedy, it still resonates with so many people.

This is without a doubt one of the greatest survival stories ever told. If you have an interest in truly inspirational stories of survival, such as Joe Simpson (Touching the Void), Aaron Ralston (Rock and a Hard Place), then this is a story that you MUST read. This is a first hand account of the survival of the Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the middle of the Andes mountains in South America in 1972. Though the book 'Alive! was written in 1974 by Piers Paul Read and documented the story from extensive interviews, this book is an autobiographical account written by Nando Parrado (one of the men who managed to climb out to get help), and not only describes the unbelievable hardship the survivors of the plane crash had to endure for 72 days, but also gives an amazing insight into the faith and courage that human beings can find in adversity. Most people are familiar with the story, which is notorious for the consumption of their dead counterparts bodies, however Parrado's account is so much more than just this aspect of the survival. He takes the reader inside a situation that is so disastrous it defies belief, but by a combination of incredible camaraderie and faith in each other, and the way they adapt to their desolate surroundings, a small number hang on despite the horrendous adversity. Parrado also describes in detail the aftermath of the survival and how he coped with getting back to reality and getting on with his life - which is a story in itself - as well as describing the unshakeable bond between the survivors and how they meet up each year on the the rescue anniversary.
There are too many awe inspiring moments to champion this novel, the survivors cheated death every day for 72 days, but Nando's descriptions of how he maintained the will to live are the recurring theme. I read this book in one sitting as have waited a long time to get a first hand account of the saga and was not disappointed. You cannot help but want to tell everyone you know about the story like me. This book can change your life as you realise how fragile human existence is and what the human spirit is capable of. Live every moment, don't waste a breath.

This story, already known by many readers, will never get old because the type of heroism depicted here by Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa is so unusual that it was truly astounding that ANY human being was capable of successfully doing it. You will cry when families are reunited. You will shiver in the cold of the Andes. You will breathe more shallowly as the avalanche hardens over your body. You will suffer when survivors of the crash die on the mountain of other causes. You will understand when the victims discuss whether to die by starvation or by the pervasive cold. But, it is such an uplifting story that everyone should read it. The author, Vince Rouse, was supremely successful in not being a part of the story. He simply disappears from view as the ghost writer, but his words are powerful, accurate, and hard to improve on. It is a shame that five stars is the maximum rating. This book deserves eight of them, and I am not prone to using hyperbole.

And this is his story.

Those who couldn't stomach the graphic descriptions of cannibalism in "Alive" could handle this; Parrado doesn't go into much detail but simply describes what they all had to do. That ANYONE survived that long under such adverse conditions was amazing in itself, and his description of how he and Roberto Canessa walked out of the mountains almost sounds like an Everest expedition....without the most basic supplies.

One might have expected the survivors to succumb to suicide, multiple divorces, drug and alcohol abuse, etc. but that doesn't seem to have been the case. Parrado and another survivor had to do an "intervention" on a third survivor, but who knows? He might have been prone to addiction anyway. All 16 men still live in Uruguay or the region, and get together at least once a year. They have been through something together that only they understand.

It's a love story - a story of love for family and friends, and his understanding of God.

Read this book!

After reading an excerpt of the book in a outdoors magazine, I knew I had to buy and read this entire book. I am not a frequent reader, and I feared that I would end up buying this and not finishing it as I so often do. But I knew just a few pages into the book that I would finish it. I had too many questions that I knew would be answered if I finished it. The only real certain part(having never seen the movie 'Alive!') was that Nando would make it out, since he wrote the book. But past that, I had no idea who would and wouldnt survive and the series of events about to unfold.

I was absolutely riveted. As said in other reviews, I couldnt put it down. There never seemed to be a good stopping point, Because you always wondered what the next step would bring.

Its an amazing story, but not just of survival and the human will to live, But of one mans struggle with the meaning of life and the acceptance of death, and his own discovery that the opposite of death is Love. Remarkable on every account, great detail without being pointlessly gruesome.

I recommend this book to any reader of just about any age 13 and up, or somewhere near there. The only concern would be language.

My only disappointment was the details AFTER escape. There was a nice summary of Nando's life as a whole, but very little about the crash site, what was removed, what was left, What is in the pile of debris that makes up the memorial on the mountain, whether or not the survivors left behind during his 10 day hike DID have to rely on their 'last resort' (discussed the moment he left on his final hike, I wont spoil it for would be readers). I also would have liked a more definitive time-line to help make it easier to follow. Perhaps a full break down at the end of the book of the intial crash and who was lost immediately, and then each person and on which day (or a close estimate) of when they died., more detailed layouts of the landscape and the crash sequence, and perhaps mopre photographs printed that were taken with the instamatic camera they found. And do any items exist today? Such as the sunglasses made from plane visors and copper wire and things of that nature.

But all in all, These are small details that dont detract from the book overall. I give it a strong 5 stars, and will probably read it again to catch any small details I may have missed. Truly amazing in every way.