Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea (Paperback)

~ (Author) "IT IS LATE at night..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Before The Perfect Storm, before In the Heart of the Sea, Steven Callahan"s dramatic tale of survival at sea was on the New York Times bestseller list for more than thirty-six weeks. In some ways the model for the new wave of adventure books, Adrift is an undeniable seafaring classic, a riveting firsthand account by the only man known to have survived more than a month alone at sea, fighting for his life in an inflatable raft after his small sloop capsized only six days out. "Utterly absorbing" (Newsweek), Adrift is a must-have for any adventure library.

From the Publisher

6 1.5-hour cassettes --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (October 17, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618257322
• ISBN-13: 978-0618257324
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,973 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #1 in	Books > Travel > Specialty Travel > Solo Travel
  #10 in	Books > Reference > Writing > Travel
  #10 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Travel > Adventure

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A revealing odyssey, May 13, 2007

By	Ken Kardash (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the fascinating story of a resourceful sailor who drifted in a life raft across the Atlantic Ocean. Unlike other adventurers who have chronicled solo transoceanic journeys (Joshua Slocum, Thor Heyerdahl, Alain Bombard, William Willis, etc.), his journey was unplanned. After the sudden sinking of his sailboat, he had to hurriedly abandon ship into an inflatable life raft with whatever supplies he could snatch. His seventy-six day ordeal takes place in this constantly leaking raft too small to accommodate his full body length. He knows from the outset that his food and water supplies are inadequate. His story of survival thus becomes not one of simple endurance, but a confrontation of many external and internal challenges ranging from securing food and water to dealing with isolation and despair. He meets these with remarkable ingenuity and determination. Forced into introspection that borders on the mystical at times, his reflections on how his mindset and personal characteristics responded to these challenges make for as fascinating an inner journey as the one his body endured. This is what separates this from most adventure stories, and why I think it will endure as a classic of the genre.

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Truly Scary Tale At Sea, July 14, 2003

By	Martin A Hogan "Marty From SF" (San Francisco, CA. (Hercules)) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Steven Callahan is a blessed man. This true story is one of the most harrowing accounts of survival in a truly hopeless situation. He capsizes in minutes in the middle of the night with a raft and not much more. Nobody knows he's missing. No one is looking for him.

Told with desperation and some much needed occasional humor, Callahan paints a story so real and frought with fear that you can read it in one sitting. It is difficult to imagine what one would do in a similiar situation and the very thought of it is spine tingling.

This is a tale for every person who ever took to the water and every adventurer who feels safe in thier environment. You will never take the ocean for granted again after reading this book.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great survival book!, August 27, 2003

By	AceAg82 "utuace82" (Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This book is an excellent ocean survival story that kept me throughly entertained from start to finish. Honestly I couldn't put the book down. This book will change the way you look at your life. After you finish reading it, you won't take the simple things in life for granted anymore. If you enjoy true life adventure and survival books, then I suggest you read this one, it's excellent.