The Long Walk

The True Story of a Trek to Freedom

By: Slavomir Rawicz

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Twenty-six-year-old cavalry officer Slavomir Rawicz was captured by the Red Army in 1939 during the German-Soviet partition of Poland and sent to the Siberian Gulag. In the spring of 1941, he escaped with six of his fellow prisoners, including one American. Thus began their astonishing trek to freedom.

With no map or compass but only an ax head, a homemade knife, and a week's supply of food, the compatriots spent a year making their way on foot to British India, through 4,000 miles of the most forbidding terrain on earth. They braved the Himalayas, the desolate Siberian tundra, icy rivers, and the great Gobi Desert, always a hair's breadth from death. Finally arriving, Rawicz reenlisted in the Polish army to fight the Germans.

©2006 Slavomir Rawicz (P)2006 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

• Nominee, 2008 Audie Award, Solo Narration - Male

"Positively Homeric." (London Times)
"One of the most amazing, heroic stories of this or any other time." (Chicago Tribune)
"It is a book filled with the spirit of human dignity and the courage of men seeking freedom." (Los Angeles Times)

One of the great stories of human endurance

Excellent rendition of one of my 2 favorite books. What an incredible but true account, brilliantly conveyed.

awesome

Inspiring testament to human resolve and endurance. Written simply, honestly, with humility despite the amazing courage and kindness shown throughout.

Amazing

I want to hear more, what happened when he went to the Middle East. Quit possibly the greatest journey ever!

Fantastic and amazing story!

This book kept me riveted. It told of the courage and perseverance of the human spirit under extreme physical and emotional conditions. It is very hard to imagine how those men made it 4,000 miles with no real equipment, no decent clothing and very little food or water for long parts of the journey. The desire for freedom from tyranny and the love they shared between them kept them going and alive!

unbelievable tension

I could not wait to get back in my car and resume listening to this title. If you enjoy non-fiction and history; this is the title for you! How the characters survived their tremendous journey had me yelling at my mp3!! Don't miss it.

Adventure story

From being tortured by the communists, surviving prison camp in Siberia, and then escaping with 6 prisoners who walked from Siberia through Tibet and onto India, this was an incredible story. The adventure and pace never slackens and it reads like fiction. I know that some people question the veracity of the book, but with the level of detail given, I can’t believe that any of it was made up. This is worth your time for the story’s sake, but truthfully I never really got that attached to the characters.

Fantastic story, beautifully read

Fantastic story, beautifully read. A tribute to human fortitude, endurance and brotherhood. I will remember this tale for a long time

Great story

I loved it all until the end, just a sudden stop. No anything-just The End. Don’t expect to know about what happens to any of the the participants after reaching their objective- it just ends. Period.

Excellent audiobook!

Excellent true story of human survival, endurance, friendship, courage, and love. Makes me more thankful and accepting of my own life's circumstances. Freedom is something we should never take for granted. I fell in love with the characters in the story and felt their terrible plight.

Perseverance in action

Any additional comments?

I have seen the movie a few times, so I was very interested in reading the book. It did not disappoint. Great narration too.