Lost in Shangri-La

A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II

By: Mitchell Zuckoff

Narrated by: Mitchell Zuckoff

Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

On May 13, 1945, 24 American servicemen and WACs boarded a transport plane for a sightseeing trip over “Shangri-La,” a beautiful and mysterious valley deep within the jungle-covered mountains of Dutch New Guinea .Unlike the peaceful Tibetan monks of James Hilton’s best-selling novel Lost Horizon, , this Shangri-La was home to spear-carrying tribesmen, warriors rumored to be cannibals.

But the pleasure tour became an unforgettable battle for survival when the plane crashed. Miraculously, three passengers pulled through. Margaret Hastings, barefoot and burned, had no choice but to wear her dead best friend’s shoes. John McCollom, grieving the death of his twin brother also aboard the plane, masked his grief with stoicism. Kenneth Decker, too, was severely burned and suffered a gaping head wound.

Emotionally devastated, badly injured, and vulnerable to the hidden dangers of the jungle, the trio faced certain death unless they left the crash site. Caught between man-eating headhunters and enemy Japanese, the wounded passengers endured a harrowing hike down the mountainside - a journey into the unknown that would lead them straight into a primitive tribe of superstitious natives who had never before seen a white man - or woman.

Drawn from interviews, declassified U.S. Army documents, personal photos and mementos, a survivor’s diary, a rescuer’s journal, and original film footage, Lost in Shangri-La recounts this incredible true-life adventure for the first time. Mitchell Zuckoff reveals how the determined trio - dehydrated, sick, and in pain - traversed the dense jungle to find help; how a brave band of paratroopers risked their own lives to save the survivors; and how a cowboy colonel attempted a previously untested rescue mission to get them out.

By trekking into the New Guinea jungle, visiting remote villages, and rediscovering the crash site, Zuckoff also captures the contemporary natives’ remembrances of the long-ago day when strange creatures fell from the sky. A riveting work of narrative nonfiction that vividly brings to life an odyssey at times terrifying, enlightening, and comic, Lost in Shangri-La is a thrill ride from beginning to end.

©2011 Mitchell Zuckoff (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers

Very Exciting

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, Nice little piece of history

What did you like best about this story?

The detail of the people and events

What about Mitchell Zuckoff’s performance did you like?

He made you feel like you were there

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The real life

Very interesting

The author narrates and does an excellent job. There are quite a few unpronounceable names in the book of the natives of New Guinea, and either the author did an excellent job pronouncing them, or he was very consistent and self-assured in his mis-pronunciation, because it sounded flawless.

Good story of survival in the jungle and a "failure is not an option" type of rescue that had never been done before.

Very well done.

Heroic

well narrated but little known story of bravery and heroism. I particularly enjoyed the knowlegde that WWII soldier stories weren't always about killing an enemy.
People learning others' cultures and cooperating for the greater good always makes a great story.

Lost in Shangri-La

Mitchell Zuckoff did an good job in researching the story and staying true to the information in the writing of it. It was great to read about women (WAC) in the war and that they were on the plane and one survived the crash. The story of survival in the jungle, wounded revealed the toughness of each individual involved. The news reporters apparently provided a great deal of research information. Enjoyed that he interviewed some of the natives 60 years after the event to get their insight of the event. I did note that many of the people involved in the event died young after the war.

This is a Wow! story, and a true one.

Where does Lost in Shangri-La rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This tale ranks in the top 10% of the stories I have listened to over the past 2 years. Three of 24 souls survive the crash of of a C-47 sight-seeing moral-boosting flight in the fastness of Dutch New Guinea. The pilots discovered a high-altitude mountain lush 40-mile valley, inhibited by primitive but friendly (to them) natives. Survivors were stranded for 7 weeks, with nowhere for a plane to land, no trails or roads. How did they get out you ask? You won't believe it, but with Gliders! No kidding...

What other book might you compare Lost in Shangri-La to and why?

Unbroken, a WWII story of survival.

Which character – as performed by Mitchell Zuckoff – was your favorite?

The WAC Corporal and the Parachute Battalian Captain

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, just fascinated...

Any additional comments?

Would make a great movie today... Nicole Kidman could play the corporal

Can I give this 3 1/2 stars? Good...not great.

The thing that fascinates me most about history is that it contains so much....history. There are nooks and crannies in the world that contain the most fascinating stories, and I have to imagine that most of the best ones will go undiscovered for eternity. In their place, we still have a treasure trove of the most harrowing, enlightening, exciting, and sad stories that we could ever dream up. World War 2 seems to be a breeding ground for these stories, and Lost in Shangri-La reveals another tiny corner of these nooks and crannies.

Mitchell Zuckoff writes a good story about an interesting event. The survival, heroism, and bravery on display here are unquestionable. That a rescue mission was carried out in this extremely remote and dangerous place is a testament to the honor of our soldiers in WW2. Unfortunately, I couldn't shake the feeling that this really was a story about some people on a joy ride who made a mistake. Because of that mistake, many people died, and many others were put into harms way. It is a story worth telling not because of the bravery of those who avoided death in the initial crash, but rather because of those who cleaned up the mess afterwards.

And I know that sounds awfully harsh. Mitchell Zuckoff does a great job of extracting every detail out of the event and relaying those details to us in a fine manner. I have no particular quibbles with the way that this was done, other than those mentioned earlier. I think his narration is fine, and the story he tells feels complete -- it feels like we understand the backstory well, the events that occurred, and how it impacted both the valley, its native inhabitants, and those that got out alive. In the end, though, I can't shake this feeling that it isn't quite enough to convince me that I should evangelize this story and book to others.

Instead, I'll say that it is better than average, probably almost very good, but nothing more than that.

The Triumph of the Human Spirit

Where does Lost in Shangri-La rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Lost in Shangri-La is one of best audiobooks I've listened to.

What did you like best about this story?

Mitchell Zuckoff did a beautiful job of getting us to know the characters. He let us know where they came from and what kind of people they were before the crash. Then he painted a picture of the strength and bravery of the survivors, as well as a very human description of the natives and rescuers.

Have you listened to any of Mitchell Zuckoff’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Havent' heard others.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were many powerful moments, but the compassion of the medics as they dressed the horrendous wounds of the survivors was particularly moving.

Any additional comments?

This book helps us realize what the human spirit is capable of.

A sleeper hit!

I put off listening to this book due to a couple reviews that gave mediocre ratings. What a mistake! Lost in Shangri-La is a wonderfully researched and beautifully written about one of the more interesting "silent missions" at the end of the Second World War. Zuckoff makes an engaging narrator to his novel, neither becoming monotone or annoying during the read. With a true newspaperman's approach to the endeavor, Zuckoff delves into the history and development of his characters aboard the ill-fated C-47, the Gremlin Special, their hardships and a survival story worthy of a movie. The meeting of cultures of the natives of a remote Dutch New Guinea valley and the 20th Century warriors who stumble into their midst is just a flat out four-star recipe for an interesting tale. Enjoyable especially to anyone with an interest of the Second World War in the Pacific, this is a fine use of a credit.

Amazing!

One of the best books I’ve read/listened to in a long while. Loved the reader as well

Great for WWII History Buffs

Very interesting story. I'm no history buff, but do find stories of WWII intriguing. I'm older, and remember the war news reports and news reels, and had two uncles in the war. The idea of unknown places and people, in their own little world, with no knowledge of the war going on in the rest of the world is facinating and worth learning about from the people who actually experiencied this Shangri-La personally. Also liked the story of the way a few people survived a plane crash in the unknown land and learned the ways of the people of this place. Not the most exciting book I've ever experienced, but definitely worth the listen.