• We Die Alone

  • A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance
  • By: David Howarth
  • Narrated by: Stuart Langton
  • Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (994 ratings)

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We Die Alone  By  cover art

We Die Alone

By: David Howarth
Narrated by: Stuart Langton
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Publisher's summary

One of the most enthralling true adventure stories ever written, We Die Alone, set in Nazi-occupied Norway in 1943, is an epic tale of survival against staggering odds.

It begins with an ambushed commando raid that leaves all but one of the expatriate resistance fighters dead or captured. Though wounded, Jan Baalsrud, the sole survivor, takes off on a courageous, incredible trek into the wilds of the Lyngen Alps, while the Nazis pursue him relentlessly. He suffers frostbite, snowblindness, and a terrible fall in an avalanche. At last, delirious and near death, he chances on to a cabin, where the first in a series of remarkably brave and clever men and women come to his aid. These "ordinary heroes" will eventually get the crippled Baalsrud to safety and freedom, and the amazing story of how they do it will fill listeners with wonder at the capability of the human spirit.

©1955 David Howarth (P)2001 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic reviews

"Awe-inspiring....Stuart Langton's narration is an apt fit. His delivery is as spare as the text and every bit as intriguing. His voice has a force of delivery that makes this exciting and unbelievable tale one that the listener will want to hear in one sitting." ( AudioFile)
"Almost unbelievable. We Die Alone is a spine chiller. It may well become a legend." ( Boston Post)
"One of the most remarkable survival stories ever written." ( Library Journal)

What listeners say about We Die Alone

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Terrific story.

Somewhere I was recommended this story as a good read. Since I am a fan of real-life survival stories that included “The Long Walk”, “Unbroken”, and “Lost in Shangri-La”, this book seemed a real good choice. I was not disappointed at all as this is an extremely harrowing and arduous tale with an ultimate happy ending. Man has an incredible will to live through the most harrowing of experiences and this is a tale of the extreme in every sense. Also, this is a story of Norway in WWII in which only small fragments of information exist. This adds to the allure of this incredible story.

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6 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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Interesting

Narration improved as the book progressed but quite irritating in the first few chapters. Heroic story

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent!

Amazing story, well documented, well written and well read! Just wowed at the grit and determination that Jan showed throw his ordeal. Inspiring and educational read, in regards to what real “survival situations” look like. Bear Grylls is a hoax. Jan Baalsrud is epic!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Incredible courage and perseverance.

A Norwegian story of courage and perseverance of a Commando and Patriots who defied their oppressors demonstrating an extraordinary will to live and deliver freedom.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story!!!

This is an amazing story and performance - I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in World War III history or survival stories. I heard of this story before, and it was really great to hear the full story in depth.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great survival against all odds true story!

A biography of Jan Baalsrud. Jan was a Norwegian who was a British trained commando in WWII. A group of 10 left the Shetlands and landed in Norway to disrupt the Nazi's who had entrenched themselves. Jan's group was betrayed and he was the only survivor. Through amputating his own toes and suffering the interminable cold, he finally was taken by charitable Sami (Northern Scandinavians), who were fired at, across Finland into Sweden. He found the Norwegians very gracious and they helped him even though to do so put themselves and their families in peril. A great survival against all odds story

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

An unbelievable journey

This book was recommended to me by another American I ran into during my trip to Norway. It is an incredible story of survival - the will to live, the risks taken by those determined to help, and just simply luck. Knowing this was not fiction, but a real person's journey, made it all the more amazing to me. The author tells it like it is - without being sensational or boastful - so feels little more like a documentary.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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An inspiring story of incredible courage!

What other book might you compare We Die Alone to and why?

Id compare this with The Longest Walk, and The Endurance. Both detail the incredible limits of human endurance under extreme circumstance for survival.

Any additional comments?

Having been through hardships of my own, stories like these are very encouraging and inspiring. You can never give up on hope. Thoroughly enjoyed this book!

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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an epic tale of one man's unwillingness to die

great narrator
the drama makes it seem like a fiction thriller, but this all actually happened, it's crazy

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Unbelievable what a man can edure

just when you think it can't get worse...it dies...again and again...and again.
starts a bit slow but hang in there! very interesting!

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