Adrift

76 Days Lost at Sea

By: Steven Callahan

Narrated by: Steven Callahan

Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Before The Perfect Storm, before In the Heart of the Sea, Steven Callahan's Adrift chronicled one of the most astounding voyages of the century and one of the great sea adventures of all time. In some ways the model for the new wave of adventure books, Adrift is now an undeniable seafaring classic, a riveting firsthand account by the only man known to have survived for more than a month alone at sea, fighting for his life in an inflatable raft after his small sloop capsized only six days from port.

Racked by hunger, buffeted by storms, scorched by the tropical sun, Callahan drifted for 1,800 miles, fighting off sharks with a makeshift spear and watching as nine ships passed him by. "A real human drama that delves deeply into man's survival instincts (Library Journal), Adrift is a story of anguish and horror, of undying heroism, hope, and survival, and a must-read for any adventure lover.

©2002 Steven Callahan (P)2007 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"An utterly absorbing saga." ( Newsweek)

"Fascinating...a clearly written ocean yarn in which the stakes are high and a brave man wins through." (Wall Street Journal)

Incredible adventure

there are not that many stories of survival, and we’re fortunate to have this one. It blows my mind that the author survived.

Amazing True Story

Would you consider the audio edition of Adrift to be better than the print version?

I believe both versions would have been equally good but I enjoyed the Audio version

What other book might you compare Adrift to and why?

Life of Pi

Which scene was your favorite?

There were so many!!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Nope

fantastic story of survival

loved this book , so unbelievable but so easy to put myself there and follow along at sea. amazing story of survival, hope and strength. truly enjoyed this.

Good story but author can't pronounce "dorado"

This is an amateur narration by the author. The story is compelling enough that you can get over it. However it contains the word "dorado" in it hundreds of times. The author pronounces it "door-ay-doh" instead of "door-ah-doh."

I don't know how he could get this wrong. I mean, having no doubt told this story countless times to countless people, has nobody told him he's saying the fish's name wrong? How could this get past post-production with that word pronounced incorrectly so many times?

The rookie narration also made some of the more intense moments lose their flare. We could have had bigger payoffs if someone like Dick Hill or William Dufris read this story. Hubris by the author is what made him narrate this story himself, I imagine. Callahan states he was a fan of survival books previous to getting stranded on a life-raft in the Atlantic. He got his wish and I'm sure regretted it, having suffered a great deal.

All in all, the tale is compelling and certainly worth a listen. But somebody please tell this man how to pronounce "dorado."

a view of heaven from a seat in hell

I thoroughly enjoyed this selection. I especially enjoyed that the reading was done by the author. this is going to be my 1st book club selection for my Youtube channel

So Rad!

listened to this whole book with my 11-year-old! It was a wonderful family story! how amazing. how inspirational.

Engaging and inspiring

The story is well written and read. It holds your attention and keeps you hoping for rescue through every dilemma.

This is an excellent survival story!

The author wrote an excellent survival story based on his own incredible experience adrift at sea, and as the reader, delivered an impassioned and impressive audiobook!!! A survivalist, author and narrator all in the same person is a rare combination!! This really is a gem that should not be missed!!!

Loved this

Great survival story. I'd rank it up there pretty high with other ones I've read. It is much more of a struggle against his own will and endurance than it is true survival, at least that's the way the story is presented. He was constantly surrounded by food and while he seemed to dramatacize the water situations he seemed to always figure it out.

Best book and narration I have read in awhile

The narration was superb. The character is humble and has an inspiring and encouraging can-do spirit.
Best of all, for me, as an atheist, there is no flowery prose about god and the author acknowledges the skills, tools, and people that led to his rescue, rather than lavishing praise on some omnipotent deity.
A delight!