Epic Survival Stories

"Epic" is a mountaineering term that evokes a sense of treacherous disaster. The climb that went wrong: fighting blinding snowstorms and horrific avalanches; days spent tentbound running low on food, water, and oxygen; surviving broken bones and shattered spirits. This program offers a collection of the most memorable accounts of legend-making expeditions to the world's most famous peaks, often in the worst possible conditions.

“A lost world, man-eating tribesmen, lush andimpenetrable jungles, stranded American fliers (one of them a dame withgreat gams, for heaven's sake), a startling rescue mission. . . . This is atrue story made in heaven for a writer as talented as Mitchell Zuckoff. Whew—what an utterly...

A mountain girl in the early 1900’s copes with a marriage arranged by her dad. Her story is titled from an old saying “I own my land, heaven-high and hell-deep.” “Your pa gave his consent for us to marry,” he said the words as though it was a simple matter. It wasn’t a romantic proposal of love and devotion. It wasn’t a proposal at all. I opened my mouth but nothing came out. I tried again. “I don’t know your name,” I managed to say as I felt my chest constrict. There was a pain in me that started at my toes and went to the roots of my hair. Dad had come up with a ...

From Lisa Ann Verge, RITA-nominated author of romantic, adventurous, historical novels "An absorbing, exciting romantic adventure!" --RT Book Reviews "Lisa Ann Verge breathes fresh life into the romance genre." -- Affaire de Coeur Struggling to survive on the streets of Paris, Genevieve agrees to a dangerous masquerade: She switches places with a King’s Girl, a young noblewoman about to be shipped to the colonies. It’s a risky venture with a high price—once overseas, Genny must marry a stranger....

A widowed mountain girl copes with running her farm, getting another husband, and having children. Above all she strives to protect her mountain from land speculators. His hat was pulled low over his black hair and his shirt sleeves were rolled up almost to his elbows. His hands appeared strong and in control as he held the reins of his high stepping horse. He looked a little thinner than he used to be and a lot more tired. “What’s wrong?” he asked me fast. “You’ve got to go back to Banners Elk,” I told him, forgetting about supper. His eyes widened with concern. “Should you ...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The “entertaining [and] often-moving account” (The Wall Street Journal) of the remarkable POWs whose relentlessly creative attempts to escape a notorious Nazi prison embodied the spirit of resistance against fascism, from the author of The Spy and the Traitor...

In this gripping narrative history, Al Roker from NBC’s Today and the Weather Channel vividly examines the deadliest natural disaster in American history—a haunting and inspiring tale of tragedy, heroism, and resilience that is full of lessons for today’s new age of extreme weather. On the...

The Unfiltered Truth Behind Sailing’s Greatest Madness The Vendée Globe is not just a race—it is a solitary pilgrimage across the planet’s most hostile oceans, a test of endurance, ingenuity, and raw will. In The Epic Story of the Vendée Globe 2020–21, the drama of the world’s toughest sailing challenge unfolds in all its brutal beauty. The 2020-21 Vendée Globe was supposed to be just another edition of the world’s toughest solo yacht race. Instead, it became a white-knuckle psychodrama of shattered boats, broken minds, and the kind of raw human moments that get scrubbed from...

An old-fashioned quest by a modern-day adventurer. When A. J. Mackinnon quits his job in Australia, he knows only that he longs to travel to the well at the world’s end, a mysterious pool on a remote Scottish island whose waters, legend has it, hold the secret to eternal youth.

Alien Invasion - One human who will not be denied. One alien desperate to kill him Alien apocalyptic fiction, a hard fought survival journey with an unexpected romance. But keep the tissues handy… you’ll need them at the end. The alien apocalypse crashed his world to take human slaves. He was middle-aged, overweight and alone. The aliens didn’t care, they used their advanced technology to harvest human slaves for market. Any humans they couldn’t sell, they fed to their animals. And, people were being harvested by the millions. His hard survival quest started a tough march to safety ...

Six billion people are dead. More are dying. The Faerene Apocalypse isn’t over, but the seeds for a new beginning have to be planted, now. The future of Earth is that of a planet of many sentients: of the invading, magical Faerene and mundane, traumatized humanity. But a few, exceedingly rare humans do have magic. Amy Carlton is one of them. Forced to bond with the black griffin, Magistrate Istvan, and act as his familiar, Amy doesn’t understand the magic she possesses. Nor does she understand the Faerene society she is thrown into. She’ll have to learn fast because the cost of her ...

#1 New York Times bestseller! Frozen in Time is a gripping true story of survival, bravery, and honor in the vast Arctic wilderness during World War II, from the author of New York Times bestseller Lost in Shangri-La. On November 5, 1942, a US cargo plane slammed into the Greenland Ice Cap. Four...

In the early years of the 18th century, a band of French scientists set off on a daring, decade-long expedition to South America in a race to measure the precise shape of the earth. Like Lewis and Clark's exploration of the American West, their incredible mission revealed the mysteries of a little-known continent to a world hungry for discovery. Scaling 16,000-foot mountains in the Peruvian Andes, and braving jaguars, pumas, insects, and vampire bats in the jungle, the scientists barely completed their mission.

Twice-orphaned Sylvi has chipped out a niche for herself on Layce, an island cursed by eternal winter. Alone in her truck, she takes comfort in two things: the solitude of the roads and the favor of Winter, an icy spirit who has protected her since she was a child.

Early on in his life, Matt craved a return to nature. When he became an adult, he set aside his comfortable urban life and lived entirely off the land. In this riveting narrative that brings together epic adventure and spiritual quest, he shows us what extraordinary things the human body is capable of when pushed to its limits. He learns the secrets of the Tarahumara Indians, which help him run the 1,600-mile Pacific Crest Trail in just 58 days and endure temperature swings of 100 degrees.

This intimate true account of Americans at war follows theepic drama of an unlikely group of men forced to work together in the face of an increasingly desperate enemy during the final year of World War II. Sprawling across the Pacific, this untold story follows the crew of the newly-built...

All her life, Katherine Keith has hungered for remote, wild places that fill her soul with freedom and peace. Her travels take her across America, but it is in the vast and rugged landscape of Alaska that she finds her true home. Alaska is known as a place where people disappear - at least a couple thousand go missing each year. But the same vast and rugged landscape that contributed to so many people being lost is precisely what has gotten her found.

A Historical Fiction Book Set in Eastern Africa During the Late 19th Century"Englishmen in Africa" whisks readers away on a thrilling journey aboard a steamer ship, following protagonist Guy Tritt as he embarks from Aden, anticipating a direct journey to Zaila. In turn of events, Guy is rerouted to Berbera, home of the grand fair, and his course changes further when he falls into friendship with a dubious Portuguese trader, Manuel Torres. Adventure in BerberaTheir landing in Berbera situates them into a maelstrom of conflict and treachery. True to the spirit of historical fiction, the ...

He stole my freedom to save his honor. I’ll steal his heart to reclaim my future. Alexandra This is not how my story ends. I’m Alexandra Turner—Manhattan-born, Prada-bred, and impossible to break. Sure, my bank account might be empty, my credit cards maxed out, and now I’m abducted by some muscle-bound alien brute. He watches me like I’m his prize, but if he thinks I’ll play along, he’s delusional. Fine, he stole me. Big deal. I know how to survive, and I’m not above playing dirty to win. He’s all brawn and fury, but there’s something in his gaze that stirs me—a ...

Ancient secrets and modern conspiracies swirl around Amy and her griffin partner, Istvan. The inaugural South Eastern Magisterial Circuit is underway and as Amy accompanies Istvan on his magisterial duties, she faces hostility she hadn’t expected. The Faerene of Atlanta aren’t happy that a human has magic, even if Amy has sworn hers to Istvan. The wreckage of human civilisation is everywhere and the devastating apocalypse isn’t over yet, at least, not for humans. Amy’s loyalty is about to be tested.