American Wasteland

By: Nick Cole

Narrated by: Nick Cole

Length: 21 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's Summary

Forty years after the destruction of civilization...man is reduced to salvaging the ruins of a broken world. One man’s most prized possession is an ancient novel. With the words of the classic echoing across the wasteland, the survivor of the nuclear holocaust journeys into the unknown to break a curse. What follows is an incredible tale of survival and endurance. 

One man must survive the desert wilderness and mankind gone savage to live the classic struggle of man versus nature. Part Hemingway, part Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, a suspenseful odyssey into the dark heart of the post-apocalyptic American southwest.

©2011, 2019 by Nick Cole (The Old Man and the Wasteland); 2013, 2019 by Nick Cole (The Savage Boy and The Road is a River) (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

Story and narration blew me away.

I listen to a lot of audio books - more than 100 per year. I almost never submit reviews, but I felt compelled to on this book because an earlier review had some harsh criticism for the story and narration. I saw that review, but because I am a fan of dystopian works, and because I have been looking for some new perspectives in this genre, I was willing to give this guy a shot. I thought, "Maybe it will be like Joe Nobody's first editions, and I am willing to tolerate that to support a new author."
I cannot express how pleasantly surprised I was. Nick Cole totally blew my expectations out of the water. The story (3 novels and a short story) was different than any other dystopian novel I have read, and I thought the narration and production were amazing. Not only was it never a distraction, his adoption of various voices and accents was on par with the best narrators out there.
I loved the character development, the action, the suspense, the new take on how this nation might devolve to such a tough place, ... all of it. I laughed and cried and cringed and rooted for the good guys. This book (trilogy) touched me in ways that no other book has in years. Thanks Nick. Keep up the good work.

Well Done!

Having read the American Wasteland trilogy I was excited to see that Mr Cole was going to narrate his well wrought tale.
He did not disappoint!
Well done sir, your voice is exactly what was needed as I once again walked the hard baked, nuked out, monochromatic, post apocalyptic wastes of our American west with the Old Man and the Boy.
Congratulations and I hope I may hear you once again in the near future.

E

Fantastic!!

Truly a post-apocalyptic book series. I love the inner turmoil and the action that is constantly pushing the characters to great things.
An excellent read with a narration that makes the hours fly by and draws you in.

The best listen I've enjoyed in many years.

Superb in every way and resonated with me very much so. Don't pass this one up..,.listen to the entire story. Absolutely wonderfully absorbing.

Great post apocalypse story

As always Nick Cole delivers. The characters and their journey are wonderful. The journey is inspiring and heartbreaking at times. This is the first book I have heard Nick narrate and he does a great job. I can’t wait to hear him narrate more of his own books.

Hope in the midst of great tragedy...

a dystopian view that leads one to hope, for humanities goodness, strength, and future... the power of hope, the beginning of faith.

Nick Cole described the good and evil of humanity in a relatable way. With strong characterization and often internal dialog he walks us through the wastelands...

Just amazing.

The Old Man and the Wasteland.
This is an amazing story of well, an old man wandering a post apocalyptic America for Salvage. But with every step Is fraught with danger. The book flows like poetry. I listened to this one in a single sitting.
The Wild Boy.
This one focus’s on a character simply named Boy. Though Boy is a man his goals are quiet simple. Survive, and the delivery of a special message. And Boy will stop at nothing to complete his tasks. Then comes the ultimate question. What will become of this single minded man when his purpose becomes pointless? Once again the book follows with a grace I’ve seldom “seen”.
The Road is a River
This picks up with the Old Man again. This story once again has a fluid feeling that is almost surreal. It’s like watching Netflix (or pick something like that). While listening to this incredible journey, you aren’t just “reading” a book. You are part of it, and it’s one hell of a ride with an amazing conclusion. Congratulations Nick Cole. Perfect on all accounts.

Absolutely incredible. I couldn’t stop listening.

Amazing. If you’re looking for an adventure, this is it! This is the saga that made Nick Cole one of my favorite authors. Incredibly human. Tragically beautiful. Hopeful.

A masterpiece in storytelling

Nick Cole absolutely knocked it out of the park! If you've read any of Nick's work you already know that the story is excellent and the writing spellbinding. In this audiobook, he takes it a step further and shows us a supreme archetype of the wonder that can happen when an author narrates their own story. His passion for his tale pours out into it, and takes a simple audiobook and turns it into you and some grizzled and well met fellow traveler sitting around a campfire in the cold desert air outside Tucson as he tells you tales of what was, or is, or could one day be. Follow along as he tells you about an Old Man looking for redemption, a Savage Boy looking for himself, and a journey through the wasteland as good hearted people try to make the world just a little bit better than it is. I could not be more satisfied with the time spent listening.

Long and Engrossing.

In most cases when the author is also the narrator, its a questionable decision. in this case it works. if he is occasionally overly dramatic this is compensated by his intimacy with the material.

Comparisons with Cormac McCarthy's The Road are warranted, but "the Old Man" who headlines this narrative has a little more depth. This is a great choice for COVID reading imho.

The listener is immediately engrossed in a world some 40 years post nuclear war with little more to go on. Few remember the pre-war world but a strange optimism prevailed despite the bleak landscape. Long but worth the time.

Awesome

How is this not a movie yet? Fantastic plot, well executed, gripping, terrifying and hopeful. Loved it.

American wasteland

Very good story good narrative enjoyed it just goes to show what could happen in this crazy world