Miracle in the Andes

72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home

By: Nando Parrado, Vince Rause

Narrated by: Arthur Morey

Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A harrowing, moving memoir of the 1972 plane crash that left its survivors stranded on a glacier in the Andes—and one man’s quest to lead them all home

“In straightforward, staggeringly honest prose, Nando Parrado tells us what it took—and what it actually felt like—to survive high in the Andes for seventy-two days after having been given up for dead.”—Jon Krakauer, author of Into the Wild

“In the first hours there was nothing, no fear or sadness, just a black and perfect silence.”

Nando Parrado was unconscious for three days before he woke to discover that the plane carrying his rugby team to Chile had crashed deep in the Andes, killing many of his teammates, his mother, and his sister. Stranded with the few remaining survivors on a lifeless glacier and thinking constantly of his father’s grief, Parrado resolved that he could not simply wait to die. So Parrado, an ordinary young man with no particular disposition for leadership or heroism, led an expedition up the treacherous slopes of a snowcapped mountain and across forty-five miles of frozen wilderness in an attempt to save his friends’ lives as well as his own.

Decades after the disaster, Parrado tells his story with remarkable candor and depth of feeling. Miracle in the Andes, a first-person account of the crash and its aftermath, is more than a riveting tale of true-life adventure; it is a revealing look at life at the edge of death and a meditation on the limitless redemptive power of love.

©2006 Nando Parrado (P)2006 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"Miracle in the Andes is an astonishing account of an unimaginable ordeal. In straightforward, staggeringly honest prose, Nando Parrado tells us what it took—and what it actually felt like—to survive high in the Andes for 72 days after having been given up for dead. If you pick this book up, you will not be able to put it down.” —Jon Krakauer, author of Under the Banner of Heaven, Into Thin Air, and Into the Wild

“Unlike the cloud that obscured the mountainside, there is no haze enshrouding the meaning of life for Nando Parrado. It was in the love for his father that Nando found the motivation to survive for over two months on a Chilean glacier. As he makes his unbelievable traverse of the Andes, Nando also demonstrates the depth of his courage, faith, and perseverance that help him later transform his losses into a source of inspiration for others. Connecting our struggles to his, we readers can use Nando as our beacon and see that there is a way out of our ‘own personal Andes.’” —Aron Ralston, author of Between a Rock and a Hard Place

“Miracle in the Andes is an extraordinary book. Everybody’s philosophical hypotheticals were Nando Parrado’s real life experiences. Would I survive an aircrash? Could I eat human flesh? Would a horrific and life-threatening event affect my religious beliefs? In the end, this account benefits enormously from the maturity that time allows. It is a beautifully written and moving story.” —Peter Hillary, author of In the Ghost Country: A Lifetime Spent on the Edge

Great story not so great aftermath

The survival and rescue parts were breathtaking and touching, but Nando's celebrity life and his philosophy left me bit empty.

The movie does injustice to this real life story

I had seen the movie Alive as a teen and never forgot the story, however after listening to this book and rewatching the movie it almost seems like a mockery. The real story is so much heavier than a 2 hour movie could ever convey. The book was so well written it is impossible not to put yourself there in the Andes with Nando and the others. I feel honored to have, what feels like such a front row seat to this account. I’m sure I am not alone in my thanks to Nando for sharing his story with the world after so many years.

Emotional account of survival in the Andes

I love this story. I have seen the movie Alive, read the book and now listened to Nando Parrado's book (one of the survivors) and this is the best of the three. This is a powerful story that provides the reader with perspective on their own life.

I have a lot to say

But I will just say this;
Thank you, Mr. Perrado. May you continue to live a full and blessed life.

Astonishing, captivating, moving.

Unimaginable circumstances, incredible will to survive, pure raw and emotional. A must read. My first review is this book. It was so moving that it will probably change how I live my life.

Breathtaking, Incredible, and Inspiring!

This was one of the best stories I have ever heard. At times I weeped my way through the book. It would be an honor to ever meet The survivors of this ordeal. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fantastic read. I really enjoyed the interview at the end as well!

Such a miracle

Well told, passionate and invigorating. What a real life story that was told with such pure love for his fellow passengers and for life in general.

Absolutely amazing, could not put down

The best part of this book compared to Alive is the take always Nando and the survivors have from this ordeal. It is an incredible story.

Sad and unique story

I really liked this story. It started off a little slow in beginning when he was talking about the backstory of the guys playing Rugby. After that though, it was a really good story going into the actual story. I liked that the author talked at the end during the epilogue and even the small interview after.
These people went through horrifying events and I’m really glad that the ones that survived were able to put this in the past and heal. The ending had a real positive message.

amazing story crappy narration

great story my only complaint is the narrators crappy pronunciation of Spanish words and phrases which I beleive it took away from the book, also his general pronunciation oh words with WH and in general, Nando would have done a better job narrating it even though he has a strong accent.