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

Gripping

My favorite kind of story-one that I don’t want to put down until I find out how it ends.

Excellent

The fact that these kids survived is incredible. They were so young and endured so much more than what people know. One lesson, Anyone can survive anything

Hard to stop listening

this was so interesting I had a hard time leaving the car whenever I reached my destination. great survival story!

Amazing story!

I couldn't stop listening to this harrowing tale of survival. Written by a person who lived the nightmare, Miracle in the Andes is a must for anyone enthralled with the mountains and the human spirit to conquer them.

Breathtaking... literally

I bought this book at a book signing after the Author spoke at a conference in Sweden. I was so moved by the story and was literally out of breath by the time he finished. That presentation was super condensed, but still amazing. I then actually got to sit on a plane next to him afterward, and was very impressed with him as a human being, just extraordinary. I couldn't wait to get into the book, and I loved it. It was quite difficult at several points. What these people went through is hard to even imagine, but I'm so glad I stayed with it. The rescue had me in tears. Clearly it wasn't a surprise, but it was so powerful after journeying through the story. Get it.

Please make the Audiobook in Spanish

Awesome inspiring story. Touches on many self-improvement matters. Very well written. Will teach you gratitude and life appreciation, no matter the circumstances.

well told, well read

Highest possible recommendation for this book. It's absolutely the best audiobook I have purchased. The author's reading of prologue and epilogue, and the interview at the end are icing on the cake.

a heart-wrenching drama which will change you.

this story is filled with life changing dilemmas, raw emotion, real situations with real consequences. I was very moved and inspired. on the edge of my seat as I listened to this story recounted in all of this detail. I am astonished buy Nando's feet of Escape. moved by his love for his father which motivated him throughout this ordeal. What a humble man.

Amazing Story of Human Survival

Nando describes the experience in great detail. im fascinated by this story and how they survived 72 days in the Andes!

So enticing, moving, and unbelievable

This was such a beautiful and inspiring read
✋️😭 Litered with encouragement to push through difficult challenges. Reminders about how each breath we take is precious, and the love we share is one of our most sacred tools

A jaw dropping survival story and I just ran through it. The reading is quite lovely and fitting. Most definitely reccomend!