Lost in Shangri-La

A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II

By: Mitchell Zuckoff

Narrated by: Mitchell Zuckoff

Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

On May 13, 1945, 24 American servicemen and WACs boarded a transport plane for a sightseeing trip over “Shangri-La,” a beautiful and mysterious valley deep within the jungle-covered mountains of Dutch New Guinea .Unlike the peaceful Tibetan monks of James Hilton’s best-selling novel Lost Horizon, , this Shangri-La was home to spear-carrying tribesmen, warriors rumored to be cannibals.

But the pleasure tour became an unforgettable battle for survival when the plane crashed. Miraculously, three passengers pulled through. Margaret Hastings, barefoot and burned, had no choice but to wear her dead best friend’s shoes. John McCollom, grieving the death of his twin brother also aboard the plane, masked his grief with stoicism. Kenneth Decker, too, was severely burned and suffered a gaping head wound.

Emotionally devastated, badly injured, and vulnerable to the hidden dangers of the jungle, the trio faced certain death unless they left the crash site. Caught between man-eating headhunters and enemy Japanese, the wounded passengers endured a harrowing hike down the mountainside - a journey into the unknown that would lead them straight into a primitive tribe of superstitious natives who had never before seen a white man - or woman.

Drawn from interviews, declassified U.S. Army documents, personal photos and mementos, a survivor’s diary, a rescuer’s journal, and original film footage, Lost in Shangri-La recounts this incredible true-life adventure for the first time. Mitchell Zuckoff reveals how the determined trio - dehydrated, sick, and in pain - traversed the dense jungle to find help; how a brave band of paratroopers risked their own lives to save the survivors; and how a cowboy colonel attempted a previously untested rescue mission to get them out.

By trekking into the New Guinea jungle, visiting remote villages, and rediscovering the crash site, Zuckoff also captures the contemporary natives’ remembrances of the long-ago day when strange creatures fell from the sky. A riveting work of narrative nonfiction that vividly brings to life an odyssey at times terrifying, enlightening, and comic, Lost in Shangri-La is a thrill ride from beginning to end.

©2011 Mitchell Zuckoff (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers

Lost in a Long Tale

I was looking forward to hearing this story, especially after listening to Unbroken. Sad to say the story was nowhere near as captivating as Unbroken. I felt the author veered off too often into background history that did not add to the story. Usually I am sad to end a book. This time I was happy to be back from Shangri-La!

Exciting Thriller, Yet True

“Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II” is an exciting, true adventure story, as thrilling as any fictional “thriller.” It took the talent of an expert researcher, reporter, and author, Mitchell Zuckoff, to bring this long-forgotten WWII rescue saga to life. The book once again shows how ordinary people,both victims and rescuers, when challenged, can do extraordinary, heroic things, and then return to a quotidian existence as survivors. Zuckoff is admirable for letting the story speak for itself and not interjecting himself into the book, although it is clear that tracking down the sources to write this comprehensive and accurate book is itself a very interesting story. I like page turners and “Lost in Shangri-La” will ensnare most readers. The reader was adequate.

cool story

I saw the writer on the Daily Show and was so glad to have heard it on audible.

A great story!

Wonderful recount of a long lost fascinating true story of heartbreak and survival at the end of the Pacific war.

Best Listen in a long time

An engaging story that proves the old saw "truth is stranger than fiction". A definite must listen for anyone with even a shred of interest in history. Has a Indiana Jones feel to it.

Starts off strong, loses some steam in 2nd half

Overall the tale grabbed my attention from the beginning, and it gave me that unique pleasure of an audio book in that it made me happy to wake up on a Monday morning and realize that I was going to get to immerse myself in the story again as I commuted to work. But as the story progressed it just seemed to lose a little steam. In all, it felt like a really good article from a magazine like Smithsonian that had been padded out into a book.

Part of this is not really the author's fault but rather the result of history. In particular I mean how the survivors, temporarily stranded among the native inhabitants of "Shangri-La," were in periodic contact with the outside world including journalists who were intent on keeping a great human interest story alive and selling papers. This whole P.T. Barnum aspect of the story was somewhat depressing, but of course it really happened and was a valid part of the story.

The key point of interest in this tale is the valley dubbed Shangri-La where an isolated group of aboriginals lived. The rescue mission itself, when it finally is carried out, honestly isn't all *that* interesting. I don't think it lived up to the title's claim that this one was "the most incredible rescue mission of World War II."

What a Tale!

Quite the true story. So amazing. Book is too long. Authors takes many diversions from main story. Abridged might be better.

Fascinating side story from WW2

Excellent writing and narration of this story of human survival and the unexpected encounter of two cultures.

Lars

I really liked this book, and the authors' narration. The fact that this very dramatic story had not "survived," meaning I had never heard about this before, and now has been brought to life again was very moving. A terrific listen - highly recommended.

Fascinating, but ending was abrupt

Would you listen to Lost in Shangri-La again? Why?

This was an excellent account of an actual crash and rescue during WWII. The narrative was very interesting and also educational. My only complaint is that it ended very abruptly.