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438 Days
- An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Politics & Social Sciences, Social Sciences
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The Twenty-Ninth Day
- Surviving a Grizzly Attack in the Canadian Tundra
- Written by: Alex Messenger
- Narrated by: Alex Messenger
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 224
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 193
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 193
This true-life wilderness survival epic recounts 17-year-old Alex Messenger's near-lethal encounter with a grizzly bear during a canoe trip in the Canadian tundra. The story follows Alex and his five companions as they paddle north through harrowing rapids and stunning terrain. Twenty-nine days into the trip, while out hiking alone, Alex is attacked by a barren-ground grizzly. Left for dead, he wakes to find that his summer adventure has become a struggle to stay alive.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Couldn’t stop listening ... fan of those adventure!
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- Unabridged
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I heard the rustle again, too close and too real to ignore. I clutched the flashlight, stuck my head out of the mosquito net...and found myself face-to-face with a jaguar. Four travelers meet in Bolivia and set off into the Amazon rainforest on an expedition to find a hidden tribe and explore places tourists only dream of seeing. But what begins as the adventure of a lifetime quickly becomes a struggle for survival when they get lost in the wilds of the jungle. The group splits up after disagreements, and Yossi and his friend try to find their own way back without a guide.
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4 out of 5 stars
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stupid decision after stupid decision
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On a beautiful summer afternoon in 1998, Dan Stephens, a 22-year-old canoeist, was leading a trip deep into Ontario's Quetico Provincial Park. He stepped into a gap among cedar trees to look for the next portage - and did not return. More than four hours later, Dan awakened from a fall with a lump on his head and stumbled deeper into the woods, confused. Three years later, Jason Rasmussen, a third-year medical student who loved the forest's solitude, walked alone into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on a crisp fall day.
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Excellent! An incredible story!
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2 out of 5 stars
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I am done with shipwrecks.
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In July 1881, Lt. A. W. Greely and his crew of 24 scientists and explorers were bound for the last region unmarked on global maps. Their goal: Farthest North. What would follow was one of the most extraordinary and terrible voyages ever made. Greely and his men confronted every possible challenge - vicious wolves, sub-zero temperatures, and months of total darkness - as they set about exploring one of the most remote, unrelenting environments on the planet. In May 1882, they broke the 300-year-old record, and returned to camp to eagerly await the resupply ship. Only nothing came.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Awesome
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The Twenty-Ninth Day
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- Unabridged
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5 out of 5 stars
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I heard the rustle again, too close and too real to ignore. I clutched the flashlight, stuck my head out of the mosquito net...and found myself face-to-face with a jaguar. Four travelers meet in Bolivia and set off into the Amazon rainforest on an expedition to find a hidden tribe and explore places tourists only dream of seeing. But what begins as the adventure of a lifetime quickly becomes a struggle for survival when they get lost in the wilds of the jungle. The group splits up after disagreements, and Yossi and his friend try to find their own way back without a guide.
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4 out of 5 stars
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stupid decision after stupid decision
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On a beautiful summer afternoon in 1998, Dan Stephens, a 22-year-old canoeist, was leading a trip deep into Ontario's Quetico Provincial Park. He stepped into a gap among cedar trees to look for the next portage - and did not return. More than four hours later, Dan awakened from a fall with a lump on his head and stumbled deeper into the woods, confused. Three years later, Jason Rasmussen, a third-year medical student who loved the forest's solitude, walked alone into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on a crisp fall day.
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2 out of 5 stars
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I am done with shipwrecks.
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On October 12, 1972, a plane carrying a team of young rugby players crashed into the remote, snow-peaked Andes. Out of the 45 original passengers and crew, only 16 made it off the mountain alive. For 10 excruciating weeks, they suffered deprivations beyond imagining, confronting nature head-on at its most furious and inhospitable. And to survive, these men and women not only had to keep their faith; they had to make an impossible decision: Should they eat the flesh of their dead friends?
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In July 1881, Lt. A. W. Greely and his crew of 24 scientists and explorers were bound for the last region unmarked on global maps. Their goal: Farthest North. What would follow was one of the most extraordinary and terrible voyages ever made. Greely and his men confronted every possible challenge - vicious wolves, sub-zero temperatures, and months of total darkness - as they set about exploring one of the most remote, unrelenting environments on the planet. In May 1882, they broke the 300-year-old record, and returned to camp to eagerly await the resupply ship. Only nothing came.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Aron Ralston, an experienced twenty-seven-year-old outdoorsman, was on a days solitary hike through a remote and narrow Utah canyon when he dislodged an eight-hundred- pound boulder that crushed his right hand and wrist against the canyon wall. Emerging from the searing pain, Aron found himself completely stuck. No one knew where he was; no one was coming to rescue him. With scant water and food, and a cheap pocketknife his only tool, he eliminated his options one by one.
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5 out of 5 stars
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In August of 1914, the British ship Endurance set sail for the South Atlantic. In October, 1915, still half a continent away from its intended base, the ship was trapped, then crushed in the ice. For five months, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men, drifting on ice packs, were castaways in one of the most savage regions of the world.
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5 out of 5 stars
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One of the best stories ever, plus great narrator
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On January 17, 1913, alone and near starvation, Douglas Mawson, leader of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, was hauling a sledge to get back to base camp - the dogs were gone. Mawson plunged through a snow bridge, dangling over an abyss by the sledge harness. A line of poetry gave him the will to haul himself back to the surface. On February 8, when he staggered back to base, his features unrecognizable, the first teammate to reach him blurted out, "Which one are you?"
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2 out of 5 stars
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In Campfire Stories: Close Calls, Steven Rinella invites seasoned hunters, anglers, adventurers, and outdoor professionals to share their tales of perilous adventures in the natural world, from run-ins with black bears and grizzlies to bad falls and severe hypothermia.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent for my cross Canada journey
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After her plane crashes, a 17-year-old girl spends 11 days walking through the Peruvian jungle. Against all odds, with no food, shelter, or equipment, she gets out. A better equipped group of adult survivors of the same crash sits down and dies. What makes the difference?
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4 out of 5 stars
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Interesting with insights into survivors mindset
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In the tradition of Into the Wild comes an instant classic of outdoor literature, a riveting work of uncommon depth. I’m planning on doing four days in the jungle.... It should be difficult to get lost forever: These were the haunting last words legendary adventurer Roman Dial received from his son, before the 27-year old disappeared into the jungles of Costa Rica. This is Dial's intensely gripping and deeply moving account of his two-year quest to unravel the mystery of his son's fate.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A Parent’s Grief….
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In February 1959, a group of nine experienced hikers in the Russian Ural Mountains died mysteriously on an elevation known as Dead Mountain. Eerie aspects of the incident—unexplained violent injuries, signs that they cut open and fled the tent without proper clothing or shoes, a strange final photograph taken by one of the hikers, and elevated levels of radiation found on some of their clothes—have led to decades of speculation over what really happened.
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5 out of 5 stars
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In 1541, the brutal conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro and his well-born lieutenant Francisco Orellana set off from Quito in search of La Canela, South America's rumored Land of Cinnamon, and the fabled El Dorado, "the golden man". Driving an enormous retinue of mercenaries, enslaved natives, horses, hunting dogs, and other animals across the Andes, they watched their proud expedition begin to disintegrate even before they descended into the nightmarish jungle, following the course of a powerful river.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Everywhere hailed as a masterpiece of historical adventure, this enthralling narrative recounts the experiences of 12 American sailors who were shipwrecked off the coast of Africa in 1815, captured by desert nomads, sold into slavery, and subjected to a hellish two-month journey through the bone-dry heart of the Sahara. The ordeal of these men - who found themselves tested by barbarism, murder, starvation, death, dehydration, and hostile tribes that roamed the desert on camelback - is made indelibly vivid in this gripping account of courage, brotherhood, and survival.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Skeletons on the Zahara
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Only four men survived the plane crash. The pilot. A politician. A cop... and the criminal he was shackled to. On an icy night in October 1984, a commuter plane carrying nine passengers crashed in the remote wilderness of northern Alberta. Four survived: the rookie pilot, a prominent politician, a cop, and the criminal he was escorting to face charges. As the men fight through the night to stay alive, the dividing lines of power, wealth, and status are erased, and each man is forced to confront the precious and limited nature of his existence.
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3 out of 5 stars
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good book but about 3 hours to long.
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Why we think it’s a great listen: Seabiscuit was a runaway success, and Hillenbrand’s done it again with another true-life account about beating unbelievable odds. On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared....
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5 out of 5 stars
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In April of 1846, 21-year-old Sarah Graves, intent on a better future, set out west from Illinois with her new husband, her parents, and eight siblings. Seven months later, after joining a party of pioneers led by George Donner, they reached the Sierra Nevada Mountains as the first heavy snows of the season closed the pass ahead of them. In early December, starving and desperate, Sarah and 14 others set out for California on snowshoes and over the next 32 days endured almost unfathomable hardships and horrors.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Immersive and Affecting
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Written by: Daniel James Brown
Publisher's Summary
438 Days is the miraculous account of the man who survived alone and adrift at sea longer than anyone in recorded history - as told to journalist Jonathan Franklin in dozens of exclusive interviews.
On November 17, 2012, Salvador Alvarenga left the coast of Mexico for a two-day fishing trip. A vicious storm killed his engine, and the current dragged his boat out to sea. The storm picked up and blasted him west. When he washed ashore on January 29, 2014, he had arrived in the Marshall Islands, 9,000 miles away - equivalent to traveling from New York to Moscow round trip.
For 14 months, Alvarenga survived constant shark attacks. He learned to catch fish with his bare hands. He built a fish net from a pair of empty plastic bottles. Taking apart the outboard motor, he fashioned a huge fishhook. Using fish vertebrae as needles, he stitched together his own clothes.
He considered suicide on multiple occasions - including offering himself up to a pack of sharks. But Alvarenga never failed to invent an alternative reality. He imagined a method of survival that kept his body and mind intact long enough for the Pacific Ocean to toss him up on a remote, palm-studded island, where he was saved by a local couple living alone in their own Pacific Island paradise.
Based on dozens of hours of interviews with Alvarenga and interviews with his colleagues, search and rescue officials, the medical team that saved his life, and the remote islanders who nursed him back to health, this is an epic tale of survival, an all-true version of the fictional Life of Pi. 438 Days is a study of the resilience, will, ingenuity, and determination required for one man to survive 14 months lost at sea.
What the critics say
"Narrator George Newbern does an excellent job delivering the story of Alvarenga's struggle... Newbern's consistent pace and varied tone keep the compelling story going, communicating the harrowing aspects of the journey as well as Alvarenga's inspirational will to survive his extended ordeal at sea." (AudioFile)
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What listeners say about 438 Days
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- joanne
- 2020-07-14
He survived on garbage!
Honestly, all I really thought about while I listened to this story is how disgustedly polluted mankind has made the oceans. He survived on garbage floating in the middle of the sea. I also felt like he had zero appreciation for the sea life that he killed to survive. We need to clean up our act as humans, we are parasites.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Blair Mann
- 2022-06-23
Incredible!
Well written, well researched, couldn't put it down. Amazing! The will to live through that ordeal is astounding.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- sherri
- 2022-05-02
Good listen
This is a well written tale of survival against all odds. I was never bored and enjoyed it thoroughly.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Chelsey A Beda
- 2021-04-24
Excellent!
This story has me captivated the whole way through. It’s as if you’re there with him living the experience. A tale of an unbelievable man with grit and the will to survive no matter what the odds.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Paula Scott
- 2021-04-08
Fabulous book
I really enjoyed this story. Well written and very inspiring . I highly recommend this book. 5 stars
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bruce
- 2018-11-25
Hard to put down
What an amazing story. As someone who has had a few close calls in the wild Pacific, I found this audible book very hard to turn off even on my second time through. It is well written and read - I have recommended it to many friends.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tabitha B
- 2018-01-09
What a listen!
I love stories of survival and this one tops them all for length of survival and positive outcome. George Newburn is a fluid, calm reader and it put me at ease listening to him weave the true story of Alvarenga lost at sea. I would definitely listen again. Such an inspiring story of overcoming odds and enjoying life to the fullest.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- A
- 2019-05-15
great survival tale with a caveat
nobody can say that what alvarenga did was not a great feat of survival. his ordeal went on so long that it wasn't merely survival but it was subsistence living. what I would warn other readers about is two areas that caused me concern. firstly the type fishing that alvarenga was taking part in is horrible from an environmental stance. I understand that he was only meeting a market demand, but what they are doing to the fish and shark populations was brutal. secondly I think that the book demonized sharks too much. clearly alvarenga had a fear of them, but that doesn't mean that it is objectively justified. I don't think the author took enough time to explain that despite what the fishermen believe the sharks are not consummate man-eaters who are just waiting for a human to fall into the water so they can devour them.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- SGL
- 2015-12-13
Excellent use of my credit!
What did you love best about 438 Days?
The story is amazing by itself. The man at the center of this story is remarkable. The story is told in amazingly simple way that still draws you in.
What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?
The story itself. It is amazing how someone can survive even 1 month in these conditions, let alone 14 months. But still the story is told in a very believable manner.
Have you listened to any of George Newbern’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
The performance of the reader is excellent!
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
How this life-threatening situation changes this man's values, believes and priorities for the better.
Any additional comments?
I own over 700 audible titles. I love survival stories and I have listened to many. I very seldom write reviews. This book is among the top survival stories I have ever listened to and is very possibly the best among them. This was a credit very well spent!!!
82 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Big jim Picotto
- 2015-12-04
I'M ALIVE..
A story that does not get enough attention is what '438 Days' is. A story of adversity and resilience that will make you feel good to be alive. There is a slight disconnect between the author and the subject and you feel plenty is lost in translation. But envisioning what happened in those 438 days is the real star of the story. "what would i do" and "would i be able to do that" will often pop into your head.George Newbern brilliant as always. Great read and well worth the credit.
68 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Patricia Grocock
- 2015-11-18
Story to wake you up. nex
I have low vision and usually save audible books for bedtime, relying on news during the day. Most books let me nod off after 60 minutes, but this one kept me awake much longer. The tale is simply told, with authenticity, right from the start. Rather than the familiar approach, that of a deliberate ocean voyage gone desperately awry, this one is the story of a fisherman in a small boat, unequipped for extended time at sea, not even having lifeboat equipment to help him. Right away I am drawn in by the thought of how is he going to do it? The narrator tells me simply what he does, without dreams or superfluous detail, although there is enough detail to have me picturing the action, and thoughts as if I am there too. Every word is believable.
The tale is well narrated and the author's conclusions after he recovers is modest and hands us a simple way to keep urselves on track, to never say die. I finished this book in one night and a full day. I never have devoted a full day to a listening event!
73 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jennifer
- 2016-07-23
Wow what a story!
When I was looking around for books to read I saw a review of "438 Days" that described this book as 'genuine'. That word is spot on. Jonathan Franklin made this story of survival seem totally genuine (and I hope that's because it was), it didn't feel exaggerated or glamorized it just felt factual and fascinating. This book was a page turner! What the main character survived was nothing short of astonishing. Some of those moments out at sea are pieces of writing that really stick with you, that is a testament to both the writing of Franklin and the true events that transpired. I had never heard of Jose Salvador Alvarenga prior to this book, I'm so happy Jonathan Franklin put this story out there for those of us who missed it the first time around. Great Read! I recommend it.
15 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jean
- 2016-03-22
Absorbing Read
This is an Amazing story of survival. One November 17, 2012 Salvador Alvarenga age 36 and Ezequiel Cordoba age 22 left Costa Azul Mexico in a 25 foot small boat to fish. A storm blew in and pushed the small boat out into the Pacific Ocean. On January 29, 2014 Alvarenga drifted ashore on Ebon, the southern tip of the Marshall Island chain, almost 7000 miles from where he started. Salvador drifted on the ocean current for 438 days. Garbage drifted by some of which he ate and other he found use for such as bottles and barrels to catch water in.
Franklin interviewed Alvarenga for days to obtain his story. He did extensive research and interviews with oceanographers and other experts about the ocean and weather. Franklin states that Alvarenga said that battling loneliness, depression and suicidal thoughts were the most difficult to overcome in his battle for survival. I enjoyed the section where he tells of the week a whale shark drifted alongside his boat and attracted fish which he was able to catch. George Newbern did a good job narrating the story. This is a must read story for those who are interested in survival or sea stories.
44 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- R. Pontiflet
- 2016-02-25
One Man's Survival Story....
This is one man's survival story which shows human being's abilities to survive sub-human conditions, and yet, when it's all said and done, they are never the same again. How can they be? they have suffered and had to do unspeakable things in order to survive. This man overcame adversity through sheer force of will, determination and the power of positive thinking. At the top of his list was his need to see his daughter again and do right by her. He's not your typical "dead beat" dad but close enough.
This man had to eat things without the luxury of cooking and drink his own urine. He used common sense and some "macgiver'ish" skills as well to stave-off starvation and dehydration.
I chose this novel on the recommendation of a couple of reviewers that I follow. I am glad that I made the purchase. It was a good break from my usual mysteries, thrillers and suspense type novels. The narrator was good. I was hooked into the story from the very beginning and wanted to know what happened. I enjoyed this listen.
34 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kathy in CA
- 2016-09-08
Super Engrossing True Survival Story
It's a quick listen mainly because once it gets started, you won't be able to turn it off. Read Audible's description. I couldn't do a better job of describing it myself.
438 days at sea are really not imaginable to me. Author, Jonathan Franklin, spent hours interviewing the survivor, fisherman Salvador Alvarenga. You will shake your head in wonderment often. You will know that you most likely couldn't have survived in his place. You will have your favorite parts to savor, to go over in your mind long after finishing the book. If you are like me, you may even consider it worthy of a second listen.
Well written with a very good narration by George Newbern, this true survival tale is a winner for me. Highly recommended!
30 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ana
- 2017-07-30
Captivating
Worth every penny. This is a compelling and riveting true story of a lone man's survival at sea. I couldn't put this audible down. I was with Salvador at every wave.
I thank him for sharing his scary, but up lifting story and I wish him well.
8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Pilgen
- 2015-12-03
The power of positive thinking
A very inspiring experience. It's amazing how we take daily comfort and dialog for granted until it's taken away. Hell is really here on earth. If not for his will to survive and a positive attitude he would not have made it. A very good non fiction audio book.
19 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Kim
- 2015-12-27
No emotion
This is an amazing true story on a subject matter I like - survival stories are one of my favorite genres - but this selection fell short for me because it lacks in emotional value. I never felt invested in whether or not the main character survived - there was a lot of detail on how he made it through the ordeal but very little about what he was feeling. I wanted some kind of connection with his struggle but wasn't able to find it. The narration was good but a tad dry due to the lack of emotion or drama in the book. It's not bad; just not very good.
15 people found this helpful
