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The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom Audiobook
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(4.00) - 6,065 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The film The Way Back, starring Colin Farrell and Ed Harris, is based on this amazing true story.
Twenty-six-year-old cavalry officer Slavomir Rawicz was captured by the Red Army in 1939 during the German-Soviet partition of Poland and sent to the Siberian Gulag. In the spring of 1941, he escaped with six of his fellow prisoners, including one American. Thus began their astonishing trek to freedom.
With no map or compass but only an ax head, a homemade knife, and a week’s supply of food, the compatriots spent a year making their way on foot to British India, through four thousand miles of the most forbidding terrain on earth. They braved the Himalayas, the desolate Siberian tundra, icy rivers, and the great Gobi Desert, always a hair’s breadth from death. Finally returning home, Rawicz reenlisted in the Polish army to fight the Germans.
This is his story.
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"This is the incredibly journey of seven men as they escape the Russian Gulag and their arduous journey that takes over 18 months. The ability of these men to survive is unbelievable and the fact that they survived is amazing. I know a lot about the Gulag system and I found it pretty tough to believe that the men were able to get away. A couple of comments that Rawicz makes about Communism within Russia really hit home with me - specifically where he discusses how Communism was about taking away the class system, but the Gulag system brought it back. There are a few times where this book is tough to read, but overall I'd highly recommend it."
— Jc (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“John Lee narrates this astonishing adventure as if every word were a step on the long trek…This timeless tale is given new life in Lee’s fresh narration. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile -
“A poet with steel in his soul.”
— New York Times -
“It is a book filled with the spirit of human dignity and the courage of men seeking freedom.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“One of the most amazing, heroic stories of this or any other time.”
— Chicago Tribune -
“Positively Homeric.”
— Times (London) -
“You’ll never complain about blisters again!”
— BackPacker -
“One of the epic treks of the human race…His account is so filled with despair and suffering it is almost unreadable. But it must be read—and re-read.”
— Sebastian Junger, author of The Perfect Storm -
“The Long Walk is a book that I absolutely could not put down and one that I will never forget.”
— Stephen Ambrose, New York Times bestselling author
Awards
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
The Long Walk Listener Reviews
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" This was a book club choice. I've had other things I wanted to read on my list, so I wasn't in a hurry to pick this one up. However, once I did I didn't put it down much. It's the true story of Slavomir Rawicz's imprisonment and escape from a Siberian work camp prison in 1941. (He was accused of being a Polish spy.) A bit hard to read if you are especially sensitive to descriptions of people being cruel to one another, but it is also an amazing story about the resilience of the human spirit. "
— Wendy, 2/16/2014 -
" This is a pretty good book (if it is all true). The one part that really jumped out at me is he wrote that they spent 13 days in the Gobi desert without drinking any water. I find that pretty much impossible. However, I guess I can write some of that off as not having a clear recollection because of the extreme stress he was under. I also find it unlikely that someone could make up something so detailed. So I am not sure this is all true, but surely some of it is? "
— Michael, 2/5/2014 -
" I read this book in the travel between Argentina and CA and burned through it. Easy to read and an incredible story. I was disappointed to hear that it may be untrue, so I'll just choose to believe that it was based on truth and is in fact a most amazing journey. "
— Galena, 1/26/2014 -
" Amazing story of a small band of political prisoners who escape from a Russian gulag in Siberia and make their way to India. A tribute to the resilience of the human spirit. "
— Joe, 1/25/2014 -
" One of the most harrowing true stories I've ever read. Three men escape from a Siberian gulag and walk through the Gobi Desert and the Himalayas to reach freedom in India. "
— Judy, 1/20/2014 -
" An amazing story of human endurance - more so because it is true. Loved it. "
— Marcy, 1/16/2014 -
" No other words than 'very impressive'! "
— BoekenTrol, 1/14/2014 -
" Wish it was all true, but really liked it. "
— Kelli, 12/13/2013 -
" An engrossing true story of Polish prisoners who escape from a Siberian labor camp and travel by foot to India. I cannot help but think of this novel as the land-based companion to Shackleton's incredible tale at sea. An easy & great read - I finished the book in a day. "
— Cameron, 12/8/2013 -
" Amazing tale of hardships and ingenuity. Could have been a little better written, but just fascinating. "
— Amy, 12/5/2013 -
" An exciting story of 7 men who escaped from a Russian prison in Siberia during World War II and their almost year long trek to freedom in India. "
— Tom, 11/17/2013 -
" Written more like a diary than a compelling work of survival... I am looking forward to seeing the movie. "
— Alison, 10/28/2013 -
" A long walk, but a quick read. Fascinating to say the least. "
— Debbie, 10/8/2013 -
" This story was amazing. The characters in this true story escaped from a prisoner of war camp in Siberia to walk across the Gobi desert and Himalayas to freedom. Incredible story. "
— Ria, 8/29/2013 -
" Enjoyed it. Quite a story. Have not seen movie. Paints a picture of how primitive life was in Tibet and himioayas but how warm the people were. "
— John, 5/3/2013 -
" This book made me so thirsty! "
— KatieSuzanne, 4/3/2013 -
" I understand there is a controversy about the book, but I think it would be hard to make up all of the situations the author writes about. I enjoyed it and even if it is not all true, the book has a good message about the will to live and the meaning of freedom. "
— Tamara, 1/6/2013 -
" unbelievable read...will inspire even the slacker in all of us. "
— Mike, 8/21/2012 -
" I highly recommend this book! "
— Traci, 12/14/2011 -
" Really good, but quite sad.... Really pulls you in. "
— Amy, 11/27/2011 -
" A very hard shipped geared story about a man who has to overcome false charges by his corrupt government where there was nothing he could do but run. These men in this story are truly inspiring with the trials they went through, it lets me know of how hard life can be and how truly blessed I am. "
— Sharae, 6/23/2011 -
" I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a fascinating read and an incredible true story! "
— Dawn, 6/8/2011 -
" Absolutely loved this book! Fantastic reading . . "
— Kim, 5/23/2011 -
" Great adventure story that is true. "
— Gerald, 5/18/2011 -
" Great story, couldn't put it down. The movie that they just made about it didn't develop the characters nearly as much as the book did. "
— Tom, 5/11/2011 -
" The Long Walk is an engaging and quick read, but comes with a major caveat: It (probably) isn't a true story. Viewed in this light, it doesn't carry the tense weight of a narrative drawn from history, but still manages to be an exciting thriller of a book. "
— Sean, 5/11/2011 -
" An incredible story about the strength of the human spirit to persist and survive. Wow. It also opened my eyes to a part of history I that I really knew little about. "
— Jill, 5/8/2011 -
" This is truly a great story of a war survivor that touched mine heart. "
— Elzbieta, 5/4/2011 -
" this book is life changing. powerful beyond words. "
— Sandra, 5/3/2011 -
" A very riveting story that has left lasting images with me. Best read so far. "
— Kathy, 5/1/2011 -
" One of the best true stories I have ever read. It will make you LOVE your life and appreciate every little thing. This is an amazing story and very well told. "
— Karly, 4/30/2011 -
" Good book. Amazing what they endured to escape Siberia. "
— Kay, 4/25/2011 -
" One of the most powerful stories ever written. --Art "
— Staff, 4/23/2011
About Slavomir Rawicz
Slavomir Rawicz (1915–2004) lived in England after the war, settling near Nottingham and working as a handicrafts and woodworking instructor, a cabinetmaker, and later as a technician in architectural ceramics at a school of art and design. He married an Englishwoman, with whom he had five children. He retired in 1975 after a heart attack and lived a quiet life in the countryside until his death.
About John Lee
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.