Survival biographies
Unbroken
What is Unbroken about?
"Unbroken" is based on the experience of Louis Zamperini, delinquent-turned-Olympic runner, who becomes a World War II bomber. He survives a plane crash in the Pacific Ocean, battling unimaginable harsh conditions and living to tell his tale. This book also follows his journey after the war, inspiring the readers to be resilient and hold on to life.
Into Thin Air
What is Into Thin Air about?
Find out about the challenges of ascending Mount Everest and why so many people strive to conquer the highest mountain in the world. In the book Into Thin Air, American journalist Jon Krakauer describes his emotional and exhausting near-death experience of going up and down the mountain. You'll find out how he found himself hallucinating, freezing, and exhausted in his tent, and much more.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
What is Between a Rock and a Hard Place about?
Imagine being so stuck, literally, that you have to decide between losing your hand or your life. Trapped alone in a Utah canyon, Ralston spent 127 hours fighiting with hunger, hallucinations, and his own mortality before performing the unthinkable. In his book "Between a Rock and Hard Place" he reveals this survival story, which is both fascinating and terrific.
Long Walk
What is Long Walk about?
Sławomir Rawicz was a lieutenant in the Polish army, imprisoned by the NKVD during World War II. During his brave escape, this man endured many hardships, from the harsh climate of the Siberian forests to the deserts and mountains of India. Discover how the strength of the human spirit can overcome death and grant a person freedom in Rawicz's autobiography book "The Long Walk."
Touching the Void
What is Touching the Void about?
Joe Simpson, a British mountaineer, tells a poignant story of his experience in the Peruvian Andes. Joe and his friend Simon embark on a perilous adventure, testing their physical and moral limits. This is a book about survival, friendship, and the inner strength not to give up.
Adrift
What is Adrift about?
After Steven Callahan’s boat sank on the Atlantic, he had to survive alone on an inflatable life raft. In "Adrift", Callahan recounts how he managed to stay alive for 76 days despite harsh physical and emotional conditions. It’s a story of strength, ingenuity, and will to continue fighting for life.
A Long Way Gone
What is A Long Way Gone about?
Most kids spend their childhoods playing with toys, not AK-47sб иut for Ishmael Beah, growing up in Sierra Leone meant living through the horrors of civil war. His memoir "A long Way Gone" is heartbreakingly real, taking you through Beah’s transformation from a frightened boy to a drug-fueled killer. Now, being back on track, he opens up a story of his past.
Lost in Shangri-La
What is Lost in Shangri-La about?
What happens when a plane crashes in an uncharted jungle full of cannibals during World War II? "Lost in Shangri-La" is just like a blockbuster movie, but it’s all true. Three survivors, a female WAC and two GIs, struggle to stay alive amidst deadly terrain and different tribespeople. It is a story about a jaw-dropping rescue by paratroopers who land in the jungle and find the way out.
438 Days
What is 438 Days about?
How long could you survive adrift in the Pacific Ocean with no supplies? Salvador Alvarenga survived 438 days — a record-breaking challenge that sounds impossible until you read his story. Sharks, storms, and loneliness couldn’t break him. It isn’t just about staying alive; it’s about the power of hope, improvisation, and the human spirit’s refusal to quit.
Endurance
What is Endurance about?
When Ernest Shackleton decided to cross Antarctica in 1914, things didn’t exactly go as planned. His ship, Endurance, got trapped in ice, leaving Shackleton and his crew stranded in one of the most unforgiving places on Earth. After that - survival began. In his book, he retells all of the daring escapes, frostbite, and almost superhuman leadership.
Skeletons on the Zahara
What is Skeletons on the Zahara about?
Shipwrecks are bad enough, even more so when you get stranded in the Sahara Desert with no water, no food, and a group of hostile captors. That’s exactly what happened to a group of American sailors in 1815. Dean King’s "Skeletons on the Zahara" uncovers their unbelievable fight for survival in one of the harshest environments on Earth.
Not Without My Daughter
What is Not Without My Daughter about?
Imagine visiting your husband’s homeland for what’s supposed to be a two-week vacation, only to find out that you’re never leaving. Betty Mahmoody’s memoir takes you into the heart of 1980s Iran, where she was trapped with her young daughter, held hostage by cultural expectations and her husband’s sudden transformation. "Not Without My Daughter" uncovers the terrifying reality of a woman fighting for her freedom and her child’s future in a world where her every move is monitored.
In the Heart of the Sea
What is In the Heart of the Sea about?
What would you do if your ship was sunk by an angry whale in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? "In the Heart of the Sea" dives into the true story of the Essex, the whaleship that inspired "Moby-Dick". This is not a romanticized tale of adventure, but a heart-stopping story of survival against the odds. From starvation and storms to unthinkable choices, the crew’s ordeal reveals the human spirit’s limits. The book is packed with fascinating details about 19th-century whaling and the vast, uncharted oceans.
Escape from Camp 14
What is Escape from Camp 14 about?
Most of us can’t even imagine a place like Camp 14, a North Korean prison camp where prisoners are born, raised, and die without ever knowing freedom. But Shin Dong-hyuk lived it, and eventually managed to escape. Blaine Harden’s book tells the terrifying true story of Shin’s life, from watching his family be executed to crawling through an electrified fence to find freedom. This book gives a unique glimpse into the secretive and brutal regime of one of the most closed countries in the world.
Night
What is Night about?
How do you describe the indescribable? Elie Wiesel’s "Night" is not just a memoir; it’s a searing, poetic story of his teenage years surviving Auschwitz and Buchenwald. With haunting simplicity, Wiesel recounts the loss of his family, his faith, and his innocence in the face of unimaginable cruelty. His book doesn’t just document history, but forces you to confront it, reflecting on humanity’s capacity for both evil and resilience.
Man’s Search for Meaning
What is Man’s Search for Meaning about?
“Man's Search for Meaning” by Viktor E. Frankl illustrates the human ability to find meaning in all circumstances through real-life examples. Written by a psychiatrist and a survivor of Auschwitz, this book shares a powerful message. You will learn about logotherapy and how it helps in the search for meaning.
The Glass Castle
What is The Glass Castle about?
Jeannette Walls's memoir "The Glass Castle" is a story of love, struggle, and bonds with family. The author's family can be called extraordinary. This very family taught Jeannette to survive and, finally, build a successful life in "The Big Apple." Get inspiration from this powerful memoir.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
What is The Diving Bell and the Butterfly about?
Imagine being trapped inside your own body, unable to move or speak, but your mind is fully alive. Jean-Dominique Bauby, a former editor of Elle, lived this reality after a stroke left him with locked-in syndrome. Writing with just the blink of one eye, he created "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly", a stunning memoir about rediscovering life and imagination within impossible constraints. It’s not a story of despair but one of beauty and humor, proving that even when the body is immobilized, the soul can soar.
Behind the Beautiful Forevers
What is Behind the Beautiful Forevers about?
In "Behind the Beautiful Forevers", Katherine Boo brings you the lives of Mumbai residents: young Abdul, who works for a better future, and Asha, who sees corruption as her ticket out of poverty. Boo spent years documenting this undercity, gathering a story that’s as heartbreaking as it is eye-opening. The book shows the versatile face of poverty with ambition, resilience, and the human capacity to fight for dignity.
The Diary of a Young Girl
What is The Diary of a Young Girl about?
“The Diary of a Young Girl” is the story of a Jewish girl named Anne Frank, who, together with her family, had to hide from persecution during World War II. In her diary, the girl describes her dreams, fears, and thoughts about everything that happens to her. This book became a reflection of the Jewish people’s suffering during the Holocaust and a valuable reminder for future generations.
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