What would you do if you were lost at sea? Stranded on a deserted island? Climbing a mountain in a blizzard? Isolated in the wilderness after a plane crash? For most of us, these scenarios sound like death sentences. But these true survival stories tell of people who encountered these circumstances (and plenty of other dangerous, life-threatening situations) and put in a Herculean effort to defy the odds.
The best survival stories showcase humanity’s remarkable ingenuity and will to live. True survival stories can often sound crazy, but that makes them all the more riveting and inspiring.
These books chronicle some of the greatest stories of survival, from Frozen in Time by Mitchell Zuckoff to Jonathan Franklin’s 438 Days. Before you undertake reading one of these nonfiction accounts, make sure you’re prepared for epic adventures and get ready to revel in the wonders of life.
1. Frozen in Time by Mitchell Zuckoff
There are many survival stories that came out of the mid-20th century publishing scene, as survivors of the World Wars, plane crashes, and nautical adventures could tell their stories directly to an expanding audience of readers. Frozen in Time is one such work.
Zuckoff transports readers back to World War II, where a small U.S. cargo plane crashed in Greenland — as did the plane sent to rescue the survivors. The next rescue also failed, leaving soldiers trapped in the Arctic for 148 days before they were finally saved.
2. The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger
Junger’s much-lauded book delicately balances the oxymoron of a “perfect” horror presented by its title: It is primarily a story of loss, but that absence grows because of the unbelievable stories of rescues that Junger also relates.
On Halloween of 1991, a confluence of storm systems turned into one superstorm that led to the loss of Andrea Gail, a fishing ship carrying six crew members. While the exact details of the ship’s disappearance and demise are unknown, Junger reconstructs as much of the story as he can — including the fact that two potential crew members decided not to go to sea because they believed it would be too dangerous.
Fortunately, other people precariously caught in the storm were miraculously rescued by brave emergency responders. The fortunate fates of many are what propels Junger’s book onto many best survival story lists.
3. Above the Clouds by Kilian Jornet
“Survival stories” often brings to mind gritty and harrowing stories of strife and barely hanging on, but not all such tales have to be so grievous. In his memoir, Jornet, a famed trail runner, relays his adventure-packed run up Mount Everest in record time, something that requires a rare strength of will.
Everest is a challenge that everyone knows about (maybe even dreams about), but few understand the mountain the way Jornet — who amazingly summited the peak twice in a single week without supplemental oxygen — does.
4. The Moth and the Mountain by Ed Caesar
In this gripping, poignant account, a World War I vet decides to summit Mount Everest in 1933 to recover his psyche after a global conflict that took so much from him. He flies a small Gypsy Moth biplane to the base of Everest, purposely crash lands, and then summits the mountain solo.
Unsurprisingly, Maurice Wilson’s story contains plenty of twists and turns, and you’ll be tempted to skip ahead to see how it all turns out.
5. 438 Days by Jonathan Franklin
Probably one of the most intense stories of survival ever, 438 Days follows the experiences of captain Salvador Alvarenga, who survived more than 14 months adrift in a small boat on the Pacific Ocean before miraculously drifting onto an island 7,000 miles from his home.
Dubbed “the best survival book in a decade” by Outside Magazine, Franklin’s recounting of Alvarenga’s story is a serious page-turner. You’ll be so pulled in that you’ll feel the kind of fear, frustration, boredom, willpower, and terror that Alvarenga experienced.
6. The American Adrenaline Narrative by Kristin J. Jacobson
Professor Jacobson offers a critical lens from which to view the adventure and survival genre. She argues that these adrenaline narratives like Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air typically contain gender biases, and ignore the ecological catastrophe caused by seeking adventures in far-flung destinations. This book will have you pondering whether the benefits of seeking danger and pushing the limits outweigh the costs.
7. Alive by Piers Paul Read
In 1972, a plane carrying 45 passengers, many of whom were members of an Uruguayan rugby team, unexpectedly crashed in the Andes, despite no signs of distress from the plane and no inclement weather at the time it went down. A search for survivors took place for over a week, but all hope seemed lost.
Then, miraculously, 16 of the rugby players were found alive over two months later.
Read’s book is not one that depicts the survivors as scrappy heroes who came together to defy the odds. Instead, Read focuses on the most fraught moments of the months following the crash, including in-fighting and cannibalism. His narrative is driven by interviews with the survivors that happened within a year of their being found.
Netflix recently adapted this book in a movie called Society of the Snow.
8. The Age of Daredevils by Michael Clarkson
In the early 1900s, people started cramming themselves into barrels and heaving themselves over the edge of Niagara Falls. Clarkson chronicles the stories of the men and women who risked their lives for a brief moment of flight and glory by going over the famed waterfall and investigates what compelled them to do so. In particular, he focuses on the Hill family, a father and son who popularized the activity.
9. My Year Without Matches by Claire Dunn
What happens when a normal person with a desk job decides to quit and head into the wilderness, off the grid? Dunn did just that and realized that life in the wilderness has its promised perks and unexpected drawbacks.
My Year Without Matches is an adventurous memoir of Dunn’s year in the wild as she learns not just how to survive, but to thrive. It’s a great reminder that any of us can take big risks and have these grand adventures.
10. The Hard Road Out by Jihyun Park and Seh-lynn Chai
Escaping from North Korea once is a Herculean task, yet Park managed to escape twice, finally settling down in London. Her story, written in collaboration with South Korean Chai, is a grim look at the reality of life in North Korea, and the large price that has to be paid to break free.
11. To the Edges of the Earth by Edward J. Larson
The year was 1909. The goal: to push to the edges of the Earth and finally explore the Poles. The world was largely mapped, but a few places still remained unexplored, and the race was on.
Larson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, recounts the three expeditions that changed the world. Ernest Shackleton made it to Antarctica and the furthest point south; Douglas Mawson reached the magnetic south pole; Robert Peary and Matthew Henson “discovered” the North Pole.
The expeditions were successful, but not without tragedy and danger, and Larson captures the feeling of that time beautifully.
12. Hound of the Sea by Garrett McNamara with Karen Karbo
What kind of person purposely seeks out the biggest waves on Earth and then tries to tame them? That’s what you’ll find out if you read this book.
McNamara, the world record-holding big wave surfer (and star of the HBO show 100 Foot Wave), tries to explain what makes him tick and what drives his record-breaking attempts to ride the biggest, most dangerous waves.
This memoir gives readers insight not just into McNamara, but also into every person who goes out in search of an adventure that might take their life.
13. Island of the Lost by Joan Druett
This book shares the bizarre, incredible stories of two ships that happened to wreck on opposite ends of the same island at the same time during a brutal storm. While one crew comes together and works to survive, the other crew turns on each other, fighting and starving. It’s an incredibly fascinating look at the ways that different people approach survival and tragedy.
14. Jungle by Yossi Ghinsberg
Ghinsberg is, quite frankly, extremely lucky to have survived his trip to the Amazon rainforest, and the way he writes about his nightmare adventure shows that he’s self-aware about his numerous mistakes.
Ghinsberg decided to explore the legendary rainforest with three other adventurers, but they hit trouble almost immediately. They decided to pair off to increase their odds of rescue, but Ghinsberg got split from his partner in a rafting accident. From there, the hapless explorer, with little to no survival skills, fends for himself against seemingly insurmountable circumstances.
Jungle was adapted into a big-screen epic starring Daniel Radcliffe.
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