Try free for 30 days

  • The Long Walk

  • The True Story of a Trek to Freedom
  • By: Slavomir Rawicz
  • Narrated by: John Lee
  • Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (50 ratings)

A 30-day trial plus your first audiobook free.
1 credit/month after trial—to buy any title you like, yours to keep.
Listen all you want to a selection of thousands of Audible Originals, audiobooks and podcasts.
$16.45 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
The Long Walk cover art

The Long Walk

By: Slavomir Rawicz
Narrated by: John Lee
Free with 30-day trial

$16.45/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

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 4,000 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 arriving, Rawicz reenlisted in the Polish army to fight the Germans.

©2006 Slavomir Rawicz (P)2006 Blackstone Audio Inc.
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic Reviews

  • Nominee, 2008 Audie Award, Solo Narration - Male

"Positively Homeric." (London Times)
"One of the most amazing, heroic stories of this or any other time." (Chicago Tribune)
"It is a book filled with the spirit of human dignity and the courage of men seeking freedom." (Los Angeles Times)

More from the same

What listeners say about The Long Walk

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    43
  • 4 Stars
    4
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    41
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    41
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

stunning perseverance

I enjoyed the true recollection of human perseverance in extreme conditions in a true story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant survival saga even if untrue.

Fantastic escape epic...... i loved it. Regardless of wether it is true or not.....its a book about the human spirirt, the will to live and the need for freedom at any cost.
I will certainly listen to it again perodically. Thank you Audible.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

What a story of survival.

Great story of an amazing journey. A tribute to human surrival. would have loved a follow-up.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

the will to survive

A powerful story, well read. Now I will see the movie. The Gobi desert section was heart rending.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A wonderful and emotional story of human triumph.

An incredible story of survival and the power of the human will.

I could not get enough and am now researching more about this incredible journey.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A Great Read - Is it True?

What a cracker of a story; hardship, motivating, and this journey defines the word resilient. Is it true? As an experienced ex-soldier & adventure enthusiast, some parts make me question this: you decide - regardless, I loved the book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Looking for a believable story; left disappointed

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I bought this book looking for a real story about daring escapes from the Russian gulags and the incredible men and woman who achieved this feat. However the more I listened to this book, the more unbelievable this story became. Until I started googling, and came across the irrefutable evidence that this book in its entirety was false and made up. This happened about halfway through the book, so I was forced to complete it even though the story became borderline ridiculous.

I can not recommend this book.

What about John Lee’s performance did you like?

The narrator delivered a great performance, and I really enjoyed his smooth voice, accent and excellent enunciation. John is really easy to listen to, and will definitely look out for more books he narrated, in the future.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.