The Long Walk cover art

The Long Walk

The True Story of a Trek to Freedom

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The Long Walk

By: Slavomir Rawicz
Narrated by: John Lee
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About this listen

 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. Military

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)
All stars
Most relevant  
I enjoyed the true recollection of human perseverance in extreme conditions in a true story

stunning perseverance

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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.

Brilliant survival saga even if untrue.

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

What a story of survival.

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

the will to survive

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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.

A wonderful and emotional story of human triumph.

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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.

A Great Read - Is it True?

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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.

Looking for a believable story; left disappointed

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