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  • 438 Days

  • An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea
  • By: Jonathan Franklin
  • Narrated by: George Newbern
  • Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (49 ratings)
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438 Days cover art

438 Days

By: Jonathan Franklin
Narrated by: George Newbern
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Summary

The incredible true survival story of one man's record-breaking fourteen months lost at sea.

On 17th November, 2012, Salvador Alvarenga left the coast of Mexico for a two-day fishing trip. A vicious storm killed his engine and the current dragged his boat out to sea. The storm picked up and carried him West, deeper into the heart of the Pacific Ocean. Alvarenga would not touch solid ground again for fourteen months. When he was washed ashore on January 30th, 2014, he had drifted over 9,000 miles.

Three dozen cruise ships and container vessels passed nearby. Not one stopped for the stranded fisherman. He considered suicide on multiple occasions – including offering himself up to a pack of circling sharks. But Alvarenga developed a method of survival that kept his body and mind intact long enough for the Pacific Ocean to spit him up onto a remote palm-studded island. Crawling ashore, he was saved by a local couple living in their own private castaway paradise.

Based on dozens of hours of interviews with Alvarenga and his colleagues, search and rescue officials, the medical team that saved his life and the remote islanders who nursed him back to normality, 438 Days by Jonathan Franklin is an epic tale of survival and one man's incredible story of beating the ultimate odds.

©2015 Jonathan Franklin (P)2022 Simon & Schuster

What listeners say about 438 Days

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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant account of a true story

Wonderfully spoken and a captivating listen. Highly recommend this book - it’ll have you hanging on to every word

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent account of an amazing voyage

The feelings of isolation and loneliness are so well conveyed in this book. At times it quite hard to imagine that this actually happened to Salvador. The end of the book documents his struggles with returning to civilisation very well too, answering a lot of questions about PTSD and Salvador’s recovery.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Couldn't put it down.

Great really enjoyed..
can't fathom how he kept going!
have ordered the book for my shelf

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing

One slight concern I can’t get my head around ! How did they quote such accurate coordinates throughout the story ?

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating survival story

I would certainly have died in the first 2 hours. Before the storm probably. Maybe now I’ll potentially survive 24!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A story of true grit and endurance

A fabulous tale of the mental and physical strength needed to fight in absolutely extraordinary circumstances. The smallest every day details were recounted in a way which made one feel present in the struggle of the sailor. It also made me think about the way that early hominids might have migrated from one continent to another, by accident or design. So disappointing that once again the paparazzi were there, harassing and distressing people whilst they were at their lowest ebb. It was really interesting to me, how the mental attitude affected the physical condition of a person under untold stress. I hope Alvarenco found peace. A very highly recommended read. As one other reviewer said, it would make a wonderfully visual film HOWEVER I wouldn’t want it made at the cost of any further hassle for the Alvarenco family.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Absolutely astonishing true story

Gripping from start to finish, sitting listening in bed in night and visualising what this poor man endured and his strength and will and determination is just remarkable, this should be made into a movie, very much enjoyed
😁 so worth the read thank you for sharing your unbelievable experience x

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Gripping survival tale

I finished listening to this story within three days. Really gripping tale and great writing weaving together interviews not only with the survivor, but his colleagues, survival experts, medical experts and other people with interesting insights and reflections on his story.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A great story spoiled a bit by lacklustre reading

The underlying story is extraordinary, but the writing of it is just ok, and the reading of it I thought was poor. Mispronounced words, emotionless, you had no sense of investment by the reader in the drama of the tale. Still worth a listen for the story itself though.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

well worth a listen

Really enjoyed the journey this takes you on, if you start , you'll want to see it through
The performance isn't outstanding but I've heard some that can ruin a story...this isn't one of them. The story left me with just a little bit of doubt about whether the main character had actually been through the ordeal... many people doubted that he had, including his dead crewman's family, but at the same time left me thinking that it would be a complete travesty to devalue the feat if he genuinely DID survive all that time as is described in the book. Highly recommend you listen and make up your own mind

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