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Midnight Express
- Narrated by: Billy Hayes
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, True Crime
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Summary
Midnight Express tells the gut-wrenching true story of a young man's incarceration and escape from a Turkish prison. A classic story of survival and human endurance told with humor, honesty, and heart, it became the Academy Award-winning blockbuster film of the same name.
In 1970, Billy Hayes was an English major who left college in search of adventures to write about, like his hero Jack London. He had a rude awakening when he was arrested at the airport in Istanbul trying to board a plane while carrying four pounds of hashish, and given a life sentence. After five brutal years, relentless efforts by his family to gain his release, and endless escape-plotting, Hayes finally took matters into his own hands. On a dark night in a wailing storm, he began a desperate and daring escape to freedom.
This is the astounding journey, told in Billy Hayes' own words, of those five years of living hell and of the harrowing ordeal of his time on the run.
What listeners say about Midnight Express
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- David Abbott
- 28-05-18
Everything about this is great.
From start to finish it is superb and clears up inexactitudes in the film with Brad Davis, albeit that film being brilliant, gripping and "unputdownable", it got me through a night when otherwise I would have just laid in bed with insomnia.
4 people found this helpful
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- Louise & Matty
- 02-06-19
Awesome!!
Fantastic listen. Beautifully read and wow, can this man paint a picture! I felt like I was escaping with him! Being able to finally know what was true and what was fiction in the film was fascinating. I know I'll listen to this again and again.
2 people found this helpful
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- lewis stimpson
- 11-09-21
Really enjoyed this book
Throughout this listen I tried putting myself in William's shoes....what would I do. it sounded like a horrible place to be for 5 years of his life. Happy with the ending 😊
1 person found this helpful
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- Trevor Williams
- 12-01-21
brilliant
Love the film but the book is so so much better with much more detail
1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 26-11-19
Exceptional
Absolutely Brilliant. Such an amazing story. What a journey and crazy adventure. Definitely one to read!!
1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 14-08-19
superb and well read by Billy
Loved it don't understand why the film never just done this story this was better. Glad I bought this and will defo be listening again in the near future. Terrible what he went through.
1 person found this helpful
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- Lightrhino
- 15-06-19
This book gets you from the start
A compelling story of a stupid mistake that leads to the greatest suffering and then redemption. I didn’t want this to stop and If Audible had Billy Hayes’ sequel I’d have bought it immediately. Highly recommend.
1 person found this helpful
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- ross pygall
- 14-11-18
Much better than the movie
From the very first chapter I could not stop listening. The narrator was very good as was the extremely gripping story. fans of the movie should give this a listen.
1 person found this helpful
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- steeledarren1973
- 09-12-17
Interesting story !
A well told story of a chance risked.
Enjoyed it.
True Story.
Harsh time experience told.
1 person found this helpful
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- joe n.
- 03-07-22
Exciting and terrifying
Anyone who’s a fan of the film I implore you to give this a listen and for anyone with an interest in foreign prisons it’s up there with papillon
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- Kathy
- 16-06-22
Gripping !
couldn't put it down. It was great to hear the author read his story !
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- Anonymous User
- 05-12-21
Live Life
what a book I could not stop listening I would wake up at 3 am and listen till my alarm went off just loved it
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- Super ultra donkey
- 30-10-21
wow
what an amazing book I hate to sound cliche but this was better than the movie
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- Don C.
- 23-10-21
4.5 overall.
Recommend it, even IF you saw the movie - especially considering how it gave the Turks an undeserved bad rap (or worse rap, rather).
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- brian
- 21-10-21
Awesome from start to finish!!
Such a good book a real page turner didn't want to stop listening once I started.
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- Julia H.
- 13-07-21
nice job reading
I bought midnight express on Kindle ages ago. I would love to get that on audible. please see what you can do. thanks
read this book to my nursing home patients years ago. they loved it.
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- Andreas Lawrence
- 11-07-21
Amazing
If you have seen the film, the book will blow you away. It is 1000 times better than the movie could’ve ever to be. William Hayes tells an absolutely amazing story of survival, innovation, and perseverance. Definitely one of the best prison scape novels of all time.
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- Linda
- 04-06-21
I liked the movie better...
I've watched the movie numerous times and listened to Billy Hayes interviews both were better than the book to me but I am glad I listened, his story is fascinating.
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- Tiago
- 29-05-21
I could not hear a single thing
I downloaded the file when I am trying to hear I couldn't... there is a big problem with the file.
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- Kindlephile
- 16-04-21
WOULD NOT DOWNLOAD ONTO MY FIRE HD 8 PLUS
This Audible audio book would never download onto my new fire tablet HD 8 Plus!