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  • The Long Walk

  • The True Story of a Trek to Freedom
  • By: Slavomir Rawicz
  • Narrated by: John Lee
  • Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (252 ratings)

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The Long Walk cover art

The Long Walk

By: Slavomir Rawicz
Narrated by: John Lee
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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

"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)

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What listeners say about The Long Walk

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Don't think it is 100% true

Where does The Long Walk rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top

What other book might you compare The Long Walk to, and why?

A shallow graves in Siberia which is true so we'll worth the read

What does John Lee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

I am dyslexic

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

Any additional comments?

Great story I think it is a mish mash of the authors experience and other peoples stories

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

Amazing true story

Great story, great reading.
It’s hard to imagine how the people in the story kept going when everything was against them and so many things went wrong

Really fascinating and detailed information about how they coped with every single thing and keep going.

Enjoyed hearing about the adventures. Beautifully narrated.

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

very good

my new favourite adventure book 😄 well worth a read, get a cuppa and settle down to it.

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

Stunning distance

The true grit of men and women escaping from an oppressor. Huge distance over very tough terrain.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it

This is a fabulous story of the amazing power of human endurance!
It was a Bittersweet ending 🙏

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

brilliant narration great book

loved the book, good pace with lots of detail at key moments. so that its easy to imagine the repeating days where simular events happens without repeating/ padding to much.

the narration is good really feels as if the author is narrating and you are there with them.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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The courage

There was nothing I didn’t like. These people were so tremendously strong, steadfast and incredibly brave.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Inspiring survival story

This is an amazing story, which shows just how much people can achieve in the face of adversity. The experiences of the walkers are at turns horrific and uplifting; you get a real sense of the hardships they endure and the growing friendship between them as they continue their journey. There have been questions as to the authenticity of the story, but I?d suggest you leave that aside and simply immerse yourself in this highly enjoyable, gripping story.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A really enjoyable read.

This was a brilliant read, especially enjoyed the section with Christina. My grandad escaped a concentration camp in Siberia, so I was especially enthralled with this read.

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

The Spirit of Survival

Where does The Long Walk rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 10

What other book might you compare The Long Walk to, and why?

"Spirit of Resistance" because I have first-hand knowledge of the men who attempted these escapes and survived

What does John Lee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

It was a long trek and John Lee keeps up the momentum and brings the images to life in a way that reading the book would probably have passed me by in my anxiety to get on with the story. I really enjoy John Lee's readings.

Any additional comments?

I listened to this book through sleepless nights. A page-turner, if I had been turning the pages!

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