Alive, Piers Paul Read

My boss recommended this book to me, and I confess that I read it because it sounded sensational. The story is a Uruguayan rugby team who charters a flight over the Andes mountains into Chile. They crash in Argentina at 12,000 feet. Most of the 40+ passengers die of injuries and infections. Sixteen live to the end of the book; all of them were forced to eat the flesh of their dead friends. Incidentally, I started reading this on a bad (horrible, no good...) day, and it momentarily helped me keep my problems in perspective. The book is developed from extensive interviews taken within a year of the rescue. There are some areas of TMI, and yes, it gets gory. If you have a "morbid fascination" you'll be okay. If you get grossed out, skip it. Since the media arrived almost before the rescuers did, this book needed to be written to tell the story with respect for what these men suffered, and not just to take advantage of a media sensation. This book is a reality check - the "heroes" were scared to death. They didn't conquer the mountain or cheat death. They fought and cursed each other at times, but moments later would apologize. This book held my attention on every page, but I read it so quickly that I couldn't keep track of all those names. I missed some of the continuity of individual people's stories, but I got a good feel for the big picture. Now, go read my entry about "Miracle in the Andes" By Nando Parrado, a survivor who told the story in his own words.