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Sole Survivor
- Author
- Ruthanne Lum McCunn
- Narrator
- Johanna Ward
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Publish Date
- 23 June 2005
- Run Time
- 6 hours 44 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
On November 23, 1942, German U-Boats torpedoed the British ship Benlomond. It sank in the Atlantic in two minutes. The sole survivor was a second steward named Poon Lim who, with no knowledge of the sea, managed to stay alive for 133 days on a small wooden raft.
Based on three years of interviews, Sole Survivor reconstructs Poon’s remarkable ordeal. We learn of a ship’s crew that saw him but refused to pick him up; his ingenious ways of trapping water and catching fish (later used in US Navy training films); and his arrival at land, only to find it an impenetrable jungle. When he was finally rescued at the mouth of the Amazon River, Poon was hailed as the “World’s Champion Survivor.” He still holds the Guinness World Record for survival at sea. His story is an amazing tale of a young man’s fortitude in the face of overwhelming odds.
Critics Review
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“Inviting reading…[Sole Survivor] rings with truth as well as excitement."
San Francisco Chronicle
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Koontz at his haunting, page-turning best.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Dean Koontz is one of the best suspense writers operating today, with unfailing narrative drive.
The Dallas Morning News
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[A] fast-paced masterpiece . . . impossible to put down.
Lansing State Journal
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Taut plotting, stark terror, and sweet redemption.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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“A book of major interest and importance by an American-Chinese author of remarkable talent.”
Dallas Times
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“[McCunn] shows us a meek, dependent person who is suddenly thrown on his own resources to remain alive…Through tortuous trial and error, Poon…learns to fish with a nail, to collect rainwater and to keep alert despite storms, blazing sun and nighttime cold. Five months later, when he washes ashore in Brazil, he is a matured man. Poon’s experience makes for a dignified, uplifting adventure tale.”
Publishers Weekly
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“The tale of Poon Lim’s ordeal, including his thoughts and dreams, are told in Johanna Ward’s soft, pleasant voice, as though she were reading a child’s bedtime story. Her taciturn descriptions of the taste of fish eyes and the intestinal contents of sea birds are not for the squeamish and would be a good awakening for youngsters who won’t eat their vegetables.”
AudioFile
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“A vivid account of how one man used his intelligence and ingenuity to survive against incredible odds.”
School Library Journal
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“A classic saga of ordeal and survival that reminds us of the courage, strength, and resourceful intelligence of which human beings are capable.”
Tillie Olsen, author of Tell Me a Riddle
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Ruthanne Lum McCunn
- Narrator
- Johanna Ward
- Duration
- 6 hours 44 minutes
- Release Date
- 23 June 2005
- ISBN
- 9781481561952
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Genre
- Thriller / suspense fiction, Horror and supernatural fiction
Synopsis
On November 23, 1942, German U-Boats torpedoed the British ship Benlomond. It sank in the Atlantic in two minutes. The sole survivor was a second steward named Poon Lim who, with no knowledge of the sea, managed to stay alive for 133 days on a small wooden raft.Based on three years of interviews, Sole Survivor reconstructs Poon’s remarkable ordeal. We learn of a ship’s crew that saw him but refused to pick him up; his ingenious ways of trapping water and catching fish (later used in US Navy training films); and his arrival at land, only to find it an impenetrable jungle. When he was finally rescued at the mouth of the Amazon River, Poon was hailed as the “World’s Champion Survivor.” He still holds the Guinness World Record for survival at sea. His story is an amazing tale of a young man’s fortitude in the face of overwhelming odds.
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