Survive!

by Clay Blair Jr.

This is an interesting account of the tragic plane crash in the Andes mountains in October 1972, which saw forty five people go down with the plane, many of them members of a Uruguayan rugby team. Of those forty five, ultimately sixteen would come off the mountain alive, but it would not come to pass until they had spent approximately seventy horrific days and nights trapped in unforgiving and alien territory high in the Andes mountains. This book recounts for the reader the travails of those trapped in this remote and inaccessible place, as well as the faith that helped see them through their horrific ordeal. A few of the photographs in the book are a little shocking, as they show the remains of the survivors' anthropophagy. They did, however, what they had to do in order to survive. It is definitely an amazing story. It makes one ask of oneself, "What would I have done under the same circumstances?"

Genres: Nonfiction

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Clay Blair, Jr. was an American historian, best known for his books on military history. Born in Lexington, Virginia, he served on the fleet submarine Guardfish (SS-217) in World War II and later wrote for Time and Life magazines before becoming editor-in-chief of The Saturday Evening Post. He assisted General Omar Bradley in the writing of his autobiography, A General's Life (1983), published after the general's death. Blair wrote two dozen history books and hundreds of magazine articles that reached a popular audience. His last book was Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted, 1942–1945 (1998), which followed Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunters, 1939–1942 (1996).

Blair's history of the Korean War The Forgotten War: America in Korea, 1950–1953 (1987) is considered one of the definitive historical works on the war. His work was notable for his criticism of senior American political and military leaders. Blair criticizes President Harry S. Truman and his Secretary of Defense, Louis A. Johnson, for failing to maintain the military's readiness in the years immediately following World War II. His history, while comprehensive, primarily employs a top-down perspective, with less emphasis on individual soldiers than on larger operational issues and the perspectives of general and field-grade officers. He has also been criticized by some historians for not making sufficient use of Communist sources.

Blair also wrote extensively on the submarine war of World War II, notably in the bestselling Silent Victory: The U.S. Submarine War Against Japan (1975), considered the definitive work on the Pacific submarine war.

Blair was married for many years to Joan Blair, who co-wrote some of his books. Prior to that marriage he was married to Agnes Kemp Devereux Blair, with whom he had seven children: Marie Louise, Clay III, Sibyl, Joseph (deceased), Kemp, Robert and Christopher.
- Wikipedia

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Piers Paul Read's book, Alive (three times back to back) which tells the same story, I decided that I still needed more. This book is much shorter and doesn't give full weight to the incredible feat of the survivors, but it does fulfil one important role. Mr Blair clearly talked and interviewed several people who were only mentioned briefly in the official book, and these characters had a very interesting part to play and gave a new dimension that was missing from Alive. If you want to read about these brave Uruguyans, I would recommend Alive over Survive, but if you finish it and still have an appetite for more, then this book is your next course.

[Lee Lewis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book that reads like a police report. Its very factual and dry. The subject of the Andes survivors should explore, with respect, the relationships of the survivors and the deceased. The author fails desparately to do this. This is an important issue as to how they came to the decision to eat the flesh of their deceased friends and relatives. The inner struggles of the group and of the individuals are real studies of human psychology.

It is my opinion one would be better off to either read ALIVE by Piers Paul Read or Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado OR.....visit the archieves of a large newspaper and read the press clippings of the time.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up for two reasons. First I was reading an article about the psychology of cannibalism, and the Andes miracle came up - I’d never heard of it so did a Wikipedia deep dive and realised I needed to know more.

Second, my copy of The Dream Thieves hasn’t arrived yet and I needed a non-fiction book so I don’t get distracted from what’s happening in The Raven Cycle (lol).

But oh my god. I tore through this. The descriptions of cannibalism weren’t all that gruesome but definitely gruesome enough to make me feel like puking. I’m not sure I could have done it.

I wanted more detail on the women! I read somewhere that the women mainly died because they refused to eat.

Also - I need clarification on whether the pilot WAS shot or just killed in the crash. And why everyone was so blasé about sleeping on the injured for body heat that first night, which ended up killing them.

This book was only written a year after the crash so maybe not enough time to get the full afterstory, but I’m interested in Nando Parrado’s memoir now.

[Loren Auker · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing story told poorly. A plane crash, surviving freezing temperatures and an avalanche with little equipment, cannibalism, and finally an incredible journey on foot through the Andes. Sadly, the writing style was forced and rather boring, considering the topic. Too bad Jon Krakauer didn't write about this 🙃

[Nell Beaudry McLachlan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clear, concise and descriptive with some interesting tidbits, but also some errors in terms of timeline.

[Carterswift · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had heard of this story of the Andes plane crash but reading the details was enlightening. 14 survivors after 72 days trapped in the mountains in the winter with only the dead to eat for most of their ordeal. I love the way the author ends the book asking the question - what would you have done in that situation?

[Thom · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of THE worst books written on the subject. Much of the information is made up and that which is correct is almost useless.