Alive is a novel written by Piers Paul Read in 1974. The book documents the events of the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crash in the Andes which led to many deaths. The book, the story deals with factual occurrences and tells the story of the Uruguayan Rugby team and their friends and family who were involved in the airplane crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571. The plane crashed into the Andes mountains on October 13, 1972. The book tells us that of the 45 people on the flight, only 16 survived in sub-zero temperatures. After a few days, the rescue team searching for the survivors gave up. Later, the survivors had to sustain life with rations found in the wreckage after the plane had crashed. The food and water rations did not last long, and in order to stay alive, the survivors were forced to eat the bodies of the dead. Eventually, the survivors were found and then Alive was published two years after the survivors of the crash were rescued.
The book was written by the author to document the factual event of the crash of the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 in the Andes mountain and to tell readers the horror of what they faced all alone in the mountains, stranded. The author actually interviewed many of the survivors as well as the family members of the passengers before writing this book to obtain facts about the crash.
The 16 survivors of the crash showed immense courage and strength in the face of death in order to fight their way back to life. The book describes the moments of fear, sadness, and shock which the survivors had to face in the aftermath of the crash and the days following it. Despite the horror, the survivors never gave up hope and kept fighting in order to survive. They worked together and even managed to build a makeshift shelter for themselves. The book is also a testament to the power of the human spirit and how it can withstand any kind of adversity. The book also touches upon the power of faith and how it can help one to remain positive in the face of tragedy and immense suffering. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the power of the human spirit and the courage of the survivors of the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571.
The book was received well by critics and fans alike as it told the event very unique and as if the reader was actually present at the events. In fact, Walter Clemons declared that Alive "will become a classic in the literature of survival". Also, Michael A. Rogers stated that "Read has risen above the sensational and managed a book of real and lasting value." The book was turned into a full feature film in 1993 and produced by Frank Marshall.
