9780061876004
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Out of Captivity audiobook

  • By: Marc Gonsalves
  • Narrator: Mark Deakins
  • Length: 8 hours 8 minutes
  • Publisher: HarperAudio
  • Publish date: March 10, 2009
  • Language: English
  • (1118 ratings)
(1118 ratings)
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Out of Captivity Audiobook Summary

“[A] remarkable story….An honest and harrowing memoir of a life-changing ordeal.” —Arizona Republic

The spellbinding New York Times bestseller, Out of Captivity is the amazing true story of Marc Gonsalves, Tom Howes, and Keith Stansell, three American civilian contractors who were held hostage by the FARC rebel group in Colombia for five and a half years. Written with Gary Brozek, this book is an astonishing tale of unbelievable hardship and indomitable will–an “action-packed” (Time magazine) real-life adventure that stands with Alive by Piers Paul Read, Norman Ollestad’s Crazy for the Storm, and other classic true stories of survival.

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Out of Captivity Audiobook Narrator

Mark Deakins is the narrator of Out of Captivity audiobook that was written by Marc Gonsalves

Marc Gonsalves is a former member of the United States Air Force who worked as a civilian military contractor for four years before the crash. He has a daughter, Destiney, and two stepsons, Cody and Joey. He lives in Connecticut.

About the Author(s) of Out of Captivity

Marc Gonsalves is the author of Out of Captivity

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Out of Captivity Full Details

Narrator Mark Deakins
Length 8 hours 8 minutes
Author Marc Gonsalves
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date March 10, 2009
ISBN 9780061876004

Additional info

The publisher of the Out of Captivity is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780061876004.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Karen

March 19, 2009

This book was fascinating; of course, I had a special interest in reading it as my husband used to work with these guys in Colombia. I can relate to everything in the book... all the political ideas, the fear of doing a job like that, etc. I recommend it for anyone who is interested in learning about the drug cartel and the risks these government contractors take in trying to keep illegal drugs out of America.

Tess

December 12, 2012

I felt their pain. I lived for three years in Ecuador as a volunteer, including one in the rainforest, and living next to the country of Colombia is enough to arouse fear whenever the word kidnapping comes up. My husband, who I met and married while in Ecuador, comes from a Colombian family, and I was already familiar with a lot of the history before reading this book. Prior to reading this book, I highly recommend reading Hostage Nation, as it gives a much broader political account and history of the situation surrounding their kidnapping and eventual rescue.Having lived in the region, I understand a little bit better than most why people chose to join a movement such as FARC, while not condoning their behavior at all. The three Americans described their lack of education, illiteracy, being brainwashed, and lack of personal awareness, which is sadly true. One of the things I did there was teach adults how to read and write, and even if they are "literate" they often do not comprehend what they read. Lacking ability to obtain abstract thinking and reason, they are easy targets for brainwashing. The extreme poverty and hopelessness of their environment make perfect targets for the FARC to recruit them at early ages. My husband has said that they kidnap children/teenagers to make them soldiers, which seems to have truth to it from what I have read. Compare it to our inner city gang problem and you might get the idea.I can't imagine the life these men were forced to endure for all that time, and being a CNN junky, I was shocked to learn their story after the fact because I don't recall EVER hearing them mentioned on the news. Having read Hostage Nation first, I don't believe the U.S. had much of anything to do with their rescue, which is a cautionary tale for anyone traveling to the area. I do have to say that when I began reading the book, I was disappointed with two of the men for not making any attempt to learn the language and culture of the country they were working in. I was glad to see that that changed eventually, and they made clear that not all Colombians were bad. In fact, I think they gave credit where it was due in their rescue.Spoiler alert- I was saddened to learn that their wives' had moved on, and while I thought it noble of the men to not blame them for it, nor to even say a negative thing about them, I DO blame them. While the memories of their families helped them survive the impossible, these women lived in comfort, being cared for by the company their husbands had worked for, and that they would not stand by them when they returned? Shame on them.

Pamela

April 07, 2011

Haunting. These guys were hostages in Colombia while we lived there in Bogota. There are times during the book when I could correlate what I was doing and where I was at....at that time. We lived within 2 miles of the car bombing at the military academy. I clearly remember that day, the communication from the Embassy to stay in our apartment behind the armored door...and to not leave until they communicated to us a level of safety. That said...Amazing true story. I am glad to begin with this biography vs. the Ingrid Betancourt version. I'd like to read them all...Ingrid's and Clara Rojas's as well...and I believe, I'll read Clara's next and leave Ingrid to last. For obvious reasons when you've read this book.Truly a testament to the far reaches of humanity...survival, loyalty, endurance...as well as brutality and evil. I love Colombia. I love the culture, the people, the music...and the beauty of the country. I miss living in Bogota. I hope Colombians find peace someday....and thank you God for bringing these men home to the United States of America. How lucky we are to be FREE.......

Andy

June 29, 2009

I remember reading at the time about the French woman's captivity and then escape from FARC and then again when this book was first published with a different perspective on her relations with the captors and fellow hostages. That's why I bought it. But this book was much more than that. It was written by the three American hostages who I think showed great courage and preseverance during their long ordeal. It was a great book, read like a novel and avoided simplistic depictions of their captors, fellow hostages and the political situation. Also showed great sensitvity to their families as well as their follow hostages(and some captors, one of whom committed suicide)

Valerity (Val)

August 01, 2014

Just finished this, stayed up all night to do so. It was quite engrossing, once I got into it. These 3 men, who were doing surveillance for a private company over Columbia in a plane, to make good money for their young families, end up crashing due to engine failure. They are captured by the FARC, and held captive for what ends up being 5 whole years out of their lives! The story kept me "captivated", I had to say! I couldn't stop reading it, with all the things that they endured. I just had to keep reading, to see how it turned out, I guess. I have a thing for true exciting stories, that's for sure. Check it out yourself.

Dorinda

June 30, 2009

This was a fascinating book. The authors did such a wonderful job of describing their ordeal, you couldn't help but feel their pain. I know they had a co-writer, but it is amazing to me how 3 men, who are not authors, could put such so much of themselves into their words. Thankfully they were allowed to have paper and pencil so they could chronicle their days in captivity. I had no idea that these prisoners even existed until hearing of their safe return. These men survived together, and thankfully the were kept together, by sheer mind over matter and a positive attitude. They should be an inspiration to all who read their story, I know they are to me. I must say, I was a little disappointed that they didn't share more of their return to freedom and their families, but that is, perhaps, private for them. It was a wonderful book, I would recommend it to everyone.

Stephanie

December 07, 2010

Let's see... after seeing lots of interviews and documentaries about Ingrid and these 3 americans being kidnapped I decided to read both books, as most reviews said that both books were opposite to each other. To my surprise I realized that this book is pretty similar to Ingrid Betancourt's when it comes to the boredom, the way they were treated, what they were fed, etc, but I thought most of the stories of confrontation with Ingrid were gonna be completely different... and they are not. Both books show the human side of all the hostages, and both books admit their mistakes and how captivity brought the best and worse in all of them. So I liked this book a lot, especially to see how 3 coworkers become brothers in captivity I highly recommend it.

Diana

October 25, 2010

"Without stating it directly, they made it clear that Marc, Keith, and I would not be separated from one another for long periods of time."p.432"You can't pick your family members, you're born with them. The same goes for your fellow hostages. We are family now. And together we did it; we survived. I love you, my brothers." p.457Excellent, excellent book! these three guys told their story in such a warm and caring way! my favorite part was the incredible bond and the respect they shared with each other!

Leslie

October 02, 2011

An interesting and informative book about and by three men held in the Columbian Jungle for over five years by the terrorist organinazation FARC. I had never even heard of FARC, but they are holding hundred of hostages in the jungles of Columbia, fighting a war against the government that has lasted over forty years.The three men were subcontractors, working for the US government, trying to destroy the cocaine that FARC produces and exports to finance their operations. The plane had engine failure and five men were captured by FARC. Two were executed right away. The others were held in many different locations all over Columbia.The most interesting part of the book for me was the interpersonal relations between the three men, them and their guards, and them and the other hostages they came in contact with. Also, they opened up about what was going on inside from despair to wild hopes that got dashed again and again, to really facing who they were and what they had done with their lives and what they wanted to do different if they did ever get out of the jungle.The end is so sudden and happy it made me cry. I also feel like crying when I think of the hundreds of people still held by FARC, some for many more years than these three men.This book is really worth reading.

Jared

January 16, 2015

In the book Out of captivity surviving 1,967 days in the Colombian jungle,by Marc Gonsalves, Tom Howes, Keith Stansell, and Gary Brozek, the authors discuss about their experience in being prisoners of a Colombian terrorist organization called the FARC. The authors’ message that were mainly conveyed throughout the story is that with enough faith you can accomplish anything. An important quote from the book is “Sitting there with Patricia and my two boys made me feel like I’d been given another chance. I wasn’t going to squander that opportunity to be washed clean, to remove some of the layers of selfishness and ego that had been building up on me long before I’d crashed in Colombia. If i hadn't gotten that message that giving of myself to others was a necessary and beneficial thing that enabled us all to survive our captivity, then Patricia’s selfless devotion drove the point home so that even this big dumb country boy wouldn't forget it.” on page 441. This is important because it shows that during his time in captivity all he had in his mind was seeing Patricia and his two boys, which led him to not give up.

François

January 23, 2019

Wow it is unbelievable what the human can support!! Very good book

Belinda

September 14, 2022

3,5 sterren- Nederlandse hardcover

Kevin

March 08, 2015

Although I disagree with the reason Marc, Keith, and Tom were in Colombia in the first place ("War on drugs"), I focused on the human condition aspect of their 5-1/2 years in captivity and found it to be an intriguing read. The premise of the book is how these three Americans survived for so long under the FARC. I admired the trio's system of communication and spirit building methods under adverse conditions. Their account of the mundane time in the jungle and trying to understand how the FARC thinks and organizes itself, struck a somewhat personal note with me, but certainly not to the extent of anything they experienced. Having lived near there (Ecuador) for three years, I found some of their reactions to South American idiosyncracies and culture to be believable and at times, humorous. I think my personality would've clashed with that of Keith, though he did seem to read Ingrid Betancourt and certain situations correctly. Assuming their assessment of her is true, she is either bipolar, or an insecure backstabber. I would've gotten along well with Marc, as he is the more "tranquilo" one. I could also identify with Tom, as he is fluent in Spanish and was able to reach out to the FARC and Colombian prisoners, which made Keith feel insecure. I especially felt in his shoes in the part when Keith thinks he is betraying the trio by speaking Spanish to them and being a "buddy." I've felt the same way here speaking Spanish to Latinos in front of gringos. As a person with liberal political views, their right wing views took a little away from the book for me, especially their views on Iraq, and why we were there. They didn't seem to understand that U.S. meddling in other countries, as well as the failed "War on drugs" (in bed with the private prison industry) helps create the very terrorists that held them captive. Maybe if drugs were legalized in America, the FARC's finances would effectively collapse and ultimately sink them. What I also found far-fetched, were all the conversations in the book. Did they really remember what everyone said 2, 3, 4, 5 years, etc. ago? I understand that they had to portray the reality of their situation, but it leaves me wondering how much error/half-truths they may have added to the book. There are also some spelling errors in the book that were especially notable when talking about Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Their personal accounts of family trials and tribulations seemed believable. The end was gripping and touching when they were finally rescued by the Colombian army. All in all, I looked forward to the rescue by reading it every chance I had. Overall, it was a decent read.

Lou

May 18, 2010

I thought I kept up on current events, but somehow I missed the news during the more than FIVE YEARS these three men were held hostage in Colombia. The writing is not great, but that's a bit much to ask for from men who were locked up in the South American jungle for nearly 1,967 days and nights (and who were obviously not trained to be novelists). The story is told in the first person equally by each of the three authors.What is most amazing to me is that this took place between 2003 and 2008. The ordeal ended less than two years ago!!! And while these men basically had their lives suspended, life continued without them. You might expect their family and friends to be waiting for them when they returned, but five years of no contact can have quite an effect on relationships. And then they came home in July 2008 to learn of a world where everyone had something called an IPOD.Out of Captivity is another book that taught me how lucky I am to live where I do, and that there are still many places on this earth that are a thousand times worse than the worst places in the U.S. (and one of those places is in Colombia, South America).Read this book!!! It's an incredible true story of the human spirit overcoming incredible hardship at the hands of other humans.

Rachel

December 08, 2010

This is the second book I read about the hostages taken by the FARC. These men were Americans that were captured after surviving a plane crash in the Columbian jungle. It was an engrossing read and I would often find myself doing mundane daily things and thinking about them. It made me appreicate my freedom more and the freedome we take for granted here in the US. I did think they could have been more bluntly honest in their book (if was written by all 3 men) just as Ingrid Bettancourt could have been more honest. I think at times they all sunk to such lows due to their circumstances and didn't want to reveal too much about themselves and others in that state. Had they been more honest it would have been a better book beacause you would have felt more of the real human emotions. Having said that it was still powerful, captivating and VERY thought provoking. A must read to see the world outside our own and the strength of human endurance agains all odds. These men will forever be heroes for what they sacrificed and went through.

Mike

April 17, 2010

If you have ever dreamed of taking that once in a life time trip to the rain forests of Colombia, read this book and see if you still want to. There are plenty of other places I would rather be than in the hands of the FARC. Granted not everyone who travels to Colombia is abducted by terrorists, but many people who have lived there or visited have been affected negatively by this group. The authors of this book did an excellent job bringing the plight of hostages and even some FARC members into the light with this book. It was an easy, informative and compelling read from start to finish. I enjoyed the way three different men's stories could be intertwined into one big picture. While reading this book I felt as if I was having a conversation with the co-authors, not reading. I did lose a little hope in humanity by reading this book, one should read it with a grain of salt and consider the hand that some people in the story were forced to play with.

Jacob

September 12, 2014

Over all this was an amazing book. I could just visualize all of the terrible conditions that they were living in and not being able to fight back from those terrorist. It almost felt like I was there with them because that's how awesome the book was. I recommend this book to anyone that is in the mood for a book. this is the best book by far that I have ever read.

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