9 Inspiring Survival Stories for Fans of Dunkirk

“I come from a plane that fell in the mountains…” So begins two strangers' written plea for help. Ten weeks prior, they’d been among 45 other passengers on Santiago-bound Flight 571, a Uruguayan aircraft that mysteriously vanished from control tower radars. Stranded in the Andes, the 16 survivors stared down avalanches, starvation, and the horrifying choices humans consider in the face of death. This New York Times bestseller explores how, against all odds, the friendship and unwavering determination of 16 strangers kept them alive.

In 1942, Chil Rajchman arrived at Treblinka, an extermination camp with a staggering death toll—over 700,000—that's second only to Auschwitz. As a “barber” and “dentist” of Treblinka, Chil shaved the heads of fellow prisoners, examined the dead for golden teeth, and witnessed gassing after senseless gassing. Mostly written while hiding in Warsaw, Chil’s memoir of his imprisonment—and extraordinary escape—is the only survivor account to leave the camp. And in the tone of Elie Wiesel's Night, The Last Jew of Treblinka is a testament to the power of the human spirit.

With plans of sailing to Costa Rica, three family members—Bob and Linda Tininenko, and Linda’s brother, Jim—embark on a sea-faring adventure. In the span of ten days, they become lost at sea—their trimaran battered by unexpected gale-force winds and giant waves. As they endure the brutal Pacific elements, the trio faces internal conflicts that, like the weather, ultimately endanger their chances of survival. Lost! moves with the pace of your favorite nautical thriller, and at the same time is a powerful examination of religious faith and the source of hope amid disaster.

Related: 15 Essential Titanic Books 

In 1841, Solomon Northup landed a gig with a traveling circus—only to be the victim of his employers’ vicious scheme. After being abducted and sold into slavery, Northup withstood the back-breaking work and cruel injustices of plantation life, until he found freedom 12 years later. His memoir was recently adapted into a film of the same name, though his unflinching portrait of the dark heart of 19th-century America has touched readers for over 100 years.  

Members of the U.S. Air Force Pararescue—also known as the PJs—are the real-life incarnations of Mission Impossible’s Ethan Hunt. Since 1947, they’ve soared above jungles, swung from helicopter cables, and dove into bombs blasts with one goal in mind: to save the lives of others. In Guardian Angel, Senior Master Sergeant Sine shares the tales of his most hair-raising missions, paying tribute to the fearlessness of the world’s greatest rescue team and brotherhood.

The history of North Korean prison camps extends far beyond those of even Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. To be born inside these camps is to be trapped in a ruthless, dog-eat-dog world—one whose doors are permanently locked from the inside out. That is, until Shin Dong-hyuk achieved what no else had dared: escape. Through the heart-wrenching tales of Shin’s childhood, author Blaine Harden explores the corruption of Kim Jong Eun’s sealed nation while introducing readers to the remarkable young man who broke his chains and left North Korea behind. 

In 2010, 33 men entered the San José copper-gold mines. Fourteen weeks later—after a rockfall trapped them deep beneath the earth’s surface—they finally emerged. By then, the entire world was watching as NASA, the Chilean government, and global corporations orchestrated a near-impossible rescue mission. 33 Men recounts the harrowing days they spent underground and their ingenious ability to adapt to life 2,300 feet below. 

Perhaps no one knows the meaning of resilience more than Doaa Al Zamel. As a Syrian refugee in an unstable Egypt, she was forced to run once the Egyptian government collapsed—but this time, she set her sights on Europe. While on a boat with her fiancé, they were attacked at sea. Unable to swim, but suddenly responsible for two child survivors, Doaa spent days floating in the water via an inflatable ring until they reached safety. In A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea, Melissa Fleming chronicles Doaa’s incredible journey, and simultaneously puts a face to the crisis our world too frequently ignores.  

Holly and Fitz Fitzgerald, a newlywed couple enjoying their extended honeymoon, find themselves crash-landed in the center of the Peruvian jungle. Their only salvation? A small raft, crudely built from whatever materials they could find. For hundreds of miles, they float down a South American river, staving off hunger, Amazonian predators, and an increasing sense of hopelessness. Ruthless River is their real-life romance-turned-horror story, in which Holly remembers how their strength and confidence in each other helped them beat seemingly unbeatable odds.