Impossible Odds
The Kidnapping of Jessica Buchanan and Her Dramatic Rescue by SEAL Team Six
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Narrated by:
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Anthony Flacco
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Candace Thaxton
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George Newbern
About this listen
A harrowing and heart-wrenching memoir of humanitarian aid worker Jessica Buchanan's kidnapping by Somali land pirates, her three months in captivity, her rescue by the Navy SEALs, and her husband's extraordinary efforts to help bring her home.
In 2006, 27-year-old Jessica Buchanan arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, with a teaching degree and long-held dreams of helping to educate African children. By 2009, she had met and married the man of her dreams, a native Swede named Erik Landemalm, who worked to coordinate humanitarian aid with local authorities in Africa. With dreams of starting a family, they moved from Nairobi to Somalia, and their future couldn't have seemed brighter....
But on October 25, 2011, Jessica and a male colleague were kidnapped at gunpoint and held for ransom by an organized band of Somali land pirates. For the next three months, Jessica was terrorized by more than two dozen gangsters. She was held outdoors in filthy conditions and kept on a starvation diet while her health steadily deteriorated. Negotiations for ransom dragged on, and as the ordeal stretched into its third month, the captors grew increasingly impatient.
Every terrifying moment Jessica spent suffering in captivity was matched by that of her adoring husband working behind the scenes to deal with her captors. Finally, on January 25, 2012, President Barack Obama ordered a rescue operation by a team of 24 Navy SEALs. The team killed all nine kidnappers, with no harm to the hostages, who were quickly airlifted out on a military rescue helicopter.
In riveting detail, Impossible Odds details Jessica and Erik's mutual journey during those torturous months. Together they relate the events prior to the kidnapping, the drama of Jessica's fight to stay alive, and Erik's efforts to bolster and support the hunt for her while he acted as liaison between their two families, the FBI, professional hostage negotiators, and the United States government.
©2013 Jessica Buchanan and Erik Landemalm (P)2013 Simon & SchusterListeners also enjoyed...
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Born in the Old City of Sana’a, Yemen, to a pair of middle-class doctors, Mohammed Al Samawi was a devout Muslim raised to think of Christians and Jews as his enemy. But when Mohammed was 23, he secretly received a copy of the Bible, and what he read cast doubt on everything he’d previously believed. After connecting with Jews and Christians on social media, and at various international interfaith conferences, Mohammed became an activist, making it his mission to promote dialogue and cooperation in Yemen. Then came the death threats....
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Engaging and informative memoir
- By Mark on 08-02-18
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Taking Morgan
- A Political Thriller
- By: David Rose
- Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Morgan Cooper has always found it difficult to balance her home life - mother of two young children and wife of a workaholic civil rights lawyer - with her work life as an undercover CIA officer. When Morgan gets stressed, anxious, or scared, whether at home or in the field, she tends to talk to herself until she can clear her head. This habit, though, puts her life in danger during an assignment in the strife-torn Gaza Strip.
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unrealistic
- By Coverdale on 08-09-22
By: David Rose
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The Damage Done
- Twelve Years of Hell in a Bangkok Prison
- By: Warren Fellows
- Narrated by: David Tredinnick
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1978, Warren Fellows was convicted of heroin trafficking between Thailand and Australia. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in the notorious Bang Kwang prison - better known as the Bangkok Hilton. It was the beginning of 12 years of hell in a place where sewer rats and cockroaches are the only nutritious food, where prison guards laugh as they deliver pulverising blows, and where the worst punishment is the khun deo - solitary confinement, Thai style.
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Remarkable -- in every way! Every minute is great
- By Eric Schurr on 12-05-13
By: Warren Fellows
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Eichmann in My Hands
- A First-Person Account by the Israeli Agent Who Captured Hitler's Chief Executioner
- By: Peter Z. Malkin, Harry Stein
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1960 Argentina, a covert team of Israeli agents hunted down the most elusive war criminal alive: Adolf Eichmann, chief architect of the Holocaust. The young spy who tackled Eichmann on a Buenos Aires street - and fought every compulsion to strangle the Obersturmführer then and there - was Peter Z. Malkin. For decades Malkin's identity as Eichmann's captor was kept secret. Here he reveals the entire breathtaking story - from the genesis of the top-secret surveillance operation to the dramatic public capture and smuggling of Eichmann to Israel to stand trial.
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Excellent the first person account
- By Barrett Francescatti on 02-09-22
By: Peter Z. Malkin, and others
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Tell Me What You See
- Remote Viewing Cases from the World’s Premier Psychic Spy
- By: Major Ed Dames, Joel Harry Newman
- Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Decorated army officer Major Ed Dames tells the shocking true story of his time asoperations and training officer for the Defense Intelligence Agency's top-secret Psychic Intelligence Unit. Together with his PSI Spyteam, Dames used the practice of remote viewing to uncover accurate and verifiable military intelligence by going where no intel operatives on the ground could go - into the very mind of the enemy.
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Interesting, but...spend your credit elsewhere
- By Karen on 11-28-10
By: Major Ed Dames, and others
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Breaking Cover
- My Secret Life in the CIA and What it Taught Me About What's Worth Fighting For
- By: Michele Rigby Assad
- Narrated by: Michele Rigby Assad
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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The CIA is looking for walking contradictions. Recruiters seek people who can keep a secret, yet pull classified information out of others; who love their country, but are willing to leave it behind to head into dangerous places; who live double lives, but can be trusted with some of the nation's most sensitive tasks. Michele Rigby Assad was one of those people. As a CIA agent, Michele soon found that working undercover was an all-encompassing job. The threats were real. The mission was a perilous one. Trained as a counterterrorism expert, Michele spent over a decade in the agency.
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Deceptive title and sample.
- By Philip Yaghmai on 07-17-18
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The Eternal World
- A Novel
- By: Christopher Farnsworth
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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It is 500 years ago. A group of Spanish conquistadors searching for gold, led by a young and brilliant commander named Simon De Oliveras, land in the New World. What they find in this uncharted land is a treasure far more valuable: the Fountain of Youth. The Spaniards slaughter the Uzita, the Native American tribe who guard the precious waters that will keep the conquistadors young for centuries. But one escapes: Shako, the chief's fierce and beautiful daughter, who swears to avenge her people - a blood oath that spans more than five centuries.
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Not what I expected
- By cristina on 09-10-15
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Touching the Dragon
- And Other Techniques for Surviving Life's Wars
- By: James Hatch, Christian D'Andrea
- Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith, James Hatch
- Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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James Hatch is a former special ops Navy SEAL senior chief, master naval parachutist, and expert military dog trainer and handler. His fateful final mission in Afghanistan went south, and Hatch was left with a shattered femur from an AK-47 round and the SEAL dog who fought alongside him was dead. As a result of his horrific leg wound, his 24-year military career came to an end - and with it the only life he’d ever known. In Touching the Dragon, we witness his long road to recovery.
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Rare Honesty - Raw and Well Written
- By Diana on 06-02-18
By: James Hatch, and others
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Game Changer
- By: Douglas E. Richards
- Narrated by: Joe Hempel
- Length: 14 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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What if it were possible to upload years of knowledge into your mind in hours? To become an expert in multiple scientific fields, become an MD, or learn several languages - in a single day? The benefit to humanity would be immense. But so would the danger.... Rachel Howard is a brilliant neuroscientist trying to make this capability a reality. But when she crosses paths with Kevin Quinn, a Secret Service agent desperately trying to kill the president, she finds herself at the epicenter of an insidious plot.
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Richards fills the seat of the late great Crichton
- By Brian on 09-22-16
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I'm Still Standing
- From Captive U.S. Soldier to Free Citizen - My Journey Home
- By: Shoshana Johnson, M. L. Doyle
- Narrated by: Napiera Groves
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Shoshana Johnson, the first black female soldier in America's history to be taken as a prisoner of war, presents the much-anticipated story of her capture and imprisonment in Iraq and what happened after her rescue.
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Amazing
- By Amazon Customer on 05-13-19
By: Shoshana Johnson, and others
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Preemptive Love
- Pursuing Peace One Heart at a Time
- By: Jeremy Courtney
- Narrated by: Jeremy Courtney
- Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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In the middle of the Iraq War, Jeremy and Jessica Courtney found themselves with their two children caught up in the turmoil, just hoping to make a difference. After an encounter with a father whose little girl was dying from a heart defect, they began to investigate options for helping and learned that untold thousands of children across Iraq were in similar need, waiting in line for heart surgery in a country without a qualified heart surgeon.
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Recommended Highly!
- By Zak on 06-13-18
By: Jeremy Courtney
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Hostile Intent
- By: Michael Walsh
- Narrated by: Jay Snyder
- Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Code named Devlin, he exists in the blackest shadows of the United States government--operating off the grid as the NSA's top agent. He's their most lethal weapon-and their most secret. But someone is trying to draw him out into the open by putting America's citizens in the crosshairs--and they will continue the slaughter until they get what they want.
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3-1/2 Stars - Could Have Been Better
- By Ed on 08-26-10
By: Michael Walsh
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Code Name: Johnny Walker
- The Extraordinary Story of the Iraqi Who Risked Everything to Fight with the U.S. Navy SEALs
- By: Johnny Walker, Jim DeFelice
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim
- Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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>In this illuminating and informative memoir, an Iraqi translator who risked his life working with American Sniper author Chris Kyle and the Navy SEALs tells his remarkable and inspiring story, offering a refreshing new perspective on the Iraq War. As the insurgency in Iraq intensified following the American invasion, U.S. Navy SEALs were called upon to root terrorists from their lairs. Unsure of the local neighborhoods and unable to speak the local languages, they came to rely on one man to guide them and watch their backs. He was a "terp" - an interpreter - with a job so dangerous they couldn't even use his real name.
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Outstanding and real
- By Noel C. Stanhope on 06-05-14
By: Johnny Walker, and others
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Son of Hamas
- A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices
- By: Mosab Hassan Yousef, Ron Brackin - contributor
- Narrated by: Mosab Hassan Yousef
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Since he was a small boy, Mosab Hassan Yousef has had an inside view of the deadly terrorist group Hamas. The oldest son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founding member of Hamas and its most popular leader, young Mosab assisted his father for years in his political activities while being groomed to assume his legacy, politics, status...and power. But everything changed when Mosab turned away from terror and violence and embraced instead the teachings of another famous Middle East leader.
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Very insightful look at the underbelly of Hamas.
- By C,L, Richey on 05-05-14
By: Mosab Hassan Yousef, and others
What listeners say about Impossible Odds
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jen-nay!
- 12-07-13
An Amazing Survival Story
If you could sum up Impossible Odds in three words, what would they be?
Courageous, Intense and Heartwarming.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Jessica, of course. She always looked out for Paul who was kidnapped along with her. She kept her cool even though she was angry because she knew that their were two lives at stake not just one. She was ingenious in finding ways to care for herself even though they didn't give her the supplies she needed to help her survive.
What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
In the beginning of the book, at the time of Jessica's kidnapping... I was worried about the female narrator not showing enough emotion. I kept listening and found that she did in the rest of the book. She did a great job. The other narrators were wonderful too and it was nice to change voices when changing perspectives and characters.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
I love the title of the book and wouldn't change it for a possible film. It's perfect!
Any additional comments?
I didn't know anything about this book or the kidnapping that had occurred until a friend said that she saw the author (Jessica) on a talk show recently. My friend never listened to the audio book so she couldn't recommend it to me. I decided to take a chance on it and found that it was absolutely inspiring. I highly recommend it.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Pamela Dale Foster
- 11-16-13
Come and Rescue Us, PLEASE
What made the experience of listening to Impossible Odds the most enjoyable?
What the experience of listening to Impossible Odds the most enjoyable was the way in which it was written. I enjoyed listening to the varied narrators. I was happy to know that Jessica Buchanan and Paul were rescued.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Impossible Odds?
The most memorable moment of Impossible Odds was when a member of SEAL Team Six presented Jessica Buchanan with the American flag after being rescued. Those men of SEAL Team Six did a bang up job rescuing Jessica and Paul. If I were in need of such a rescue, I would hope to be rescued by them. Jessica had nothing but praise for SEAL Team Six.
What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
The narrators bring the people to life. I felt that I could have been the kidnapped. The verbalization put me there.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Somalian Kidnapper's Cause Terror and Revel in Cruelty
Any additional comments?
Somalia has no government. The people of Somalia are uneducated, the poorest of the poor, starving, fearful and are taught to hate. Jessica Buchanan put her fears aside and left the safety of her base camp to attend a meeting concerning the education she was providing for the African children. She questioned the new driver in her mind but did not voice her concerns. Her and her companion Paul were both kidnapped by Somalian's for ransom. The sum of 45 million dollars was their first request. The amount continued to go down as time dragged on. Both Jessica and Paul were treated inhumanely. They were not given enough water or food which led to dehydration, starvation, weakness and illness. Care packages were provided for them but nothing ever reached them because they were stolen. Jessica had her thyroid medication with her but it was taken away. The drones that were watching from high above could visualize Paul and Jessica's plight. Jessica required antibiotics. She had not been allowed to take the thyroid medication which caused her to become infected with a urinary tract infection. A UTI requires antibiotics because the infection could get into the blood causing sepsis, which is life threatening.The kidnapper's kept their prisoner's outside at all times. They were unable to keep themselves clean, urinated and defecated behind bushes without any toilet paper. The Somalian people do not have any toilet paper. They were given minimal space to exercise, they walked in circles. Jessica kept her sanity by talking to her recently deceased mother, she kept in contact with Eric, in her mind. Jessica and Paul were in captivity for 93 days and each day was worse than the one before. The kidnapper's held guns to their heads and kept them in constant fear with intimidation and a multitude of other horrors. When it was determined that the health of Jessica was in jeopardy due to her deterioration from illness and would die, was when she and Paul were allowed to be rescued and not before. President Obama gave the order for SEAL Team Six to rescue Jessica and Paul.
The book was well written and made the reader a part of her story. Jessica wanted to tell the world her story. Her memoir is a good listen.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Thomas
- 07-14-13
Very hard to take a break from listening
Would you consider the audio edition of Impossible Odds to be better than the print version?
Never read the print version
What was one of the most memorable moments of Impossible Odds?
The kidnapping
Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
My extreme reaction was dramatic increase in respect and admiration for the U.S. Special Forces
Any additional comments?
It made me think that, although the U.S. has the highest level of special services, Navy Seal program and intelligence system in the world, I never really understood the situations they are put in and able to perform.
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- Anonymous User
- 02-16-20
Near Death, but A Memorable & Triumpful Account.
Awesome! Why you can always count on the good guys to lift you out of the most dangerous conditions, unconditionally and disappear in to the darkness where they operate undetectable wanting no fame or recognition...just do the right thing.
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- Anonymous User
- 06-23-23
Captivating & Emtional
I would recommend this book to anyone! It made me do emotional throughout & was so well written! The contrast of how Jessica was feeling versus how Eric was feeling was so emotional! It had me on the edge of my seat!
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- Amazon Customer
- 01-10-24
The victims story in her own words
Wasn’t a fan of the male narrator’s voice in this book. This story is so good and you really feel as if you were there with the victims and their loved ones dealing with such a horrible situation.
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- Philippa
- 05-28-13
Well Written & Surprisingly Interesting
I found this book very well written. It gave me greater insight into NGO's in third world countries and also dispelled the myth that NGO workers are clueless about the dangers of working in third world countries (but confirmed the notion I have that they do not provide adequate security for their employees). I also liked how it showed the role of the FBI - I never considered their role in these situations. I also liked how we get to understand the angst of Buchanen's husband and family and their role in her rescue.I really enjoyed the book.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Michelle
- 10-30-15
Truly a miracle.
I hung on every word. I felt truly honored that Jessica & Erik were so vulnerable and willing to retell such a heart wrenching account of their lives.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Daniel L Nichols
- 03-19-22
thanks Jessica what an incredible miracle of God
amazing inspiration of hope and endurance, God bless you and your entire family, Daniel L Nichols
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- Amazon Customer
- 03-29-23
Great Book!
Really enjoyed this book. I loved Jessica’s analysis of her captors and her take on the overall situation in the region.
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