Against The Odds

Ernest Shackleton and his crew of twenty-seven men were finally able to set sail for Elephant Island, but now the boats have been separated. They’ll have to endure the sea’s wrath. Shackleton’s crew must win the battle against the arctic’s unruly, icy waters if they ever plan to reach safety. Meanwhile, Henry Worsley’s body is breaking down. His team is exhausted and cold but determined to ke...

Ernest Shackleton and his men are trapped on an ice floe off the coast of Antarctica. Tensions are running high, and rations are dwindling quickly. Shackleton is unsure how they are going to survive. Escaping the ice seems nearly impossible. The crew must remain determined if they plan to set sail for Elephant Island and regain their freedom. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ f...

Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew of twenty-seven men witness their ship, the Endurance, take a devastating blow against the unforgiving ice off the coast of Antarctica. The men will have to build camp and spend the winter on an ice floe. They’re unsure of how or when they’ll get home, but they’ll need to learn how to survive on desolate terrain. Meanwhile, a hundred years later, Henry Worsley, a...

In March 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton works to put together a crew of twenty-eight men to sail from England to Antarctica. It was a new continent untouched by humanity that only the most adventurous men dared to explore—men who yearned to be the first to see what no other person had.   Shackleton wants to be a part of the first group of men to cross the entirety of the frozen continent. H...

Author Dean King traveled across the world to retrace Captain Riley’s footsteps through the Sahara Desert. His book, Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival, recounts Riley’s story and King’s own experiences in the desert . King shares his memories of discovering Riley’s forgotten memoir and what his journey taught him about friendship and survival. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+...

Sidi Hamet’s family is hundreds of miles away, far across the Sahara. Hamet yearns for his wife but must pay off his debts to his father-in-law before they are reconnected. Meanwhile, Captain James Riley searches for his freedom in the city of Swearah. But, if Riley is going to find his way back across the sea, he must find someone to pay ransom for an American crew. The two men must rely on one a...

When Captain Riley and his crew are divided amongst warring nomadic tribes, Riley needs to devise a plan to find all of his men. Only then can he convince Sidi Hamet to take them to the city of Swearah where he can make a bid for their freedom. But to get there they’ll have to pass through 800 miles of unforgiving sun and sand. It’s a gamble that might cost him and his men their lives. Listen earl...

Captain James Riley’s ship is marooned off the coast of Northwest Africa, where the Sahara meets the sea. The vessel is useless, and his crew’s only chance to make it home is by crossing the largest hot desert in the world. Aside from the sun and lack of food and water, the men also have to avoid being taken captive by desert tribes. But after a chance encounter with a trader named Sidi Hamet, Ril...

In August 1815, a ship called The Commerce runs aground off the coast of Northwest Africa. Onboard are eleven crew members who are merchant traders who have no choice but to row to shore. They will soon find themselves at the edge of the Sahara, one of the most inhospitable places on earth where oasis settlements are controlled by tribes who also run the trans-Saharan slave trade. With no way to e...

On August 1, 2008 Mountaineer Fredrik Sträng was on K2, the second highest mountain on Earth. He’d reached Camp 4 at 26,000 feet and was ready for the final push up to the summit. But Sträng and another member of his team decided to call off their summit bid when they saw climbers backed up on the rope line. It wasn’t an easy decision, but one that may have saved their lives. In Part 2 of our inte...

Mountaineer Fredrik Sträng survived the deadly turn of events on K2 in 2008. In part 1 of this 2-part interview, Sträng talks about the challenges of climbing the world’s highest peaks and what it's like to train for these incredible feats. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery...

Unforeseen conditions have put the world's strongest climbers to the test as they battle their way down the mountain. Before it’s over, the savage mountain will bring on more avalanches and below-zero temperatures. It’s a race against the clock for the remaining climbers to get off the mountain before it’s too late. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, earl...

An international group of climbers are close to summiting one of the world’s tallest, and most dangerous, mountains. Their goal was to reach the peak by mid-afternoon and get down before dark when temperatures drop to 40 below and the thin air and darkness can leave climbers confused and lost. But problems with the rope line have put them behind and they are using all of their strength to pus...

In the summer of 2008, mountaineers from eight different countries gather at the foot of the world’s second tallest mountain, K2. All of them have a single goal: reach the summit. But to do that they will need to undertake one most difficult, and dangerous, climbs on earth. Sunny mornings can suddenly transform into white out conditions. Avalanches drop from overhead without warning...

After five years in captivity, John McCain and his fellow POWs try to keep their spirits up by finding new ways to hold on. When news comes that the war will soon be over, he must figure out what learnings he wants to bring back to his future life.  For more reading, we recommend Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton: Six Characteristics of High-Performance Teams by Taylor Baldwin Kiland. Listen...

John McCain was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for five and a half years. John's son, Doug McCain, and the longest-held prisoner of war in Hanoi Hilton, Everett Alvarez, discuss the Vietnam War's effects on their lives and those they loved.  For more reading, we recommend Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton: Six Characteristics of High-Performance Teams by Taylor Baldwin Kiland. See Privacy Pol...

John McCain’s body and mind are starting to deteriorate after months of imprisonment. To survive, he’ll need to make a tough choice. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a crisis threatens to destroy John's family.  For more reading, we recommend Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton: Six Characteristics of High-Performance Teams by Taylor Baldwin Kiland. Listen early and ad free with...

Lieutenant Commander John McCain’s plane was shot down on a bombing mission and he survived the crash. He was taken in as a prisoner of war and housed at the infamous Hanoi Hilton. Now, John must face the ultimate test of will when his captors torture him, and then make him an offer that seems too good to be true…  For more reading, we recommend Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton: Six Characterist...

It's 1967, and American Naval Pilot John McCain is on a bombing mission in the midst of the Vietnam War when he’s shot down by the enemy. After surviving the crash, he’s taken in as a prisoner of war and housed at the infamous Hanoi Hilton. This is the epic story of his journey to survive five and half years in captivity.  For more reading, we recommend Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton: Six...

Jessica Buchanan was kidnapped by Somali land pirates, and spent 93 days in captivity before her daring rescue by SEAL team six. Jessica talks to Against the Odds host, Cassie De Pecol, about her experience and how it’s informed the rest of her life. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https...

After months in captivity, Jessica Buchanan is battling a kidney infection, and her body’s on the verge of collapse. The negotiations for her release aren’t going anywhere and the Crisis Management Team overseeing Jessica’s case has run out of options. It’s time for Seal Team Six to execute a daring rescue plan to bring Jessica home.  Support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy...

As days and then weeks go by, Jessica tries to adjust to life as a hostage in the Somali desert, but she’s sick and her body is failing. Back in Nairobi, her husband works with her NGO on a plan to get Jessica medicine she needs, but her kidnappers trust no one, not even the negotiators. Jessica’s family meets with an FBI agent who explains to them the possible outcomes of the situation. None...

In the fall of 2011, humanitarian aid worker Jessica Buchanan is traveling through the Somali desert when she and a colleague are kidnapped by land pirates. Her organization quickly springs into action and brings in negotiators who wait for a ransom call. Meanwhile, three hundred miles away, Jessica’s husband Erik does whatever he can to bring her home, while Jessica fights to stay alive...

The two hosts of Against the Odds, Mike Corey and Cassie De Pecol, interview each other on their lives as adventurers in this special episode. They discuss what drives them to explore, why they’re drawn to the subject of survival, and what stories they’ll be diving into on Against the Odds.  Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listenin...

Rick Stanton was one of the lead divers on the mission to rescue 12 boys and their soccer coach from an underwater cave in Thailand. Rick talks to Mike Corey, about his lifelong passion to explore underwater caves. He discusses how he got into the world of cave rescue, what it was like to participate in this harrowing mission, and how the experience changed his life. Support us by suppor...