The Great Cave Rescue

The extraordinary story of the Thai boy football team trapped in a cave for 18 days

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Pub Date 03 Oct 2019 | Archive Date 01 Nov 2019

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Description

First came the awful news that 12 boys and their football coach were missing. Then came the flickering video of the boys found by a pair of British divers nine days later.

Monsoon rains had raised the water level in the cave system, and they were trapped in an air pocket, surrounded by rising muddy water, over two kilometres from the cave entrance. Expert British, Australian, American, Chinese, and other international divers joined the Thai Navy SEALs and hundreds of local volunteers to mount one of the most risky and complex rescue operations the world has ever seen.

South-east Asia correspondent James Massola recreates the drama, tension, and inspiration of the days in July 2018 when the eyes of the whole world were trained on a remote Thai mountain. Very little information about what happened inside the cave was released by the Thai authorities at the time, but through interviews Massola has managed to obtain extensive details of the nine long days the Wild Boars were on their own and during the rescue operation itself as well as background information about the boys and coach.

He writes about the pivotal role of the British Cave Rescue Council in leading the international effort, and determining the technical aspects of the rescue. He reveals how the Thai, British, US, Australian and other international divers worked together so smoothly, when even a minor miscommunication could have resulted in death or serious injury. And, most dramatically, he discloses the number of instances in which the rescue operation nearly went wrong.

First came the awful news that 12 boys and their football coach were missing. Then came the flickering video of the boys found by a pair of British divers nine days later.

Monsoon rains had raised...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9780715653845
PRICE $7.99 (USD)

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Average rating from 7 members


Featured Reviews

This book tells the full story of the Thai boys trapped in a cave with their coach in 2018. It tells of the rescue mission to save them and everone that came together to do so. It is a harrowing book and one that should be read. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the story at all. It tells of the families and the heros. It is a good read.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

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A moving, and rather harrowing book that documents the detail of the rescue of the "Wild Boars", a team of football(soccer)-playing Thai boys trapped in a cave with their coach in 2018.
Even having followed the media story, I hadn't realised just how many people were involved in the mission, from military personnel to bird nest collectors with their ability to search the overhead terrain for clues and the man who drove for many hours with 3 large water pumps on his truck because he knew that he had what was needed.
With the water rising, the oxygen levels in the cave dropping and the families growing increasingly desperate, this book tells the story of the team that came together to save the 13 trapped boys. The "heroes" of the story are probably the experienced British divers who completed the trickiest parts of the mission, but they couldn't have done it without the 100s of other people from all over the world, from divers to logisticians, to strong soldiers able to shift heavy kit who pulled together to make it a success. The book has been very well researched (it is written by an Australian journalist) and it is a great tribute to many of those who worked on this rescue that they are listed by name, not just by number/role.

Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via NetGalley - all opinions are my own.

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It seems that all the world knows that the top cave divers are British, but for this amazing rescue in 2018 over 100 divers from over 20 nations came together with ten thousand others to do the impossible. To rescue alive all 12 young Thai boys and their young coach, a former Buddhist monk, from a cave underwater from the rains and over two kilometers from the entrance. All kinds of specialists were involved, from bird nest collectors with their ability to search the overhead terrain for clues to those who drilled over a hundred holes hoping to find an easier way to get everyone out, to all who provided equipment or food or whatever else was needed. Time was also an enemy with the monsoon season so close, the oxygen levels in the caves dropping, those inside with no food or light since their entrapment. And the families. In great detail and with meticulous care to give names, this Aussie journalist has given the general public an unbiased look into all that went into this unprecedented event.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Allen and Unwin via NetGalley.
Thank you so much! I wasn't able to give much time to the media hype at the time so this is a great chance to learn and appreciate. I can't wait for the audio so I can hear the names pronounced correctly!

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An amazing read about the events leading up to, during and after the much publicised rescue of 12 Thai boys and their coach that gripped the world. It is a short book but detailed with the trials and tribulations of carrying out this remarkable rescue with worldwide experts battling against both time and the elements. The extraordinary resilience of the boys trapped and the courage of the rescuers. It was a book of determination with people many countries working together for a common goal without discord and politicians plus the true generosity of the Thai people who did not apportion blame or retribution and offered what little they had to keep the teams going. The parents whose boys were trapped, the farmers whose crops were destroyed were not up in arms ready to sue authority or find fault. The book has an underlying message that we should all heed in the western world.

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I had no idea that so many people in addition to the divers were involved in rescuing the boys from this cave! This is a gripping tale that is hard to put down even though we know it has a happy ending.

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A harrowing rescue an event that captured the worlds attention &prayers, Reading this book brings us into the cave shares the tension the moment to moment rescue attempts.There were so many rescue attempts so many brave rescuers.Even though we know the outcome this is still a scary emotional read a book you will not forget..#netgalley#duckworthbooks.

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