đź“– How Long Does It Take to Read 438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea?
438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea is 288 pages long, which means it has around 72,000 words (estimated 250 words per page). Wondering how much time you’ll need to finish it? Let’s break it down:
⏳ Reading Time Based on Speed
- Average Reader (200 words per minute): About 6 hours and 0 minutes—perfect for a relaxed weekend or a few cozy evenings with tea and snacks.
- Slower Reader (150 words per minute): Prefer to take your time? It’ll take around 8 hours and 0 minutes—enjoy it over several days at your own pace.
- Fast Reader (300 words per minute): Speed through in just 4 hours and 0 minutes—a quick, exciting read!
⏳ What If You Read One Hour a Day?
If you set aside just one hour each day, here’s how long it’ll take:
- At 200 words per minute: You’ll get through 48 pages per session and finish in 6 days—less than a week!
- At 150 words per minute: Reading 36 pages daily, you’ll wrap up in 8 days—a relaxed, no-rush read.
- At 300 words per minute: Speeding through 72 pages per session, you’ll be done in just 4 days!
📚 No Rush, Just Enjoy the Story!
No matter how fast or slow you go, 438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea is here for you. Whether you devour it in a weekend or savor it over time, it’s a fun, immersive read whenever you’re ready to jump in!

Declared “the best survival book in a decade” by Outside Magazine, 438 Days is the true story of the man who survived fourteen months in a small boat drifting seven thousand miles across the Pacific Ocean.
On November 17, 2012, two men left the coast of Mexico for a weekend fishing trip in the open Pacific. That night, a violent storm ambushed them as they were fishing eighty miles offshore. As gale force winds and ten-foot waves pummeled their small, open boat from all sides and nearly capsized them, captain Salvador Alvarenga and his crewmate cut away a two-mile-long fishing line and began a desperate dash through crashing waves as they sought the safety of port.
Fourteen months later, on January 30, 2014, Alvarenga, now a hairy, wild-bearded and half-mad castaway, washed ashore on a nearly deserted island on the far side of the Pacific. He could barely speak and was unable to walk. He claimed to have drifted from Mexico, a journey of some seven thousand miles.
A “gripping saga,” (Daily Mail), 438 Days is the first-ever account of one of the most amazing survival stories in modern times. Based on dozens of hours of exclusive interviews with Alvarenga, his colleagues, search-and-rescue officials, the remote islanders who found him, and the medical team that saved his life, 438 Days is not only “an intense, immensely absorbing read” (Booklist) but an unforgettable study of the resilience, will, ingenuity and determination required for one man to survive more than a year lost and adrift at sea.