Preview
  • Alas, Babylon

  • By: Pat Frank
  • Narrated by: Will Patton
  • Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (13,438 ratings)

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Alas, Babylon

By: Pat Frank
Narrated by: Will Patton
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Publisher's summary

This true modern masterpiece is built around the two fateful words that make up the title and herald the end - “Alas, Babylon.” When a nuclear holocaust ravages the United States, a thousand years of civilization are stripped away overnight, and tens of millions of people are killed instantly.

But for one small town in Florida, miraculously spared, the struggle is just beginning, as men and women of all backgrounds join together to confront the darkness. Will Patton's narration paints this classic tale as an ominous picture of the terrible possibilites of the nuclear age.

©1959 Harry Hart Frank (P)2010 Audible, Inc.
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Critic reviews

  • Audie Award Winner, Fiction, 2012
"An enthralling and vivid story of the follies and failures of people, their courage and cruelty, their treachery and triumphs. Mr. Frank is a magnificent writer." ( Chicago Sunday Tribune)
"A warm, continuously interesting story of what can happen to a group of ordinary people in a perilous situation." ( New York Herald Tribune)
“Will Patton is a calm and steady narrator whose quiet intensity wraps around this post-apocalyptic saga...He reflects the tones of deference of women to men, nonwhites to whites, and children to adults. In a conversational tone, he quietly brings the characters and their relationships to life.” ( AudioFile)

Featured Article: The 20 Best Survival Audiobooks for the Prepper in All of Us


Whether we’re focused on the apocalypse or just an ill-timed breakdown on the side of a particularly remote road, there’s something about imagining survival scenarios that can be addictive. On some level, we all wonder if we would have what it takes to pit ourselves against the worst the world can possibly offer and make it out alive. That’s why it’s no surprise that survival literature is so popular, and that the stories in the genre are so diverse.

What listeners say about Alas, Babylon

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    8,246
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    3,754
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  • 3 Stars
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What a Gem!!

Clean, gripping, and wonderfully written and read. This book really helped me appreciate how unprepared I am for any disaster, natural or manmade.

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Enjoyed it very much

Reading "the classics" and this was suggested by a friend. I was not disappointed!! I will read it again, and I will recommend it.

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Great read!

Rich characters and exciting storyline touching on themes of humanity and community. As a native Floridian, I thoroughly enjoyed the geographical and ecological references and the picture it all painted in my mind. Narration was wonderful. Highly recommend.

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Very Dated but Patton makes awesome

The story very dated but so is the novel. As long as you ignore the race stuff and women a place is in the home it’s a fun listen

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Not a typical post apocalyptic book!

What a refreshing surprise to hear a story that's not full of violence and evil doers and gun shootouts and the like. Definitely putting this on my list of favorites

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Pertinent for our time

well read. pertinent for our time. These folks were lucky. many of us would not be as lucky

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Alas, Babylon!

I read this back in high school and decided to revisit it as an adult.
The story was better than I remember, and the narrator did a great job fleshing out the community with voice acting for the many characters.

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LOVE THIS BOOK

I absolutely love this book to me many years to find it again, I had read it Many years go when I was a freshman in high school, now as an adult with a home and family of my own it hit me different even choked me up a few parts, but still an amazing book

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Relevant in any decade

I was thoroughly absorbed and pulled into the story when I read a hard copy of this book a few years, and it was just the same this time around with the Audible reading. The narrator did a wonderful job giving voice to each character, each moment and situation. This is among my favorite books, perhaps because it speaks to rising above and working together in the most difficult of circumstances, celebrating life and humanity. Don’t pass this one up.

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Nicely narrated Great story

I read this book in high school the narrator really brought the characters to life great book for preppers

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