Escape From Jonestown cover art

Escape From Jonestown

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Thousands of incredible audiobooks and podcasts to take wherever you go.
Immerse yourself in a world of storytelling with the Plus Catalogue - unlimited listening to thousands of select audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Escape From Jonestown

By: Laurence Bouvard
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

About this listen

Please note: This title contains graphic audio which some listeners might find upsetting.

Forty years ago, on Nov. 18, 1978, 914 members of a 'utopian' society deep in the Guyana jungle, known as Jonestown, drank a lethal elixir of Flavor-Aid and cyanide. Tim Carter was in the inner circle of its charismatic leader, Jim Jones. He escaped into the jungle. This is his story.

This is an Audible Original Podcast. Free for members. You can download all 6 episodes to your Library now.

©2018 Audible, Ltd. (P)2018 Audible, Ltd. Murder Religious Studies True Crime
Episodes
  • Ep. 1: In the Beginning

    Ep. 1: In the Beginning
    Nov 9 2018

    Born into an Irish-Catholic family, Tim has enough to eat, clothes on his back and a place to sleep, but things are far from easy. As war looms, Tim turns to military service to escape the strife at home. This won’t be the last time he escapes from one hardship into another.
    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
    Try Premium Plus free
  • Ep. 2: The Road to People's Temple

    Ep. 2: The Road to People's Temple
    Nov 9 2018

    Tim Carter describes the chaos and aftermath of serving in the Vietnam War. Lost in post-war life, he finds solace in a growing movement that will change his life forever.
    Show More Show Less
    21 mins
    Try Premium Plus free
  • Ep. 3: Part of the Solution

    Ep. 3: Part of the Solution
    Nov 9 2018

    In 1970s San Francisco, Tim Carter finds purpose helping the city’s poorest and most vulnerable. Meanwhile the People’s Temple is thrust into the media spotlight.
    Show More Show Less
    18 mins
    Try Premium Plus free
All stars
Most relevant  
Actually made me quite emotional. Wish the episodes had been longer and more detailed, as I felt it was a bit rushed, however the survivor accounts were equally gripping and devastating, and as a result I will be listening to further audiobooks on this obscure but terrible tragedy.

A chilling true story...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Very interesting and well done. But the last chapter is very hard to listen to!

Well presented and informative but graphic

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The Jonestown Massacre is a fascinating, horrifying and heartbreaking event and this series had the potential to get that across even more than it does. The survivors stories are compelling but one can't help thinking their testimony deserved a more sophisticated touch. I agree with the other reviewers that the small group of contributors get introduced in full way more frequently than is required, and the narrator could sound less two dimensional, however , this is an interesting series and for those who want to hear personal stories and find out more about Jim Jones more it's worth listening to.

Needs a bit of polish

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Fascinating interview, but poorly put together. I did finish it, but probably wouldn't recommend it unless this historic event specifically interests you.

Poorly put together

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Tim Carter's tale is tragic and moving and worth listening to. He tells it well, and the way he does so feels like it's taken him forty years to find the right words. It's supported by experts in cult psychology and the life of Jim Jones which add context to the events, but ultimately this is a portion of Mr Carter's biography and I'm glad he shared it.

The only real criticism I have is that as an audible production, it didn't need all the intro every episode.

Tim Carter's story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I found this podcast put together very well and found the narration excellent although in parts it was slightly repetitive.
Not for the faint hearted as you hear actual audio from the final day in Jonestown.
Would recommend for any people interested in true crime or cult content.

Fascinating personal account of Jonestown survivor

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Interesting first person take on Jonestown and the lead up to the mass suicide however as other reviewers have said there is a huge amount of repetition and in particular the names and backgrounds of the interviewees which really isn't needed past the first episode. This is especially true as each episode is so short and the number of contributors is relatively little. This level of recap would only be necessary for someone coming in to the series at say episode 3 and needs to be told who is who. But why would anyone do this?

Overall an enjoyable free show but due to the odd editing decisions not as good as others on here.

Interesting but lots of repetition.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I can't describe properly, and words fail to express the sadness this puts across. Excellent production, on a painful topic

Heart breaking

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
an absolutely mind blowing depiction of an absolutely devastating event. very interesting to hear the story from a survivor

wow

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I would highly recommend this audio book to anyone who is interested in eye witnesses accounts.

Incredible true story!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews