SELKIRK'S ISLAND - THE TRUE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF THE REAL ROBINSON CRUSOE

Biographer Diana Souhami tells the story of Alexander Selkirk (1680- 1721), marooned on a remote island west of South America in the early 18th century; his experiences inspired Defoe's novel, Robinson Crusoe. Souhami draws from several resources, including accounts by Selkirk, his rescuers, fellow crewmen, and eighteenth century writers, petitions by two women each claiming to be Selkirk's wife, and historical maritime documents. She combines these with her own experiences of living for three months on the island to give the reader a sense of who Selkirk was, and what he really experienced during his four, solitary years on the desert island. Illustrated with black-and-white maps, charts, and photographs, this academic work is accessible to the general reader.