Customer Reviews

Castaway in Paradise: The Incredible Adventures of True-Life Robinson Crusoes

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

One of the best books I have ever read!!! Many of us wonder: if I were stranded on a deserted island, what three items would I want to have with me? Or-- wouldn't life be easier if I lived on a deserted island! James Simmons clears up any fantisies we might have regarding deserted islands, and it is not a pretty picture. I loved this book so much, I wrote to the author--something I have never done before or since!

any failings in literary grace are more than compensated with simmon's ability to ferret out tale after fascinating tale. a great book for vacation reading, to redefine the meaning of a bad day, to put the mind in some unusual places. absolutely gauranteed to liven up the dinner conversation, this one goes straight to my 'favorite-book shelf for guests'in the dacha. if you like it, also take a look at Lansing's 'Endurance.'

Simmons gives us brief vignetttes of what real castaways endured - not always a pretty, tropical island picture. This is at the same time the book's strength and weakness. The shortish accounts allow him to cover a lot of ground (geographically and temporally), but they often left me hungry for more detail. Still, all in all, I would recommend it to anyone else out there who enjoyed "Robinson Crusoe," or simply reading about the ocean.

I first read this book about 8 years ago when I picked it up at the library. It has stayed with me ever since (and I read hundreds of books a year) so I finally bought a used copy.

I think that people probably gave it 4 stars because they expect it to be about living in paradise - or expect modern stories (as a previous reader wrote). Actually, the book is about people stranded and the struggle against nature to survive.

It is well-written and provides a captivating look at people and survival.

For example, one of the stories is about the a ship captain who rescued 33 British men, women and children near the Falkland Islands in 1812 when their ship ran aground. Although the US and Brits were newly at war, the Brits to signed a document agreeing to "be at peace" while the captain rescued them. However, while he and a few shipmates were hunting for food for the Brits, the "castaways" stole the ship and abandoned the captain and his 4 shipmates, virtually leaving him with no supplies.

They spent the next 18 months stranded on an inhospitable island and struggled for survival. Through it all, the captain shows leadership, kindness and great human spirit and the author explains, sometimes in the captain's words, how they survived and what harsh conditions they faced.

This is just a typical example of the stories in the book. If you like nonfiction survivor books - this is one of the best.

I often tell my son and nieces stories and some of the stories I have told them are out of Castaways in Paradise - they are equally fascinated.

Cruising World praised this book: "How might you fare if a shipwreck landed you on a tropical island? Here are stories of real-life castaways, from Alexander Selkirk in the 1700's, the inspiration for Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, to Tom Neale, who, in the 20th century, preferred solitary island life and became "The Hermit of Suwarrow."

I loved the stories in this book! The trials of these unfortunate souls who found themselves stranded on islands of all latitudes and description -- and even those who considered themselves fortunate -- will have you pondering whether you could survive for even one day on a remote island.

This isn't really bedtime reading, though. If you read when you're the least bit sleepy, you'll lose track of the narrative. Place names, dates, tribal names and the inter-relatedness of the stories can create quite a jumble in your mind, as the author jumps around in time and geography. And, as one other reviewer noted, some asides in the book are so brief as to leave you wanting more. For example, the author mentions Capt. James Cook's gruesome death in passing but provides no details. He also mentions in brief paragraphs a few women whose stories are little known. I would have liked more information about these lesser known characters.

I was also startled that the author subscribes so readily to the popular notion that Christian missionaries destroy the purity of remote, untouched societies. Most of the book is taken up with the cruelties of these communities -- war, murder, revenge, sexual exploitation, cannibalism, child sacrifice -- the brutal dark side that the author so aptly portrays. Aren't some aspects of society worth eradicating?

To consider a different interpretation, read Tom Hiney's On the Missionary Trail: A Journey Through Polynesia, Asia, and Africa with the London Missionary Society. It is this author's opinion that eyewitness reports sent back from missionaries on the field of human brutalities -- slavery, human sacrifice, the burning of widows on funeral pyres -- led to global efforts to abolish these practices. Each author makes a good argument, and I suppose the truth probably lies somewhere in between.

If you want to read more stories of these adventurers, the author provides ample suggestions in his Further Reading and Bibliography sections.

Castaways, maroonings, survival tales. This fascinating and cogently written book is a must for readers of true adventure. Only Robert Leslie's Desperate Journey's, Abandoned Hopes is better. And maybe it isn't.

A wide variety of accounts of shipwrecked, stranded and those seeking adventure in various exotic ocean locales. Highlights include "The American Robinson Crusoe" and an account of Herman Melville's experience in the Marquesas, living with native head-hunters. For readers intrigued by this book, see Typee by Melville.

The stories in this book were mesmerizing and intriguing. Well written. I love true adventure and survival stories, and these are some of the best.