In Search of Robinson Crusoe [Hardcover]

Daisuke Takahashi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 28, 2002

Interest in Robinson Crusoe has been on the rise during the past year, now that survival in the wilderness has become a staple of prime time. Explorer Takahashi's book examines the life and adventures of Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk, the real-life model for Daniel Defoe's ultimate survivor. In Search of Robinson Crusoe records Takahashi's quest to understand what kind of man Selkirk was and how he had lived alone on an uninhabited island for four years and four months. Takahashi's hunt for the facts of Selkirk's life took him from the town of Largo in Scotland to the seas off the coast of Chile. In Scotland, Takahashi records his meeting with a descendant of Selkirk's, and uncovers records which detail the trouble Selkirk caused whenever he wasn't on a ship. After pursing his historical subject to Robinson Crusoe Island, Takahashi lived alone in the wilderness for a month, discovering how Selkirk survived and searching out the places where he lived, hunted, and fought off harrowing loneliness while hoping for rescue. The author's search for evidence of Selkirk's existence on Robinson Crusoe Island not only yields revelations about how the 18th-century man lived and grew attached to his rugged surroundings; for Takahashi, the journey in the footsteps of the real-life Crusoe is a test of his own abilities to survive in the wilderness, and the fulfillment of a boyhood dream.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Japanese-born Takahashi, a world traveler and elected fellow of both the Explorers Club in New York and the Royal Geographical Society in London, here researches the life of Alexander Selkirk, the real-life inspiration for Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. Selkirk was a Scottish sailor rescued from Mas-a-Tierra Island in 1709 after being stranded there for four years and four months. Defoe immortalized him ten years later, and the island, located some 400 miles off the coast of Chile, has been renamed Robinson Crusoe Island. Takahashi journeys to Selkirk's native Scotland to piece together the sailor's life before and after the island. To understand how this man was able to survive in the wilderness of the uninhabited island for so long, the author then spent one month alone on the same island, learning to find shelter and hunt and fish with only crude equipment. Originally published in Takahashi's native Japan to great praise, this engaging travel memoir offers an interesting blend of literary research and adventure writing that belongs in all libraries. Melinda Stivers Leach, Precision Editorial Svcs., Wondervu, CO
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Alexander Selkirk's life as a castaway for four years and four months on Juan Fernandez Island may have provided the donné for Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. A Fellow of the Explorers Club of New York City and the Royal Geographical Society of London, Mr. Takahashi has written a gripping and graphic account of his personal quest to simulate the Crusoe castaway experience through a modern reenactment of Selkirk's survival on his desolate island nearly three hundred years ago. (Dr. Michael Shinagel )

Both Alexander Selkirk and Robinson Crusoe remain compelling figures that continue to fascinate readers. I very much enjoyed reading how Defoe's imaginary journey has been relived by Daisuke Takahashi and also how he makes Selkirk come to life. An original and truly rewarding venture! (Lieve Spaas )

This is a remarkable book, part personal journey of revelation, part historical detective hunt for some fugitive remnants of the real life of the world's most famous castaway, whose life has been long shrouded in mystery and speculation. (Ross MacPhee )

Originally published in Takahashi's native Japan to great praise, this engaging travel memoir offers an interesting blend of literary research and adventure writing. (Library Journal )

This book seeks to discover the actual man and adventures behind the remarkable life of Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk, the "real-life Robinson Cruseo" who inspired Daniel Defoe's classic novel of the castaway's ordeal and survival. (South American Explorer )

Takahashi set out to discover the real man behind Daniel Defoe's creation Robinson Crusoe, the Scots sailor Alexander Selkirk (1676-1721). His seven year quest took him to libraries and museums in England and Scotland and to Robinson Crusoe Island off the coast of Chile. There he lived without modern equipment and searched for signs of Selkirk's five year stay. The book has maps and photos, including a coconut cup taht belonged to Selkirk. (Pbs Teacher Source )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Cooper Square Press; 1st Cooper Square Press ed edition (May 28, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815412002
• ISBN-13: 978-0815412007
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,350,805 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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