Synopsis
Selkirk was a pirate and a buccaneer who sailed on the South Seas on looting expeditions for gold and treasure. In 1703 he joined an expedition whose object was to plunder French and Spanish ships. Conditions on the ship were appalling; scurvy, dysentery and typhus flourished and most of the crew died or went mad. Eventually they reached the island of Juan Fernandez 400 miles off the coast of Chile where Selkirk opted to maroon himself. Suddenly solitude and silence were imposed and his only relationship was to the island and to himself. He learnt to kill goats with cudgels and use their skins for coats and shoes. He hollowed out a canoe and circumnavigated the island. He wished there were a woman on the island, but perhaps he used the goats he had tamed for his sexual satisfaction. Gradually he found that company was not essential and that he was the Governor of this island, afraid of nothing it contained. In 1709 Selkirk spotted two ships from his cliff-top lookout. They saw his fire and the next morning had landed on Juan Fernandez to be greeted by an unrecognisable savage-looking man incoherent with emotion. Selkirk endured a painful few weeks as he watched his dominion being plundered, then sailed back with them to civilisation where he bewailed his return to the world. He died in 1720 back at sea, of yellow fever. This is an outstanding book by an extremely fine writer based on journals of those who dumped and rescued Selkirk as well as on Souhami s own adventures to his island.
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About the Author
Diana Souhami is the author of many widely acclaimed books, and she has also written plays for radio and television. She is presently working on two new books on Alexander Selkirk, and Natalie Barney and Romaine Brooks.
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Selkirk's Island : The True and Strange Adventures of the Real Robinson Crusoe
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Orion Publishing Group, Limited, 2001
ISBN 10: 0297643851
ISBN 13: 9780297643852
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Selkirk's Island : The True and Strange Adventures of the Real Robinson Crusoe
Published by
Orion Publishing Group, Limited, 2001
ISBN 10: 0297643851
ISBN 13: 9780297643852
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Hardcover
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Selkirk's Island
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Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London U., 2001
ISBN 10: 0297643851
ISBN 13: 9780297643852
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Selkirk's Island
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Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London U., 2001
ISBN 10: 0297643851
ISBN 13: 9780297643852
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Selkirk's Island
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hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_450852348
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Selkirk's Island
Published by
Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London U., 2001
ISBN 10: 0297643851
ISBN 13: 9780297643852
Used
Hardcover
Seller: HPB Inc., Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
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hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_454970415
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Selkirk's Island
Published by
Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London U.K., 2001
ISBN 10: 0297643851
ISBN 13: 9780297643852
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Hardcover
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
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Hardcover. Condition: Fair. No Jacket. Missing dust jacket; Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0297643851I5N01
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Selkirk's Island
Published by
Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London U.K., 2001
ISBN 10: 0297643851
ISBN 13: 9780297643852
Used
Hardcover
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
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Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0297643851I3N00
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Selkirk's Island
Published by
Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, 2001
ISBN 10: 0297643851
ISBN 13: 9780297643852
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Hard Cover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. K5 - DJ has light wrinkling on the edges and corners and light shelf wear otherwise fine. Book has some smudge on the top and light shelf wear otherwise fine. In 1704 Alexander Selkirk, a mariner, was marooned on the uninhabited island of Juan Fernandez. He was not rescued until 1709. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Seller Inventory # EC14592BB
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Selkirks Island
Published by
Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 2001
ISBN 10: 0297643851
ISBN 13: 9780297643852
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Hardcover
Seller: BoundlessBookstore, Wallingford, United Kingdom
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Condition: Good. Light wear to boards. Content is clean. Good DJ with little wear. Seller Inventory # 9999-9991366542
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