Scottish adventurer Alexander Selkirk was the inspiration for Daniel Defoe's classic, Robinson Crusoe.
Selkirk spent four years and four months alone on the island of Juan Fernandez, 360 miles off the coast of Chile.
The pains and privations of British privateers are vividly brought to life in this superbly written account of a gruelling life before the mast.
Tyrannical sea captains and mutinous sailors plied their piratical trade on the South Seas in search of Spanish gold.
Scurvy, the bloody flux, 'loathsome negroes' and 'the worms that doe eat shipps' give a salty taste of life at sea in the early 18th century.
The abandoned Selkirk's years of solitude, and his fight for survival, are a fascinating read.
The story inspired Defoe to write his classic and the Chilean government to rename Juan Fernandez, Robinson Crusoe Island. A gem.
Updated: 08:58 Wednesday, August 06, 2003
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