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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 910.453
EAN num: 9780395911501
ISBN number: 0395911508
Label: Mariner Books
Manufacturer: Mariner Books
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 608
Printing Date: March 15, 1998
Publishing house: Mariner Books
Sale Popularity Level: 65095
Studio: Mariner Books
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
Here are the most remarkable stories imaginable of maroons, castaways, and other survivors from the 1500s to the present - their moral dilemmas, their personalities, and their influence on society, literature, and art.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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I quite enjoyed "Desperate Journeys, Abandoned Souls". Leslie obviously did extensive research on his subject, and his thoroughness pays off. Many of the stories are at least vaguely familiar to most, like the real Robinson Crusoe named Alexander Selkirk, and a host of others who shipwrecked, crashed, exiled or simply became lost. Amongst my favorites was the story of Hugh Glass who was vicously mauled by a Grizzly on the American Plains in 1823 and left to die by members of his expedition. Facing incredible odds, not only of surviving the wounds, but also battling starvation, the elements and furocious Indians over huge expenses of land and time to face again those who abandoned him.
The only minor criticism I have is that it tends to be too thorough,and after a few dozen early shipwreck stories you feel relieved when a modern airplane crash changes the pace. All in all, a well written and interesting book.
Rated by buyers 
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Every story got better than the last. I was a little skeptical of a compilation book of survival stories, but this was very well written. A great collection of true survival stories.
Rated by buyers 
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This book dissapointed me in so far as I thought it was too academically written. It failed to capture my imagination.
Rated by buyers -
I have often wanted to write a thank you note to Mr. Leslie for this wonderful book. It is a touchstone for me. I re-read it once in a while to remind myself of the strength of the human spirit, the determination of character and the resourcefulness of our species. It also gives you something to think about when you think YOU are having problems! I appreciate that Mr. Leslie never assigns any of the successful survivals to the intervention of a devine being. To the contrary, scoundrals seem to fair better at the survival game than those who believe they have somewhere better to go. Certainly a keen interest in your own best interests and a refusal to give up on yourself is a factor in most of these stories. In short, this book is a guide book on survival for anyone who is mortal. Add to all this the fact that Mr. Leslie is a very talented writer and researcher, and you have a book that is a great read and refreshing to your soul. Thanks, Mr. Leslie.
Rated by buyers -
This is a gripping account of how castaways and survivors struggle with nature and, sometimes, man. It is a huge book and I agree that the author could have eliminated the last section of the book. Actually, he should have written two books, one of them on the detailed survival of people like Alexander Selkirk and Herman Melville and the other book a short one on modern survivalists.
This is because the last section of the book is a different format than the very first much larger section. On the last section, the author provides only brief synopsis of events and facts and most of them are WWII related nature-related survivals. I would have suggested that he expand one of two of the stories and save the others for another book.
However, what I enjoyed most about this book is the author's writing. He often used a turn of phrase that was unique, humorous and subtle. Don't get me wrong - the book is not humorous but the author has inserted a comment or phrase periodically that summed up someone's plight or segued into their subsequent calamity. I found it very enjoyable and would mark the pages because I enjoyed that writing so much.
I enjoy this genre and know that well written books in this genre are a rarity so I gave this book 5 stars. Whether you like this genre or not, you will enjoy this book!
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