| Desperate Journeys, Abandoned Souls: True Stories of Castaways and Other Survivors |  | Author: Edward E. Leslie
Creator: Patrick Cullen
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
Category: Book
List Price: $44.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 1764659
Media: MP3 CD
Edition: MP3 Una
Number Of Items: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.3 x 0.6
ISBN: 0786159723
Dewey Decimal Number: 910.452
EAN: 9780786159727
ASIN: 0786159723
Publication Date: September 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Condition: Brand new audibook delivered direct from our US warehouse in 3-6 days (Expedited) or 10-14 days (Standard). Expedited shipping recommended for speedy delivery. Over 1 million satisfied customers.
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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.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...
 Good Bedside Reading November 19, 2007
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.
 great compilation October 27, 2007
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.
 Too academic September 22, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book dissapointed me in so far as I thought it was too academically written. It failed to capture my imagination.
Thank you, Mr. Leslie. August 14, 2007
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.
Fascinating and well-written February 18, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
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 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 next 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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