In Search of Robinson Crusoe

June 3, 2002
In 1711, sailor Alexander Selkirk returned to his London home after being marooned on an island for nearly five years. Originally having asked to be abandoned on the isle, Selkirk piqued popular interest and his life story was eventually hammered into a novel by Daniel Defoe. Examining the fictional Crusoe alongside the historic realities of colonization and human ingenuity, Severin's (In Search of Moby Dick) modus operandi is as simple as it is enjoyable. Readers learn about the history of marooning among plunderers, blockade navies and other piratical sailors, as well as the ethnography of the so-called "Moskito Man" (aka Man Friday) and all the ways to provide for oneself on a deserted island. But the crown jewel in this adventure is the author's travels to remote places while investigating the Where Is It Now? angle. Severin trips to Caledonia, Honduras and several Caribbean islands, looking for the most likely dwelling place of the world-famous shipwrecked sailor. Although he has made a name for himself with such stylized examinations, Severin sometimes, in offhand remarks, sounds disgruntled at being shuttled to the far corners of the world. Nevertheless, the work is energetic and Severin is an ideal guide to the world behind the word. This will surely appeal to the lovers of maritime history. Illus. and maps. (July)Forecast:This is the fourth title within the last year and a half that attempts to trace Selkirk's travels, including
Selkirk's Island, by Diana Souhami (Forecasts, Dec. 10, 2001), and
Searching for Crusoe, by Thurston Clarke (Forecasts, Jan. 1, 2001). While the subject seems to be a trend, expect competition to result in modest sales.

June 1, 2002
Severin has a reputation as a graceful writer. That reputation holds up well in this exploration of the source for Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe." Memorialized in the name of a Pacific island, Alexander Selkirk is widely held to be the man who inspired the writing of "Robinson Crusoe." In her absorbing "Selkirk's Island" (2001), Diana Souhami argues in favor of this theory. Initially, Severin ostensibly subscribes to conventional wisdom, describing his visit to Isla Robinson Crusoe, but that's slyly laid bait. The hooked reader is soon set to doubting as Severin dips into the travel literature that Defoe mined for his classic, which is set in the Caribbean, not the Pacific. Severin is drawn to three areas mentioned by that literature: the Miskito Coast, Panama, and some sun-roasted islands and cays. Suspecting that one Henry Pitman is the actual model for Crusoe, Severin sets sail to satisfy himself about the veracity of Pitman's adventures as recounted in a 1689 tract. Souhami might not be convinced, but travel lit fans will be seduced by Severin's supple style. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)