Island of the Lost

Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World

De: Joan Druett

Narrado por: David Colacci

Auckland Island is a godforsaken place in the middle of the Southern Ocean, 285 miles south of New Zealand. With year-round freezing rain and howling winds, it is one of the most forbidding places in the world. To be shipwrecked there means almost certain death.

In 1864, Captain Thomas Musgrave and his crew of four aboard the schooner Grafton wreck on the southern end of the island. Utterly alone in a dense coastal forest, plagued by stinging blowflies and relentless rain, Captain Musgrave inspires his men to take action. With barely more than their bare hands, they build a cabin and, remarkably, a forge where they manufacture their tools.

Incredibly, at the same time on the opposite end of the island, the Invercauld wrecks during a horrible storm. Nineteen men stagger ashore. Unlike Captain Musgrave, the captain of the Invercauld falls apart given the same dismal circumstances. His men fight and split up; some die of starvation, others turn to cannibalism. Only three survive. Musgrave and all of his men not only endure for nearly two years, but they also plan their own astonishing escape, setting off on one of the most courageous sea voyages in history.

©2007 Joan Druett (P)2016 Tantor

Reseñas de la Crítica

"The amount of detail Druett has amassed is truly impressive, resulting in an invaluable account of survival." ( Booklist)

Not boring.

I almost didn't listen to this because some reviews said that it was repetitive and boring.

I thought it was very interesting.

My only complaint was keeping track of the two different crews, which blurred together due to my flittering attention.

By the last 3 chapters I was doing a lot of rewinding to keep track of what was going on as the subjects and their fates changed.

Overall, great book. The issues that I had were totally my fault for not paying attention at times.

Fascinating, well told, well researched

I did not know prior to reading this that Joan Druett is a very well respected maritime historian but it really shows through in the quality of the book.

I encourage anyone remotely interested in this to listen to the book and avoid doing any research on the historical events themselves until afterwards because I think it makes the story so much more powerful.

I really enjoyed reading and learning about the characters of these events. You really feel that you get to know their personalities and various strengths and weaknesses. Druett did a great job at breaking away from the narrative only rarely to explain certain events in a historical or scientific context (like explaining our understanding of scurvy at the time for instance, or mentioning when it was appropriate some history of the island/islands). I really enjoyed those descriptions because although I was following along with this gripping story I felt I was also learning so much more about a lot of historical topics I would not have otherwise known and felt that they added depth to the story.

Other books I've listened to that I found similar and would also recommend would include: Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage (Lansing), Into Thin Air (Krakauer), Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival (King).

Spellbinding!

I thoroughly enjoyed island of the lost! It is an amazing story of survival and the human spirit. I highly recommend this audio version to anyone inclined!

so good, I listened to it again and again!

Wow! Why isn't this story a major motion picture yet?! Seriously good stuff! well worth the purchase!!!

Fascinating and ironic!!

One of the best narrations I have heard from Audible.

The story of survival by the marooned sailors is enthralling, and the comparison between the two groups is very interesting.

The technological advances made by the survivors of the Grafton (unsure of the spelling there) and their ability to adapt to their environment was remarkable.

***minor spoiler alert***
The group's decisions to (1) elect a leader democratically, giving them order, (2) structuring their time and (3) dividing responsibilities among the sailors fairly gave them fantastic successes and allowed them to thrive wonderfully. Their strength was in their teamwork and unity, they bonded like soldiers in battle as they fought for each other's survival as much as their own.

Splendid survival story, great read/listen. Makes me want to go to the Auckland islands and visit their homestead!