The Man Who Was Robinson Crusoe

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2009 marked the 300th anniversary of the rescue of Alexander Selkirk, the Fife mariner who became the inspiration for Daniel Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe". The story is told not only by the author but also through the words of those who knew Selkirk with three colourful contemporary accounts of Selkirk's island experiences on Juan Fernandez - two by the sailors who rescued him from the island, 300 miles off the coast of Chile (Capt Edward Cooke and Capt Woodes Rogers) and one by Sir Richard Steele, who talked with Selkirk after his homecoming. Selkirk had spent four and a half years on the island. Wilson also delves into Defoe's construction of Crusoe from Selkirk's experiences and his youth in Fife. He also covers the dramatic circumstances of his abandonment on the island when he asked to be stranded rather than risk drowning in the unseaworthy Cinque Ports.Selkirk was right, the ship sank and the crew perished. Having been adopted as master of the ship that rescued him, Selkirk got hi...