Subtitled True Stories of Castaways and Other Survivors, Paul Theroux comments that this
volume is the ultimate book of ordeals . . . .Fascinating, entertaining, and horrifying. I heartily recommend it.
From Robinson Crusoe and The Swiss Family Robinson to Alive! and Adrift, tales of
survival have captivated readers. Here are the most remarkable stories imaginable of maroons, castaways, and
other survivors from the 1500s to the presenttheir moral dilemmas, their personalities, and their influence on
society, literature, and art. Included in this volume are accounts of shipwrecks, descriptions of being marooned
in such isolated corners of the globe as Ascension Island and Patagonia, and an account by Antoine de
Saint-Exupery on his experience in the Libyan desert.

Desperate Journeys, Abandoned Souls is an unforgettable exploration of a subject of perennial fascination.


Patrick Cullen, a native of Massachusetts, is a graduate of The Catholic University of America, in Washington, D.C., where he continues to live and work in the theater.