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.