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Island of the Lost

Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World

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Island of the Lost

By: Joan Druett
Narrated by: David Colacci
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About this listen

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 19th Century Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Australia, New Zealand & Oceania Modern Oceania World Leadership Survival

Critic Reviews

"The amount of detail Druett has amassed is truly impressive, resulting in an invaluable account of survival." ( Booklist)
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One feels transported back in time..to tall ships and vividly recreates a maritime saga highlighting the role of colonial Australia and has stirred an historical memory in this reader of the origins of her native Melbourne and the importance of sea voyages and just how prolific they once were…

A gripping retelling..

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Incredible book, finished in one go on a long road trip. Great tale of survival with interesting locale and explanations. Interest never once waivered throughout, gripping read/listen.

A story incredible enough to sell as fiction

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great narrator and fantastic research provided a very compelling listening experience. recommend it to everyone

excellent!

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Fantastic book. Well read and a fantastic survival and adventure story from a time when boats were wooden and men were steel. Throughly enjoyed it.

Adventure and survival

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Another amazing tale of survival in adversity that brings out mans resourcefulness with limited supplies.
Brilliantly executed

Why would you read fiction?

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.