I was absolutely fascinated by this book; morbidly fascinated. "Desperate Journeys, Abandoned Souls" is a collection of true tales of dire straits. Every manner of accident and trauma is documented here: shipwrecks, castaways, plane crashes, car accidents, mountaineering mishaps, cannibalism, and more. It is a chronicle of the amazing drive of the human spirit to live. The “abandoned souls” in this book all displayed an amazing determination to survive their ordeals. On numerous occasions I foun More...

I really disliked Edward Leslie's book "Desparate Journeys, Abandoned Souls: True stories of castaways and other survivors." I liked some of the castaway stories... and I would have enjoyed the book if stuck to telling the those stories in a more straightforward manner. But Leslie launches into other random stuff -- poetry and philosophical discussions about cannibalism-- that dragged away the enjoyment the book had for me. I also found the individual stories difficult to follow... he starts to More...

This book details the challenges of shipwrecked, marooned, abandoned, or otherwise isolated individuals and groups. Certainly, most of us will never have to make some of the choices presented to these survivors. It is harrowing to consider what people have been forced to resort to, how they grapple with their choices and their predicaments, and how they reintegrate into society. The author does a good job of putting us at the scene in most cases.

I liked the first 2/3 of the book, but was not so More...

This book includes a lot of well-researched stories, but it's hindered by inconsistent writing and an annoyingly broad focus. The writing is actively confusing at times, sometimes enough to send me running to other sources for clarification.

There are a lot of dry recitations of fact mixed with the occasional literary allusion. The introductions or summations of each chapter, though, include awkward attempts to contextualize the stories that seem almost laughably out-of-place when compared with t More...

An astonishing and gripping book, especially for devotees of "survival" tales. Shipwrecks, maroonings, plane crashes, natural disasters of every stripe -- here are tales of well-known survivors, such as Alexander Selkirk (whom Robinson Crusoe was based upon), but also chapters on others I'd never heard of, such as Philip Ashton, who escaped from a pirate crew in the Caribbean. (Pirates, buccaneers, a mariners of all sorts loom large in many of these accounts, most of which are nautical in genesi More...

"With painstaking research, riveting detail and elegant prose, [Leslie] creates a keen psychological study as well as a paean to the courage, resourcefulness and perseverance of the human body and mind." � Publishers Weekly

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Leslie functions through a method of story telling where he gives away his powerful punch-line, each time, right up front. This becomes wearisome by dissolving reader anticipation; however, the strength of his content does begin to overshadow this shortcoming. "Risk and Recreation: A Chronology" is undoubtedly the strongest aspect and worth the read entirely. A good composite of interesting survival stories.

I enjoyed this book. I am always interested in "survival-against-all-odds" stories - what makes some people survive and others don't? Each story is true and well-told. This book packed adventure, travel and truth into each individual story.

Just okay. Some of the stories were insightful, others a bit slow and boring. The overall trend from frequent decade-long maroons to virtually no unexplored/uninhabited places on earth is a rather interesting conversion.

An unbelievably fascinating book about shipwrecks and maroons, and what people will go through (and do!) to survive ... Material for a dozen screenplays here ... Absolutely recommended for your desert isle reading ...

One of the most fascinating books I've ever read. Could NOT put it down.

..inspiring...

The book is at it's best when focusing on the little known accounts. When it takes the time to take you by the hand and lead you through the shape of the cultures existing around and leading to the plight. The last section is thus the weakest since it is a marathon run through from WW2 to the then present. The previous three, and the sheer glut of wide accounts through out, makes it hard to believe there wasn't any story in here to move the reader at some point.

The first two thirds are an incredibly fascinating look at shipwrecks and survival and cannibalism, with just enough scholarly thought and original source material and lesser known tales to make it interesting, but not boring. And then it all kind of fell apart and lost focus in the last third, around the time they reached WWII. Disappointing, and that's why it only gets three stars.

This book is has it all. Well, I mean it has tales of cannibalism on the high sea, drawing lots, desert islands, lost planes, trekking through jungles. Lots of great stories. I read it again last week to take my mind off the financial collapse! Forget books on smart investing and read this book instead.

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11618198

These true stories are enthralling. The one about Antoine de Saint-Exupary's plane crash in the desert is unforgettable.

five stars to the stories I managed to read from this enormous book

Astounding. Breathtaking. Crushing.