This short book looks at the life of the Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk who, marooned on the Pacific Island of Mas a Tierra in the Juan Fernandez Islands for over four years in the first decade of the 18th century, was the inspiration for Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719 and popular worldwide ever since (though others have disputed the origins of the novel and claimed to find other inspirations, it seems pretty clear that Selkirk's case was almost certainly behind it). There are a number of passages that are imaginary accounts as though written by Selkirk and the book feels padded, with incidents told and retold a number of times (such as the one where Selkirk, chasing a goat, falls down a cliff). It has to be said that Selkirk's life on the island was actually pretty idyllic as it has abundant meat, seafood, fruit and vegetables and a warm climate all year round - it is hardly surprising that Selkirk, no angel, found it hard to adjust back to life in his Scottish home town after his rescue in 1709. His local legend is rather unsavoury and after his death at sea in 1721 two women he married or claimed to have married fought over different versions of his will. Quite an interesting little read, though felt rather padded and not really containing enough material of a full length book. ( )