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If you are trying to make a decision about getting it, I would recommend getting it. It is well written and very entertaining. I enjoyed it very much and would recommend it to anyone who dreams of an island life.
If you ever fantasized about being stranded on a desert island, then this is the best book ever written on the subject.
While Tom shows ingenuity and creates a comfortable little setup for himself on the island, his starting point was a sturdy cabin left behind by the island's previous inhabitants.and this was stocked with a laundry list of supplies that he specially ordered and shipped there from his jumping off point (ie. Perhaps the book's greatest asset is its insight into the psyche of someone who would try something like this and the underlying theme (although Tom tries to deny this throughout much of the book) that humans are social beings and that we really do need to be around others. This was an interesting book, although I didn't think quite as highly of it as the other reviewers. this is no Alexander Selkirk story). For those in search of a truly fascinating and gripping non-fiction read about human triumph over adversity (with adventure, travel, culture and nature mixed in), a much better option is "PADDLE TO THE AMAZON" by Don Starkell. The author does provide an honest and articulate account of his self-imposed exile on a desert island. Unfortunately, there is little drama or adventure and the greatest hardships appear to be the author's lack of company and his longing for luxury items like cigarettes and meat (no joke).
Included colorful details of daily life, problem solving required to live on an island with only the bare essentials and thoughtful details on his feelings about being alone the vast majority of his time. It was a really interesting story of Neale's experience on the island as well as how he ended up there in the first place. I didn't want it to end after I read the last page. This book was mentioned in another sailing travel book I enjoyed(The Motion of the Ocean, Janna Cawrse Esarey) so I picked it up. I was surprised at how well it was written since the author was an adventurer first and writer second.
The title says it all. Tom Neale led a charmed existence for a number of years. You will not be disappointed. If you're hankering for a little isolationist fantasy then dig in. Even his setbacks are romantic in the abstract. This book does not require a long review.
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