Island of the Lost: An Extraordinary Story of Survival at the Edge of the World

by Joan Druett

Book Overview

"Riveting." --The New York Times Book Review Hundreds of miles from civilization, two ships wreck on opposite ends of the same deserted island in this true story of human nature at its best--and at its worst.

It is 1864, and Captain Thomas Musgrave's schooner, the Grafton, has just wrecked on Auckland Island, a forbidding piece of land 285 miles south of New Zealand. Battered by year-round freezing rain and...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1616209704
• ISBN13: 9781616209704
• Release Date: August 2019
• Publisher: Algonquin Books
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Shipwrecked on Auckland Island

During 1864, the `Grafton' and the `Invercauld' were shipwrecked in different locations on Auckland Island less than 20 miles (30 kilometres) from each other. The contrast between the actions taken by the two crews could not be greater. Auckland Island is one of the subantarctic islands located about 300 miles (465 kilometres) south-east of New Zealand. By drawing on a range of sources, including the journals of Thomas Musgrave and Francois Raynal, Joan Druett depicts a tale of courage and survival on the part of the crew of the `Grafton'. All five of the crew on the `Grafton' survived the shipwreck, lived on the island for twenty months and were all rescued. Their resourcefulness and ability to work together as a team enabled them to make the most of their inhospitable surroundings and finally to build a vessel to enable three of them to sail to New Zealand to seek a rescue expedition. Contrast this with the crew of the `Invercauld'. Shipwrecked some months after the `Grafton', nineteen of the crew of twenty five survived. By the time they were rescued, about twelve months later, only three had survived. This is an inspiring tale of leadership, survival, ingenuity and courage on the part of the crew of the `Grafton'. Contrast this with the lack of leadership and co-operation displayed by the survivors of the `Invercauld'. Ms Druett is a maritime historian, and this is reflected in her writing. She has drawn material from a number of sources to write this book. Highly recommended to all with an interest in maritime history and tales of survival. Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Enjoyed every word

Though I don't even like boating or swimming or camping (would never, never, never wish to be on Survivor), I am drawn to tales of castaways and survival stories. Survivors must look within themselves for inner strengths and courage that help them find the willpower to keep going with the odds very much against them. I loved the stories of the 2 shipwrecks so close to each other and facing similar dire circumstances; yet one group was able to summon the ability to survive while the other group saw many perish. Excellent read!

AGAINST ALL ODDS...

In the latter half of the nineteenth century, two ships, the Grafton and the Invercauld, set sail for different destinations within six months of each other. Both ended up being shipwrecked on the rocky, treacherous coast of Auckland Island, a remote and desolate place in the Southern Ocean, some two hundred and eighty-five miles south of New Zealand. As Auckland Island is located in the sub-Antarctic region, it provides an alien and hostile environment, one that is plagued by freezing rain and howling gales force winds. In January of 1884, the Grafton, a schooner captained by Thomas Musgrave and his crew of four, was the first of the two ships to meet its fate. Beset by howling winds and driving rain, the Grafton was swept onto the reefs that stand like sentinels around Auckland Island, wrecking the ship. Retrieving what provisions they could, the five men from the Grafton survived the debacle and were able to make it to shore, finding themselves marooned on the southern end of Auckland island. There, forced into the jaws of hell, they were faced with ordeal of survival, and to that end the five banded together like brothers for the common good. They were on that god-forsaken island for nearly two years when a desperate and daring escape by three of the five lead to the rescue of the remaining two, In May of 1884, unbeknownst to these stalwart five, the Invercauld, a freighter, captained by George Dalgarno, found itself caught in a hurricane on the northern end of Auckland Island. The torrential rain and driving winds forced the ship onto the island's forbidding rocky reefs, which proceeded to decimate the ship. Nineteen men, including the Captain survived, but unlike the crew of the Grafton, the survivors did not become a band of brothers. Rather, it was everymen for himself. Consequently, when they were finally rescued about a year later, only three had managed to survive their ordeal. During the time that they shared the island, neither the survivors of the Grafton nor the survivors of the Invercauld knew of each others' existence, separated as they were by about twenty miles of forbidding and hostile terrain. How these men managed to survive and why one group fared much better than the other makes for an engrossing and spellbinding story. Well-researched and well-written, the author seamlessly weaves their respective stories together, keeping the reader compulsively turning the pages of this engrossing maritime survival saga. Those readers who enjoyed Nathaniel Philbrick's "In the Heart of the Sea" will, likewise, enjoy this book, as will those who enjoy stories of survival against all odds. I, myself, was riveted to this book from beginning to end.

A fascinating story of two sets of castaways

On the morning of November 12, 1863, the five-man crew of the schooner Grafton weighed anchor and set sail for Campbell Island in the sub-Antarctic region. At midnight on January 3, 1864, she was wrecked on the coast of Auckland Island, further to the west. This is the story of the able leadership of Captain Thomas Musgrave, who saved the entire five-man crew of the Grafton, and helped them to endure a winter in one of the most hostile corners of God's (usually) green Earth. On May 3, 1864, the 888-ton freighter Invercauld left Melbourne with a crew of 25, setting sail for Callao, Peru. On May 10, it also wrecked on the coast of Auckland Island, but the officers and crew stayed on the northern side of the island and as such were never aware of the presence of the survivors of the Grafton, and vice versa. This is the story of the inept leadership of Captain George Dalgarno, whose crew endured the hostile weather of the Auckland winter without leadership or even unity. When they were finally rescued, only three men were left of the Invercauld's crew. Theirs was a story of despair, in-fighting, selfishness, cannibalism, and death. Overall, I must say that this is a fascinating book. The author did a great job of bringing the stories of the two crews alive, presenting them in a no-nonsense, journalistic way. I like the way the author dug into the survivors' diaries and later interviews and letters to keep the story grounded in reality. So, if you like good maritime books, or fascinating stories of disaster, or just plain like a good read, then you will like this book. I give it my highest recommendations!

A Memorable Telling Of An Extraordinary Story

From the first page, Joan Druett convinces you that she knows the sea and the men and ships that sail on it. Telling a historical event is often a challenge and Druett delivers with a terrific recounting of the wrecking of two separate ships that left both crews stranded on an isolated and uninhabited island between New Zealand and Antarctica at the same time. However, due to the location of the wrecks and the nature of the island, neither crew was aware of the other's presence. In telling the story, Druett contrasts the response of both crews to the crisis they find themselves in. One crew of 5 men, that of the Grafton, come together as one to endure and overcome their fate. The other crew, 19 men from the Invercauld, show what happens when command and perseverance collapse in the face of overwhelming odds. Druett's use of diaries and journals from men of both crews lends not only a solid substitute for dialog, but insight into the thoughts and struggles of these men. Not being a big fan of maritime books, I was nontheless drawn by the book's summary on the jacket and finished it in 2 days. It is an amazing story that is both true and well-written and well-worth a couple of days' reading.