Island of the Lost

Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World

By: Joan Druett

Narrated by: David Colacci

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

Critic reviews

"The amount of detail Druett has amassed is truly impressive, resulting in an invaluable account of survival." ( Booklist)

One of the Best Stories Ever Told!

This true story, in a perfect example of how fact is stranger than fiction, is a breathtaking journey of perseverance, leadership, strength, and camaraderie. Two parties of sailors are shipwrecked at practically the same time in the foreboding and hopelessly remote Auckland Islands. It is 1863. One group is led by a gifted ships captain and talented first mate; the other cast of wayward souls, just 20 miles away, is essentially abandoned by a weak minded, class-focused fool and his equally shiftless second in command. What unfolds is perhaps one of the greatest lessons ever told on the importance of leadership and teamwork. A master of mental imagery, Joan Druett allows the heroes and villains of this unbelievable story to tell their tales in their own words, using her own wonderful, poetic prose to transport the reader to this island chain of cold and hardship. This is a must read for anyone needing to check out of the modern rat race and feel, see, and hear what really matters most in the world--each other.

The shipwreck in the Southern Hemisphere

What a detailed and fascinating recounting of deprivation and dispare, ingenuity and steadfast industry! The men of these shipwrecks displayed their mettle, their cowardice and ultimately their success in making their way by their own efforts to safety. Two shipwrecks, two different manners of coping. The narrator made me think that he was there in some eerie way. His ability to narrate was so helpful, getting the 'manly' emotions just right. Try it, it is a enthralling read.

Story of Perseverance & Survival

A story of Discipline, duty, ingenuity, LEADERSHIP and COURAGE ...one day at a time, don't expect heart pounding excitement.

Wonderfully narrated....

A fascinating, amazing, and terrifying story

I wanted to read this book for years and was delighted to see it come out as an audiobook. I don’t have a particular interest in shipwrecks or maritime stories, but this book highlights how differently people deal with adversity and survive. It is an excellent book made better by a solid performance. I highly recommend it!

Robinson Crusoe of the sub arctic

great story of human perseverance, ingenuity, and historical narrative of sub arctic maritime exploration / less informed profiteering