Alexander Selkirk

It is not quite common to find people with extraordinary talent or willpower in this world, who perform acts that are beyond the comprehension of normal human beings.

Alexander Selkirk was one such unique being. He was born in a tiny fishing village by the seashore called Largo in Scotland. He was from a very poor family and was one among many siblings in his family. Driven by poverty, he left home at a very tender age and traveled far and wide to distant lands on the high seas to seek his fortune. Under virtue of his experience, he becomes a trained seafarer. During one such voyage, he has a fall-out with his ship's captain due to an argument. The consequences of this lead him to be dropped off on a strange island to defend himself. This island is called Juan Fernandez on the Pacific Ocean of South America, off the Peruvian coast. He survives on the island all by himself for four years and four months. The book describes and celebrates the adventures of Selkirk, while surviving the isolation and dangers of the island. He was the real hero and the inspiration for the creation of Robinson Crusoe by Alexander Dumas.