Great subject matter, poor writing style
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If you've had a bad day at work, picking up this book will put things back into perspective. The stories which Leslie picks are certainly eye-opening in uncovering the depths of human endeavour that are needed when the only thing that matters is staying alive.
However, Leslie writes in the bland, litigation-avoiding style of a US corporate lawyer and this certainly takes the sheen off the stories retold in the book. I yearned for someone like Peter Nichols (author of the excellent "A Voyage for Madmen") to have taken the helm and infused some humour and human interest into the book.
Also, the book would have benefited from having some simple maps added for each survival story. Leslie makes no effort to describe where these locations are and is content to give only the place names, rather than how they relate to modern nations and international boundaries.
Don't let this put you off getting the book if you are interested in this subject matter - but it could have been much better in the hands of a better writer.
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Torrid tales - great read.
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If you like reading true survival stories or have read any of the recent piratical publications (Nat's Nutmeg, Whaleship Essex etc), you will enjoy this. The matter-of-fact style of writing does not detract from the extraordinary accounts. Certainly puts things into perspective.
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United States | 
United Kingdom | 
Canada