Marooned: The Strange but True Adventures of Alexander Selkirk, the Real Robinson Crusoe

In 1704, Alexander Selkirk was voyaging across the South Pacific
when, after arguing with the ship's captain, he was put ashore—
alone—on an uninhabited island. Equipped with little more than
a musket and his wits, Selkirk not only survived in complete
solitude for more than four years, but to came to be quite
comfortable and happy. After being rescued by a British privateer
in 1709, he took a leading role in several dramatic captures of
merchant ships. Although he returned to civilization a rich man,
he couldn't find a place in society and always longed to return to
the paradise of his island.

Selkirk's well-documented adventures so inspired Daniel
Defoe that they became the basis for his perennial classic,
Robinson Crusoe. In an account that is every bit as fascinating as
Defoe's novel, Robert Kraske provides vivid descriptions of
Selkirk's days on the island and aboard ship, including details of
the violent, bloody, and legally sanctioned pirating that went on
in the early 18th century. Author's note, glossary, bibliography,
index.