Searching for Crusoe: A Journey Among the Last Real Islands

From Robinson Crusoe to CBS's Survivor, islands have always exerted a special fascination. Clarke, a self-professed islomaniac and author of Pearl Harbor Ghosts, attempts to better understand this phenomenon by visiting different types of islands in this well-written, if sometimes rambling, travelogue. He surveys islands that have inspired famous stories like South Pacific, islands that have personal meaning for him (such as the one on which he spent his honeymoon), islands with utopian societies, prison islands and private islands owned by rich individuals. He even searches for a perfect, undiscovered island unaffected by modern influences. Clarke vividly captures the uniqueness of each island, relating its history, conversing with the locals, immersing himself in the local culture and expertly describing the landscape. He also displays an awareness of the challenges provoked by a tourism industry that threatens native culture and of rising sea levels caused by global warming. An added bonus is Clarke's unearthing of the sources behind various literary characters; he introduces us to the real ""Bloody Mary"" and the cave where Alexander Selkirk, the model for Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, lived for four and a half years. Though the book's loose narrative may put off some readers, true island lovers will enjoy its exotic anecdotes and colorful, authoritative prose. (Feb. 1) Forecast: Due out in the dead of winter and boosted by a first serial to Cond Nast Traveler, this book could do well. It may even ride on the expected success of the just-released Tom Hanks's vehicle, Castaway.