New book tells harrowing tale of shipwreck and survival

Eric Jay Dolin’s “Left for Dead” explores the remarkable tale of five men stranded during War of 1812

THIS WOULD MATCH UP AGAINST ALMOST ANY OTHER SURVIVAL STORY IN TERMS OF INTEREST, AND CERTAINLY IN TERMS OF HOW THE PROBLEM AROSE AND ALL THE EVENTS THAT LED TO THE ABANDONMENT OF THESE MEN. FIVE MEN ABANDONED ON THE INHOSPITABLE FALKLAND ISLANDS IN 1813, ESSENTIALLY LEFT FOR DEAD AS AUTHOR ERIC JAY DOLAN LAYS OUT IN HIS 16TH BOOK, FIRST THE PLAYERS THE AMERICAN VESSEL NANINA HUNTING SEALS IN THE FALKLANDS. THE BRITISH BRIG, THE ISABELLA, WITH 54 PASSENGERS AND CREW, AND THE BRITISH WARSHIP THE NANCY, THE ISABELLA WAS EN ROUTE FROM WHAT IS NOW AUSTRALIA TO LONDON WHEN IT CRASHED INTO THE FALKLANDS IN A BRUTAL STORM. THE NANINA CAME UPON THE SURVIVORS TWO MONTHS LATER AND OFFERED THEM A DEAL. UNBEKNOWNST TO THE BRITISH CASTAWAYS, THE WAR OF 1812 WAS UNDERWAY, AND YET THE CAPTAIN OF THE AMERICAN SHIP CHARLES BARNARD, INFORMS THEM OF THE CONFLICT AND OFFERS RESCUE. THE AMERICANS IN A HUMANITARIAN GESTURE. OFFER TO SAVE ALL 54. ALL OF THE CASTAWAYS BRING THEM TO SOUTH AMERICA SO THAT THEY CAN GET BACK TO LONDON, AND THE ONLY THING THAT THE AMERICANS ASKED FOR IN RETURN IS TO BE ABLE TO BE COMPENSATED BY TAKING ALL OF THE CARGO AND ANYTHING THAT GETS STRIPPED FROM THE WRECK OF THE ISABELLA, THE BRIG THAT HAD CRASHED. SO THIS DEAL, IT’S VERY NICE. THE BRITISH ARE HAPPY. THE AMERICANS ARE HAPPY. THE AMERICANS START PREPARING TO LEAVE. CAPTAIN BARNARD, ONE OF HIS MEN, AND THREE MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH CREW HEAD OFF ON A HUNTING MISSION TO PROVISION THE NANINA FOR DEPARTURE. BUT THEN THE BRITISH WARSHIP, THE NANCY, ARRIVES ON THE SCENE UNDER THE COMMAND OF WILLIAM D’ARANDA. WHEN THE BRITISH COMMANDER D’ARANDA GOT THERE, HE LEARNED OF THIS WONDERFUL DEAL BETWEEN THE AMERICANS AND THE BRITISH, WHEREBY THE AMERICANS WERE GOING TO SAVE THE BRITISH. HE RIPS UP THE DEAL TOTALLY IGNORES IT. HE SAID. IT’S WAR. I’M CLAIMING THE NANINA AS A PRIZE OF WAR AND ALL THE AMERICANS ARE GOING TO BE PRISONERS OF WAR. THE TABLES HAVE TURNED AND D’ARANDA PREPARES TO LEAVE, TAKING THE NANINA WITH HIM. HE MAKES LITTLE EFFORT TO FIND CAPTAIN BARNARD AND THE FOUR OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HUNTING PARTY. THEY ONLY HAD A COUPLE OF KNIVES, A COUPLE OF CLUBS, HARDLY ANY FOOD, AND ALMOST NOTHING ELSE. SO WHEN THEY WERE LEFT, THE AMERICANS WHO WERE CAPTURED BY THE BRITISH WARSHIP, BASICALLY TOLD THE BRITISH, YOU HAVE SIGNED THEIR DEATH WARRANT. THEY ARE GOING TO DIE. THE FIVE MAROONED MEN PROVE RESOURCEFUL, BUILDING SHELTERS OUT OF PEAT, EATING PIGS, SEALS, BIRDS AND EGGS TO SURVIVE WITH THE WAR RAGING, NO RESCUE EFFORT IS MOUNTED. THE MEN ARE ABANDONED AND ALONE AND SOMEHOW SURVIVE FOR. 534 DAYS UNTIL TWO BRITISH WHALING SHIPS APPEAR ON THE HORIZON AND OFFER RESCUE. IT WILL STILL BE YEARS BEFORE THEY GET HOME, AND CAPTAIN BARNARD DOES EVENTUALLY RETURN TO SEA. HE WRITES A BOOK ABOUT HIS FALKLAND ORDEAL AND PASSES AWAY AT AGE 83. HIS OBITUARY MAKES NO MENTION OF HIS INCREDIBLE SURVIVAL TALE. EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN THIS STORY IS JUST A REGULAR PERSON. THEY WEREN’T FAMOUS BEFORE THE EVENT TRANSPIRED AND THEY DIDN’T BECOME FAMOUS AFTERWARDS. IT’S JUST A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW WHEN YOU THROW TOGETHER A BUNCH OF PEOPLE UNDER DURESS, SOME PEOPLE ACT NOBLY, SOME PEOPLE ACT ATROCIOUSLY, AND THEY’RE OFTEN A LOT OF TWISTS AND TURNS. WHEN THE AMERICAN SAILORS TAKEN BY THAT BRITISH WARSHIP RETURNED TO AMERICA, THEY BEGAN TELLING THEIR STORIES TO REPORTERS. DOZENS OF ARTICLES WERE WRITTEN ABOUT THE BRITISH TREACHERY, WHICH FUELED SUPPORT FOR THE AMERICAN WAR EFFORT AGAINST THE BRITISH. THAT IS CHRONICLE FOR TONIGHT. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US, EVERYONE. I’M ANTHONY EVERETT. HAVE A GREAT EVENING. HO

New book tells harrowing tale of shipwreck and survival

Eric Jay Dolin’s “Left for Dead” explores the remarkable tale of five men stranded during War of 1812

The 16th book from Eric Jay Dolin, “Left for Dead,” explores the remarkable tale of five men stranded in the Falkland Islands during the War of 1812. With little hope of rescue and few tools, they survive for more than 500 days.”This would match up against almost any other survival story in terms of interest, and certainly in terms of how the problem arose and all the events that led to the abandonment of these men,” Dolin tells Anthony Everett.”Everybody involved in this story is just a regular person,” Dolin adds. “They weren’t famous before the event transpired, and they didn’t become famous afterwards. It’s just a great example about how when you throw together a bunch of people under duress, some people act nobly, some people act atrociously, and there are often a lot of twists and turns.”

BOSTON —

“This would match up against almost any other survival story in terms of interest, and certainly in terms of how the problem arose and all the events that led to the abandonment of these men,” Dolin tells Anthony Everett.

“Everybody involved in this story is just a regular person,” Dolin adds. “They weren’t famous before the event transpired, and they didn’t become famous afterwards. It’s just a great example about how when you throw together a bunch of people under duress, some people act nobly, some people act atrociously, and there are often a lot of twists and turns.”

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