Sailing by Starlight by Alex Capus
Capus takes us on an exploratory journey via the loss of a Spanish vessel laden with gold and jewels in the South Seas, the burial of treasure, an ancient map, and a long and dangerous voyage across the Pacific, to prove that Robert Louis Stevenson's treasure island actually exists; and that it exists in a place quite different from where hordes of treasure-hunters have been seeking it for generations. In fact, he posits, it was for this reason alone that Stevenson spent the last five years of his life in Samoa. On a long trip round the Pacific islands with the idea of writing articles for American periodicals, Stevenson, travelling with his beloved wife, Fanny, and stepson Lloyd Osbourne, had no notion of stopping at Samoa when their ship made landfall in December 1889. Yet, only six weeks later, at the age of 39, he would invest all his available assets in a patch of impenetrable jungle and spend the rest of his life there. This book traces what led Stevenson to Samoa and the origins of his famous story. For facing him from this unlikely spot was another island - a conical isle, Tafahi, where legends abound, and it was, Capus suggests, this isle that would cause him to change the course of his life.
'Confiding, easy-going, intimate, the writer spins a new - a mind-bendingly new - account from this well-worn clothFluent, charming, but mischievous, the story slips past like a tantalising vision but leaves a strange flavour behind.' '[A] fascinating investigation...' -- Giles Foden
Alex Capus is a French-Swiss novelist who writes in German. He is the author of the novels A Matter of Time, Almost Like Spring and Leon and Louise, recently longlisted for the German Book Prize, all published by Haus.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781907973741 |
| ISBN 10 | 1907973745 |
| Title | Sailing by Starlight |
| Author | Alex Capus |
| Series | Armchair Traveller |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | The Armchair Traveller at the Bookhaus |
| Year published | 2013-03-28 |
| Number of pages | 220 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |